"Take It Outside" for Non-Stop Fun at the 2010 Iowa State Fair.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be encouraging all its visitors to "Take It Outside" for Non-Stop Fun at the 2010 Iowa State Fair.

Visitors will see quite a few new attractions both inside and outside of the DNR's pavilion, located at the west end of the State Fair Grand Concourse.

"We have many more interactive displays and hands-on activities in our building and courtyard this year," says Julie Sparks, with the Iowa DNR. "We really want to help people find non-stop fun in the outdoors."

Inside the pavilion, visitors will be able to build a tent, identify animal tracks, touch live reptiles and amphibians, make a leaf rubbing and shoot a bow.

"We are anticipating a lot of interest in our new archery range," says Sparks. Anyone 9 years old and older can try their hand at using a bow and arrow. The range will be enclosed within the DNR building and will have certified staff instructing and supervising the activity.

The DNR is hoping to draw quite a crowd on Extreme Sunday, the last day of the fair, to help build 1,000 bluebird houses on the Grand Concourse. DNR staff with volunteers from the Wild Turkey Federation will help kids build birdhouse to take home. The "extreme" event will begin at 11 a.m. and is free of charge.

As always, conservation officers will be on hand to answer questions, the Nature Store will have licenses, the Iowa Outdoors magazine, t-shirts and other items for sale and the historic aquarium, focal point of the pavilion, will be filled with Iowa fish.

Outside the west gates of the building is a pond full of waterfowl and turtles, focal point of the courtyard. The courtyard also features a full-size replica of a bald eagles nest, recently renovated prairie, a water fountain, picnic tables, benches and plenty of shade.

A brand new mobile education exhibit along the north fence helps visitors learn how to make simple, everyday behavior changes inside their homes to help protect and improve the environment outside.

Ogden sculptor David Williamson will again turn "trash into treasure" in the DNR's courtyard. Williamson uses metal trash collected from the DNR's annual river clean up event, Project AWARE, to create sculptures and most recently to create new gates for the DNR pavillion. Two of five gates are installed on the west side of the building, and construction on a third will begin during Williamson's courtyard demonstrations on the weekends.

Presentations are given daily on the courtyard stage, including live animal talks, cooking demonstrations, and a chance to meet and visit with the DNR Director, Richard Leopold, each Friday at noon. This year the DNR will be "tweeting" the stage schedule reminders to its followers on Twitter.

The DNR building at the fair will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day of the fair. For more information and a full courtyard stage schedule, visit www.iowadnr.gov .

Follow Us: www.twitter.com/iowadnr

RAGBRAI Next Week - Algona & Clear Lake - Find Refuge and Explore Natural Spaces Along the Way!

Monday and Tuesday - Find Refuge and Explore Natural Spaces!

So - You are heading out on RAGBRAI next week with 20,000 or so of your closest friends. You've downloaded and printed copies of the 2010 "Learn about the Land" RAGBRAI brochures to learn what makes up the landscape during the 2010 Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa and you've taken a look at our earlier post about Stone State Park in Sioux City.
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Now it is Monday afternoon and you're peddling into Algona. Be sure to take some time to visit Ambrose A. Call State Park. A. A. Call State Park is a 138 acre "oasis" of rugged hills heavily wooded with virgin timber in an area of gently rolling farmland. The park is located near the east fork of the Des Moines River.

Ambrose Call and his brother, Asa, were early settlers in the area who carved their claim, the first in Kossuth County, on a walnut tree at the present site of the park. The brothers spent their first night in Kossuth County on July 9, 1854. The next day, while Asa went for his wife and supplies, Ambrose and a traveling companion, William Smith, began work on a cabin in what is now the state park.

The two brothers founded the town of Algona, and in 1861 Ambrose established the ALGONA PIONEER PRESS, the first newspaper in that section of the State. For years these pioneers labored to secure railroads and develop their town and county, working also for the material interests and settlement of northwestern Iowa. Ambrose has acquired large interests in land and business enterprises in Algona and has expended his means freely in the improvements which have made Algona one of the most prosperous towns of northwestern Iowa.

