Other major categories of projects funded by the I-JOBS monies include:

• $4,737,00 for signage principally for portal entrances and trailheads;
• $2,070,00 for interpretive service and technology including iPod downloads and virtual tours at $75,000 per park (Backbone, Waubonsie, Pikes Peak, Maquoketa Caves, Stone, Ledges, Palisades Kepler, and Lewis & Clark) and 51 new open air interpretative shelters/panel at ~$37,000 a piece in 51 state parks;
• $6,625,000 for trail connections (Lake Darling to Brighton; Lake Anita to finish trail around lake to town, Big Creek Neal Smith trail replacement, and 15- trail brides statewide);
• $4,188,000 for camping pad electrical hook up upgrades and new;
• $2,550,000 for 15 shower building replacements;
• $1,353,500 for wastewater treatment upgrades at 8 parks; $549,800 for drinking water upgrades at 5 parks (Lake McBride, Lewis & Clark, Volga overlook & equine camp, Waubonsie, and Wildcat Den);
• $340,000 for campground restrooms at 9 parks; $148,000 beach buoy and life line replacements statewide;
• $700,000 for concession buildings and equipment at Lake Wapello and Brushy Creek;
• $800,000 for historic structure restoration involving MiniWakan, and Lacey Keosauqua CCC beach building;
• $638,000 for new picnic shelters at 7 parks;
• $480,000 for restrooms at 7 parks;
• $1,650,000 for 22 year-round family cabins (Brushy Creek-10, Lake Ahquabi-5, Springbrook-4, and Volga Recreation Area-3) $2.4-million for two year round lodges (Waubonsie renovation, Brush Creek parking and utilities); $2-million for beach buildings at Brushy Creek and Volga;
• $270,000 playscapes at 6 parks;
• $300,000 for 4-visitor contact stations (Backbone, Brushy Creek, Volga Recreation Area, and Pleasant Creek).

Specific project details can be accessed with the following file:

Iowa Park Projects 2009

10% Across the Board Cut Analyses
Administration and Regulation ATB Cut Analysis
Health and Human Services ATB Cut Analysis
Economic Development ATB Cut Analysis
Natural Resources ATB Cut Analysis
Transportation ATB Cut Analysis
Education ATB Cut Analysis

Children 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. Other behavior that will prompt an “I got 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. Iowa law requires children under age 13 to wear a life jacket while in a boat that is underway.

For more information, visit http://www.ihs.org/igotcaught

2009 End of Session Wrap-up

Emerald Ash Borers on Verge of Entering Iowa

On Tuesday, April 7, 2009, and in response to a discovery of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Wisconsin, the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship (IDALS) issued a press release on behalf of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team to highlighted ongoing steps being taken to prevent an infestation in Iowa and detect the beetle if it is in the state. EAB is an invasive beetle that feeds on ash trees and eventually kills them. The new infestation was found near Victory, Wis. on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Allamakee County in Northeast Iowa. This new infestation is less than 5 miles southeast of the Minnesota-Iowa border. The Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team includes officials from IDALS, Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is native to the Asia, and was introduced in the United States near Detroit, Mich. in the 1990s. Although not yet found in Iowa, EAB has more potential for future harm to Iowa forests and urban communities than any other insect currently being dealt with in the United States. EAB kills all ash (Fraxinus) species by larval burrowing under the bark and eating the actively growing (cambium) layers of the trees. EAB has been killing trees of various sizes in neighborhoods and woodlands across the Midwest. Ash is one of the most abundant native tree species in North America, and has been heavily planted as a landscape tree in yards and other urban areas. According to recent sources, Iowa has an estimated 58 million rural ash trees and approximately 30 more million urban ash trees.

The movement of out-of-state firewood to and through Iowa poses the greatest threat to spread EAB. Areas currently infested are under federal and state quarantines, but unknowing campers or others who transport firewood can spark an outbreak. Each member of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team is taking steps to monitor Iowa’s ash trees and ensure that the beetle has not spread into Iowa by examining high risk sites. The Iowa EAB team has defined high risk sites as locations where people would bring out-of state wood, such as campgrounds, nurseries and sawmills. DNR estimates there are up to as many as 5 million ash trees in Allamakee County, this represents about 5% of the trees in the forested areas of this county. Allamakee is the most forested county in Iowa with 42% of the land covered by trees (176,000 acres of forest). Iowa agencies in cooperation with USDA-APHIS and Forest Service will be working together to survey for EAB.

