Sierra Club Iowa Chapter

Iowa issues

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Local Iowa Groups

Get in some outdoor time. Our Sierra Club Groups in Iowa regularly plan outings and other activities. Select a Local Group in the My backyard dropdown menu and get details of the outings groups have planned.

What interests you?

The Iowa Chapter developed a survey to find out what our members and supporters are interested in. This will help us better understand how to contact you when your issue arises. We'd love to hear about what matters most to you, what issues you're involved in, if you have time to work with us, and more!

Please take a few minutes to complete our survey.

Volunteer Page

News about volunteer activities and upcoming projects. Click here for more information.

News Releases

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Web Archives

Information that has been moved off the front page.

2010 Legislation

Are you interested in what is going on with our lawmakers in Des Moines? See the Legislation that is of interest to you, your environment, and your community. Find out more...

Last updated 02/09/2010

Manure Spills and Fish Kills

Find out where the latest manure spill and/or fish kill occurred here...

Fish Advisories Posted

The Department of Natural Resources has posted fish consumption advisories for nine sites. Find out where they are here...

Bypasses

Excess rainwater or snow melt need somewhere to go. Often, the sewage bypasses a treatment plant thus preventing sewage from backing up into basements. Facilities are required to report bypasses caused by mechanical failures to the DNR within 12 hours of onset or discovery. Facilities do not have to immediately report bypasses from precipitation events, but must include them in their monthly operating report to the DNR. Click here to see the most current information about your city's bypass history this year.

The Green Life

Tips for living well and doing good.

ExCom Planning Retreat

The Iowa Chapter Executive Committee held a planning retreat in August at the Iowa Great Lakes. Although the committee members and staff made time for fun, the group worked very hard to plan for 2010 and beyond. See pictures from the two-day retreat here...

Annual Dinner held October 31

The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter's Annual Dinner, Awards Celebration and Silent Auction was held October 31, 2009, in Davenport at the Best Western Steeple Gate Inn.

Davenport's Alderman at Large Gene Meeker served as keynote speaker and talked about what Davenport is doing as a Cool City and the city's future plans.

Awards were given to individuals who have done outstanding work to protect Iowa's environment. See more about the 2009 dinner here...

NEWS

UPDATE: Antidegradation Rule and Outstanding Iowa Waters List Approved

The Administrative Rules Review Committee at its February meeting allowed the antidegradation rule, including the Outstanding Iowa Waters list, to pass without legislative intervention; but it wasn’t without strong opposition.

Sen. Merlin Bartz (R-Grafton) moved to object to the rule. Bartz argued that many questions were left unanswered and that alternatives to degradation defined by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were not written in a manual. The senator also argued that a provision requiring a community to determine the importance of economic or social development to justify degradation of waters “could shut down the state.” He wanted to shift the burden of proof to the DNR if an individual or a community ever filed a lawsuit as a result of the rule.

Sen. Wally Horn (D-Cedar Rapids) expressed concern that two quarries in his district would negatively be impacted by the rule. He said that quarry operators are scared and he wanted assurances that the DNR won’t be “going after everybody” right away.

James Larew, General Counsel from the Governor’s Office, told legislators that a letter sent to ARRC members by Gov. Chet Culver supporting the rule was unusual, but it’s the Governor’s view that Iowans feel strongly about having clean water. Larew said he had heard nothing during deliberations Monday to indicate that the DNR rule is capricious, unreasonable or beyond the jurisdiction of the agency, a requirement for the ARRC’s objecting to the rule.

Ultimately, legislators passed the rule by taking no action on it. Six votes were required for Sen. Bartz’s objection motion to pass. ARRC members voting to support Sen. Bartz’s objection included Bartz, Sen. James Seymour (R-Woodbine,) Rep. Linda Upmeyer (R-Garner) and Rep. David Heaton (R-Mt. Pleasant). Legislators opposing the objection included Rep. Marcella Frevert (D-Emmetsburg), chair of the committee, Sen. Jack Kibbie (D-Emmetsburg), Sen. Thomas Courtney (D-Burlington), Rep. Tyler Olson (D-Cedar Rapids), Rep. Nathan Reichert (D-Muscatine) and Sen. Horn.

