President's Corner:
Ring out, ring in...

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This article first appeared in INHF's Winter 2007 magazine.

By Mark C. Ackelson, INHF president

Happy New Year! This past year brought some incredible conservation successes and opportunities, and 2007 is already shaping up as another record-breaker.

In this issue you’ll find exciting updates on current projects, sneak peeks of projects just over the horizon and reflections on several projects now marking their 25th anniversary. As Foundation members, please savor and celebrate the long-term benefits of our joint accomplishments—old and new alike.

We have several very large-scale projects underway in 2007—completing the Anglers Bay project on Big Spirit Lake, moving forward on the Central Iowa Trails, beginning the largest protection project ever on the Upper Iowa River, expanding wetlands and wildlife areas, protecting Loess Hills prairies and farms, and more. All of these projects are stretching our capacity to new—and sometimes uncomfortable—levels.

Now more than ever, if Iowans are to protect and improve our environment and quality of life, we need long-term, stable conservation funding. The Foundation has been an active participant in the Iowa Sustainable Natural Resources Funding Advisory Committee, which was created by the state legislature. The group’s preliminary report was delivered to the governor and legislature on January 10.

We will now continue our leadership role in moving this plan to action, starting with our conservation policy article. If you can’t wait for updates in our future publications, visit the online legislative report for any subsequent developments.

 

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.