Monitoring efforts include visual surveys at high risk sites by Iowa State University, DNR’s placement of sentinel ash trees that are intentionally stressed so that they are more attractive to EAB, and the placement of purple sticky traps around the state that attracts and traps the insect by a collaborative effort among APHIS and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Team members will be working with Wisconsin and Minnesota officials in response to this new discovery and will be conducting additional visual surveys in the area in the coming weeks.

To learn more about EAB and other pests that are threatening Iowa’s tree population please visit www.IowaTreePests.com. For more information contact:

• Robin Pruisner, is the State Entomologist and can be reached at (515) 725-1465 or by e-mail at Robin.Pruisner@IowaAgriculture.gov.
• Tivon Feeley, with DNR Forest Health, can be reached at (515) 281-4915 or by e-mail at Tivon.feeley@dnr.iowa.gov.
• Jesse Randall, ISU Extension Forester, can be reached at (515) 294-1168 or by email at Randallj@iastate.edu.
• Mark Shour, ISU Extension Entomologist, can be reached at (515) 294-5963 or by email at mshour@iastate.edu.
• Laura Jesse, ISU Entomologist at the ISU Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic, at (515) 294-0581 or by email at ljesse@iastate.edu.
• Donald Lewis, ISU Entomologist, can be reached at (515) 294-1101 or by email at drlewis@iastate.edu.

House Joint Resolution 1 – HJR 1 establishes a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation trust fund. The joint resolution credits the fund with an amount equal to the amount generated by a sales tax rate of three-eighths of 1 percent as may be imposed upon the retail sales price of tangible personal property and the furnishing of enumerated services sold in this state.

It passed the House 82-14 (bill information here)

This afternoon the House debating the following bills:

House File 45 – Suspension of Assistance During Commitment. HF 45 changes Iowa’s Medicaid law that would suspend a person’s Medicaid eligibility when they are placed in custody. Under current law, a person who is in custody of corrections or law enforcement has their Medicaid terminated as required by law. Once a person is released, it is difficult to re-establish eligibility for Medicaid and then these Iowans do not receive the mental health treatment they need.

By suspending their eligibility instead of terminating, these individuals will be able to receive the treatment and medications necessary for treatment (primarily for mental health issues) and then be less likely to re-offend. The suspension would only apply for the first 12 months of commitment. After 12 months, Medicaid eligibility would be terminated.

It passed the House 98-0 (bill information here)

House File 233/Senate File 9 – Sale of School Buildings. This bill erases 2008 legislation relating to the sale of school buildings. The 2008 bill inadvertently created a twelve month waiting period on the sale of school buildings pending the possibility of a voter petition.

The result of reverting back to 2008 law is that eligible electors may call for an election to determine whether the school district can sell, lease or otherwise dispose of a schoolhouse site.

It passed the House 96-0 (bill information here)

Senate File 108 – Members of the Public Safety Communications Interoperability Board. Currently the Public Safety Communications Interoperability Board includes two representatives from fire departments. SF 108 would require that the representatives from the fire departments consist of one representative who is a paid firefighter and one who is a volunteer firefighter.

It passed the House 96-2 (bill information here)

House File 260 – County, City and Memorial Hospitals. This bill is as a result of two years of work between the mentioned hospitals and the Iowa Hospital Association. The bill consolidates, reorganizes and updates provisions of four major public hospital Code chapters.

The study bill, HSB 110, contained provisions allowing “design build”, which short circuits competitive bidding. The design build provisions are NOT in this bill but were removed by amendment in the Local Government Committee.

It passed the House 97-0 (bill information here)

Senate File 82 – An Act adding four nonvoting members to the Iowa workforce development board

It passed the House 98-0 (bill information here)

House File 280 – An Act relating to the compensation of a guardian ad litem in certain criminal cases involving a child witness

It passed the House 95-0 (bill information here)