Seventy-one years later, in 1925, Mrs. Gardner Cowles, (in 1904 her husband Gardnes Cowles Sr. purchased a struggling Des Moines newspaper that was $180,000 in debt and had a circulation of about 14,000 - later to become the Des Moines Register) made a gift of land to the state in memory of her father, Ambrose A. Call. The park was dedicated in 1929.

An authentic log cabin sits on the property and is constructed of elm logs, some exceeding 18 inches in diameter, which is typical of cabins built by the original settlers in the area. Four men were needed to put the logs in place. The cabin in the park is located in the approximate location of the first log cabin in Kossuth County. It was moved from the August Zahlten homestead to the park.

The rugged and heavily wooded park offers two miles of trails that wind through the forest, down a ravine, and along a picturesque winding creek. Many species of shrubs, flowers and trees can be found at A.A. Call.

Map It - The park is located in Kossuth County, approximately 1.5 miles southwest of Algona.

Perhaps your support team will want to venture north to Union Slough National Wildlife Preserve near Titonka as a side trip. From Algona, take Highway 169 north to Bancroft; turn right (east) on county road A-42, and proceed six miles.
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After an easy ride from Algona, you'll be coasting into Clear Lake on Tuesday afternoon. You'll be close to three areas of natural interest while visiting the Clear Lake area. The 992 acre Ventura Marsh Wildlife Management Area is located on the west end of the lake.

In June of this year we experienced some history in the making. For the first time in more than a century, wild sandhill cranes are successfully nesting in Cerro Gordo County. In June of this year, a single crane chick [more properly called crane colt] emerged from a nest located in a remote and boggy section of the Ventura Marsh. Within hours of hatch, the ever vigilant parent cranes were already shepherding their gangly newborn across the area's thickly vegetated terrain in search of high protein menu items. The state’s last known nesting of sandhill cranes occurred in May 1894 on a marsh located to the north of Hancock County’s Eagle Lake. The nesting attempt failed when collectors pirated the eggs.

Along the north shore of Clear Lake you'll find McIntosh Woods State Park. The park has a point or peninsula of land jutting out into the lake. This area includes an unsupervised beach which is popular for swimmers of all ages.

Map It - McIntosh Woods State Park is located on the northwest shore of beautiful 3,684-acre Clear Lake. The 60-acre park, purchased in 1943, is an oasis of nature in an area of residential, commercial and agricultural land.

Along the south shore of Clear Lake you'll find Clear Lake State Park.

Map It - Clear Lake State Park is located on the southeast shore of beautiful 3,643-acre Clear Lake.

Clear Lake is one of the major outdoor recreation features of northern Iowa. Although the state park is only 55 acres in size, it offers a tremendous diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities due to its location on the lake as well as its natural beauty. The park is characterized by gently rolling ground with open, mature groves of oak trees. Several small draws and thickets provide habitat for owls, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, rabbits, many species of songbirds and an occasional deer. Scenic Woodford Island is a 3-acre island managed primarily for wildlife habitat and is an excellent spot for fishing.

Clear Lake State Park began in 1924 with the acquisition of land now occupied by the picnic area. In the following year, the remaining area of the present beach was purchased. In the 1960s and 1970s, additional property was acquired in order to provide enhanced outdoor recreation opportunity and visitor enjoyment. Woodford Island was donated to the state in 1971 by the Woodford family.
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Clear Lake is a spring-fed lake formed by glacial action some 14,000 years ago. It has a surface area of about 3,600 acres and measures seven miles long and two and one-half miles wide. The elevation of the lake is 1,247 feet above sea level and it is nearly 100 feet above the surrounding countryside, giving it the appearance of an inverted saucer setting above the area around it. Its elevation is actually higher than the top of the tallest building in the neighboring community of Mason City.

Budget bind means parts of state parks to be shut

From 12/28/09 Des Moines Register
By PERRY BEEMAN
pbeeman@dmreg.com

The state is moving to close selected trails, parks and beaches and might close entire parks if budget cuts grow, the Department of Natural Resources' director said.

The department has lost 25 percent of its general-fund cash in the past year because of weak state revenues, Richard Leopold said. Last summer, federally paid help bolstered his crews, but that money is gone, too.

Next summer, some areas that don't generate cash will be roped off, Leopold said. Campgrounds and other spots that do bring in cash should be open, though maintenance may suffer a bit.