Learn more about the antidegradation rule here...

The Wild Section of Your Tax Form

Tax time is not normally associated with natural resources, but in Iowa, doing your state taxes is also one of the easiest ways to support Iowa’s wildlife. The Chickadee Check-off, or Fish and Wildlife fund as it is now listed, was added to the tax form by the legislature in the early 1980s to give tax payers an opportunity to donate, via their state tax form, to wildlife conservation in Iowa. This addition to the form helped establish the Iowa DNR’s Wildlife Diversity program, and the donated money is still a primary funding source.

“Before the Wildlife Diversity Program was established, there were no staff or funds dedicated to the more than 800 wildlife species in the state that weren’t classified as sport fish and game,” said Stephanie Shepherd, biologist with the Wildlife Diversity Program, “The fish and wildlife fund made it possible for the DNR to include all wildlife in our management efforts.” Some specific programs the tax check-off funds have helped make happen has been the successful return to the state of peregrine falcons, ospreys and trumpeter swans, the purchase of land for public enjoyment of wildlife, the hosting of fun and educational events honoring bald eagles and prairie chickens, research and much more.

Unfortunately, donations to this fund have been on the decline. “In 2008 we had the fewest people donate in the check-off’s almost 30-year history, and the total amount donated was down by over 20 percent from what it was just 6 years ago,” said Shepherd.

Hard economic times take a toll on charitable giving, but that’s not the whole story since the fund has been steadily decreasing for some years now. Shepherd speculates that part of the cause may be that more people seem to be using tax preparers and electronic programs to do their taxes.

“The contribution line on which the check-off is located is kind of hidden and is located at the end of the state’s long tax form on line 58. It is easy to pass over and forget and many tax preparers may not remember to ask whether a client wants to donate,” she said. She said that some electronic tax programs available are not set up to ask about the contribution line either. “It may be up to the tax payer to remind their preparer or check out the completeness of the electronic program they are using.”

Despite this initial effort, donating on the tax form is extremely easy; simply write the amount you want to donate next to the tax check-off of your choice and the sum is either automatically deducted from your refund or added to the amount you owe. There are no administrative costs so every penny donated goes to wildlife conservation in Iowa, and the amount is deductible from next year’s taxes.

For more information about the Fish/Wildlife Fund, contact Stephanie Shepherd at 515-432-2823 ext. 102 or stephanie.shepherd@dnr.iowa.gov.

Round Three -- Recreational Use Assessment and Attainability

The DNR will present information about a Notice of Intended Action at the January Environmental Protection Commission proposing rulemaking to amend the recreational and warm water aquatic life use designations for approximately 600 river and stream segments. See a more detailed list of the segments that includes more information about the length of the segment, the current designated uses and the recommended designated uses here.

Watch this website for more information about the third round of UAAs.

Support America's Red Rock Wilderness Act

The red rock canyonlands of southern Utah is one of our nation's most magnificent wild landscapes. Dominated by towering buttes and red sandstone plateaus, the great Colorado and Green Rivers have sliced deep, winding canyons. Unfortunately, this spectacular landscape is threatened by oil and gas drilling and abuse by off-road-vehicles.

America's Red Rock Wilderness Act would give wilderness designation to more than 9 million acres of our federal public land in southern Utah, protecting this landscape forever.

Find out more here...

Iowa's Impaired Waters List

The Department of Natural Resources released its preliminary 2006 impaired waters list -- the latest available and the Environmental Protection Agency approved the list in July 2008. About 135 new waterbodies have been added to the list from 2004.

The total of 366 impaired waters reflects an increase in water and biological monitoring, not necessarily an increase in pollution. The list also includes 92 waters that remain impaired, but have a water quality improvement plan written.