Here is some information as to how you may help influence the battle to save our ability to use our conservation revenues to continue to put habitat and more opportunities on the ground as it always has. You can e mail your written comments ,to be sent to the Legislative Information Office at: [email protected]
Let them know that as an Iowa conservationist that you do not support the proposal that is on page 10 of the tax payer relief act that is to prohibit our IDNR from any new lands or prohibit them from any agreement where real property may be acquired. The only opportunity we have under page 10 to generate more opportunities is if the land is donated to the IDNR. Here is the Constitutional Amendment that protects and describes how our conservation revenues are to be utilized. Amendment of 1996 [44] Article VII of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is amended by adding the following new section: Fish and Wildlife Protection Funds. SECTION 9. All revenue derived from state license fee for hunting, fishing, and trapping, and all state funds appropriated for, and federal or private funds received by the state for, the regulation or advancement of hunting, fishing, or trapping, or the protection, propagation, restoration, management, or harvest of fish or wildlife, shall be used exclusively for the performance and administration of activities related to those purposes. Here is the Tax Payer Relief Act Proposal that is on page 10 that will stomp our 1996 constitutional amendment into the mud and prohibit us as conservationist from utilizing our resources for the designed purpose in said 1996 amendment. Reduce the Department of Natural Resources land acquisition for FY 2011 by 100 percent of unencumbered appropriation. This is what they put in the Proposed Bill. DIVISION IV 25 AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES E 0001-01-01 26 Sec. 21. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES REAL PROPERTY 27 ACQUISITION CURTAILED. 28 1. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, for the 29 period beginning on the effective date of this section through 30 the close of the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2011, the 31 department of natural resources shall not enter into a new 32 arrangement to acquire or otherwise control real property. 33 2. For the purposes of this section, new arrangement means 34 an obligation entered into on or after the effective date of 35 this section. An obligation includes but is not limited to -10- LSB 1319YC (53) 84 tm/jp 10/58 D R A F T H.F. _____ 1 an agreement, contract, lease-purchase arrangement, or any 2 other instrument leading to state ownership or control of real 3 property that was not previously owned or controlled by the 4 state. New arrangement does not include a real property 5 acquisition or control project for which an appropriation to 6 the department was encumbered prior to the effective date of 7 this section. 8 3. This section, being deemed of immediate importance, 9 takes effect upon enactment. PS. I hope everyone can send an e-mail or 2 over this vital issue. It is point critical that we protect our Fish & Wildlife Trust Fund to help put more habitat back on the Iowa landscape for greater opportunties. Thank you all Bill Smith --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/membership.asp. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