As it stands today, all parks will be open next summer, with selected parts of them closed.

"We're not closing anything yet," Leopold said. "We will offer fewer services everywhere. If we get further cuts, we'll probably close whole parks."

Any closures would most likely affect lesser-used parks, he said.

"It's kind of ironic because we are at record attendance but at historic lows with staffing," Leopold said.

Iowa's 85 state parks draw a combined 14 million visits a year. The DNR usually has 300 summer workers on board to help with the vacation season.

"Now, we have 40 budgeted for next summer, and we'll be lucky to hold on to those," Leopold said.

That means some beaches, playgrounds and picnic areas will simply be off-limits because the state won't be able to maintain them. The one wild card: volunteers. If a park's "friends group" can pick up the slack, its areas might stay open.

Department spokesman Kevin Baskins said several initiatives might ease the pain. The DNR has asked for $40 million in stimulus money for parks projects but has not received word on the application. That money would pay for constructing beach buildings, playgrounds and cabins, for example. There is also talk of coming up with money for volunteer coordinators at the DNR.

In the long term, there may be more cash. A private foundation is looking to raise cash for parks. Also, voters will decide in November whether to back a constitutional amendment that would clear the way for devoting $150 million a year to natural resources if lawmakers approve a sales tax increase.

DNR DIRECTOR TO HOLD PUBLIC FORUMS ACROSS IOWA

Richard Leopold, director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will be holding public forums across Iowa again this year to discuss natural resource issues with Iowans.

The first forum will be held at Honey Creek Resort State Park on Thursday, Aug. 6.

“I really look forward to hearing from Iowa’s citizens. Last year, we got great feedback and ideas from more than 300 attendees,” said Leopold about the seven forums held last year. “Our relationship with Iowans is something we highly value within the DNR and we will work together on the things most affecting our natural resources.”

Each public forum begins at 6 p.m. with Director Leopold outlining the DNR’s top priorities, the environmental report card, providing an update on budget cuts and discussing local issues. Another hour-and-a-half will be devoted to answering questions from the public.

Public forums scheduled for Director Leopold are as follows listed by date:

Moravia
Honey Creek Resort State Park Lodge
Thursday, Aug. 6, 6 p.m.

Lehigh
Dolliver State Park Lodge
Thursday, Aug. 20, 6 p.m.

Solon
Lake Macbride State Park Main Lodge
Thursday, Aug. 27, 6 p.m.

Bellevue
Bellevue State Park Lodge
Thursday, Sept. 3, 6 p.m.

Bedford
Lake of Three Fires State Park Lodge
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 6 p.m.

Clear Lake
Clear Lake State Park Lodge
Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m.

Sioux City
Stone State Park Lodge
Thursday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tammie Krausman, DNR, at (515) 402-8763 or Tammie.Krausman@dnr.iowa.gov.

Expect Busy State Park Campgrounds and Boat Ramps This Weekend

Iowa’s State Parks and the Fourth of July are as much of a tradition as hot dogs, apple pie and the annual parade.

“Our campgrounds are already busy in fact we have some parks where the first come sites filled two weekends ago,” said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Parks Bureau. “We are encouraging all of our campers to be aware of the noise level at their campsites and to have patience at the shower houses and dump stations because of the busy holiday.”

The DNR will be handing out large green reusable litter bags for campers to use to collect trash. The bags contain information on how campers can have a smaller impact on Mother Nature while enjoying Iowa’s scenic beauty. The DNR worked in cooperation with Keep Iowa Beautiful to sponsor the bags.


Boaters who use state park boat ramps will find ramps busy and parking lots filled to capacity. Patience will also be at a premium there.

“Delays at boat ramps can cause frustration among boaters who are in a hurry to get out on the water and enjoy the holiday. Boaters should plan to arrive early at the ramp, use the rigging lane to prepare to launch and to be courteous to the others waiting to put in,” said Susan Stocker, boating education coordinator for the DNR. “Boaters can reduce the chance of frustration by checking the boat for life jackets, a sounding device, checking the lights and fuel supply before heading to the lake.

They should also reduce their speed and watch out for others on the water.” Stocker said each boat should have a designated operator or to have a plan to rotate operators to reduce the amount of sun and wave action on one operator.

“The key to the plan is to have an operator who is not drinking alcohol,” she said.
Iowans heading to the lake this weekend should be sure to include a rod and reel. Fishing in Iowa lakes and streams is expected to be good.

“After a lot of rain and hot and cool temperatures, we are finally in a stable weather pattern and that should provide our anglers with good fishing,” said Mike McGhee, with the DNR’s Fisheries Bureau. “Look for largemouth bass and channel catfish close to shore. Bluegills should be willing to bite all over the lake and close to shore first thing in the morning.”

Sidebar: Dos and Don’ts for the July 4 Holiday
Do bring plenty of sunscreen and bug repellent
Don’t bring fireworks
Do bring balls, bats and gloves for kids to play with
Don’t bring in firewood from out of state
Do plan to spend extra time setting up the campsite
Do plan to arrive early to allow plenty of time to set up
Do call ahead if you do not have a campsite to see if there are any cancellations or first come first serve sites available
Do be courteous of other campers and follow the quiet hours. It takes only one loud campsite to ruin the experience for a lot of campers
Do pick up after yourself - Use those Green Bags that will be distributed at the parks
Don’t leave your lights on all night or the air conditioner running while no one is in the camper Do follow the park rules and plan to have a fun and safe holiday weekend
Do wear a life jacket
Don’t drink and drive while operating a boat
Don’t operate the boat faster than the conditions allow
Do check all boating safety equipment before leaving home

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Youth ages 2 to 13 caught on Iowa's waterways wearing a lifejacket will receive a mock citation, a sticker and a coupon for a free small Frosty at a participating Wendy's restaurant.

The citation is part of the "I Got Caught" campaign that rewards youth for practicing good safety habits. Other behavior that will prompt a citation is wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard or in-line skates. The program will run throughout the summer and culminate in the fall with several bike giveaways.

The DNR is a participating law enforcement agency. The primary sponsors for the 'I Got Caught' campaign are Iowa Health System, AAA Minnesota/Iowa and Wendy's Restaurants.

Iowa law requires children under age 13 to wear a life jacket while in a boat that is underway.

'Primitive' Campsites Lure Those Looking for Getaway

'Primitive' campsites lure those looking for getaway



By Orlan Love, The Gazette
orlan.love@gazettecommunications.com



Campers who want to commune with nature rather than the occupants of recreational vehicles can find plenty of good places to pitch their tents.



Though the trend has been to accommodate RVs by upgrading campsites with electricity, water and sewer hookups and even wireless Internet access, most state- and county-operated parks still provide ample opportunities for campers to rough it, says Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the Department of Natural Resources Parks Bureau.



Iowa's state park system has 2,706 electrified campsites and 1,977 primitive sites. About half in each category can be reserved, with the other half available on a first-come, first-served basis.



The conservation departments in Iowa's 99 counties operate a combined 11,500 sites, about half of which are primitive, says Tom Hazelton, special programs manager for Linn County Conservation Department.



"People flock to scenic vistas and water, and the trend has been to improve the most popular sites with amenities, but some people just like to camp the old-fashioned way," Hazelton says.



One such person is Harry Graves, director of the Johnson County Conservation Department.



"We are tent people," Graves says of wife Ellie and himself. "When we go camping, we are out to enjoy nature rather than neighbors. We like being able to set up camp on a moment's notice, wherever we happen to be.



"Tent camping is no longer synonymous with primitive camping, though, Graves says.



"A fair number of tent campers pick electric sites for their fans, televisions and cell phone chargers," he says. Around holidays, like the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, primitive campers enjoy another advantage — less competition for sites. While most primitive sites do fill up, they are the last to do so, says Linn County's Hazelton.



The 1,624-acre Matsell Bridge Natural Area in eastern Linn County has about a dozen "pack-in" campsites along the Wapsipinicon River that provide rustic camping at its finest, he says. "You can't drive to them. You have to carry everything you need, including water, so they're generally not crowded," he says.



The 340-acre Wakpicada Natural Area along the Wapsipinicon, south of Central City, is also popular with primitive campers, Hazelton says. "It's dark at night at Wakpicada," he says.



Linn County provides 581 sites at 24 campgrounds, with slightly more than half of them unimproved.



In Johnson County, the Hills Access and the River Junction Access each provide about a dozen primitive sites along the Iowa River, and 48 of the 84 sites at F.W. Kent Park near Tiffin are non-electric, Graves says.



The Jones County Conservation Department offers 43 primitive sites at its Central Park, says director Larry Gullett."Tent camping really appeals to people who like to paddle and fish the river systems," he says.



The Wapsipinicon in Jones and Jackson counties is classified as a meandered stream, which means camping is permitted on its sandbars, Gullet says. The Maquoketa River is a non-meandered stream, which means landowner permission is required to camp on its sandbars, he says."Always ask first. Most of the landowners are cooperative as long as its not a large group intent upon partying," he says.



For campers who really want to get away from it all, Szcodronski recommends the three state forests in Eastern Iowa: Yellow River, 8,503 acres in Allamakee County; Shimek, 9,148 acres in Lee and Van Buren counties; and Stephens, 15,170 acres in Lucas, Clarke, Monroe, Appanoose and Davis counties.



"This is primitive camping at its best. ... You've got latrines, fire rings and picnic tables, and the rest is up to you," he says.

© 2009 Gazette Communications

Cleanup Project will Tackle Cedar River

Project A.W.A.R.E. is an Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) effort designed to lead Iowans to the natural waterways of the state and to engage them in efforts to cleanup the environment.

The AWARE objectives include:

• Increasing awareness about water quality issues that threaten the health of Iowa's water resources and promote advocacy and action towards their improvement and protection.
• Engaging Iowa's citizen volunteers in a project that challenges them to become stewards of the river and produces a tangible, quantitative result (numbers of citizens involved and quantity of trash removed, recycled, reused, or properly disposed).
• Demonstrating the commitment of Iowa's citizens by giving of themselves and their valuable time to make a difference - one stretch of river, one piece of trash at a time.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has announced that this year's cleanup project will help spruce up an 86-mile stretch of the Cedar River from Center Point to Muscatine.

This is the seventh annual Project AWARE. Hundreds of volunteers are expected to turn out for the cleanup project from June 20 to June 27. During the expedition, volunteers use canoes and kayaks to float down the river and pick up trash along the way.

Some volunteers also take part in land-based projects. Organizers said Project AWARE has enlisted more than 1,200 participants to clean up nearly 500 miles of Iowa's rivers.

Check out the DNR Project AWARE Web Site for more information.

Restoring Wetlands in Iowa Symposium

April Symposium Will Focus on Creating and Restoring Wetlands in Iowa

A two-day symposium exploring the importance of wetland restoration and management will be held April 2-3 in Des Moines.
One of the goals of the symposium is to explore options, both financially and socially, to restore wetland benefits for all parties concerned including agriculture and urban development. For instance, strategic use of state and federal conservation programs can assist landowners in maximizing unproductive land.
Wetlands are areas where water is at, near, or above the land surface long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation and which has soils indicative of wet conditions. Iowa wetlands are diverse resources that include marshes, bogs, floodplain woodlands, wet meadows, low prairies and fens.

Iowa has one of the most altered landscapes in the world. Prior to settlement, an estimated four million to six million acres of Iowa were in wetlands. It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of Iowa's wetlands have been lost with only California and Ohio having lost more, according to The Iowa Wetlands and Riparian Areas Conservation Plan.

Wetlands have long been recognized for their value to wildlife, but it has only been in recent years that we've begun to understand the importance of wetlands in improving water quality for larger lakes and streams as well as reducing impacts from flooding. The restoration of wetlands provides not only environmental benefits in terms of improving water quality, but also economic benefits. In addition to hunting and fishing opportunities, wetlands are a haven for many non-game species.

Wildlife watching, particularly bird watching, is the fastest growing outdoor-related activity in the United States. Quality wildlife watching opportunities can be a boon to local economies that have wetland complexes designed to attract wildlife and, in turn, the people attracted to watching wildlife.

In recent years, the Iowa DNR has been actively working on restoring some of Iowa's largest wetland complexes. A video highlighting the DNR's efforts to restore existing wetlands, "Reviving Iowa's Shallow Lakes," can be found at:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/video/index.html

Registration: Wetlands: Reinvesting in Iowa's Natural Capital, April 2-3, 2009,*.pdf