blake
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Law about feeding wildlife high on DNR's agenda
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources wants lawmakers to control Iowans' wildlife-feeding habits to prevent the spread of diseases that could kill deer and livestock.
The agency also wants boaters to be cited for drunken driving at the same blood-alcohol level as automobile drivers.
Those proposals face dicey futures when the Iowa Legislature convenes next month, leaders of both parties said. Lawmakers question elements of both proposals, and Gov.-elect Terry Branstad's DNR director may have different ideas.
Branstad declined to discuss those ideas or any others Friday because he hasn't named his DNR director and wants briefings on environmental issues before commenting, spokesman Tim Albrecht said.
Incoming House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said it's likely to be a quiet session on environmental issues, despite the state's standing battles to clean up waterways and to manage the stench of hog confinements.
"We'll wait to see what the Branstad administration wants to do" on the environment, Paulsen said. "My speculation is that, based on the election cycle, it's not going to be as high-profile as in the past."
The GOP regained control of the Iowa House of Representatives and the governor's office in the November election. Branstad, a former four-term governor, returns to his old office.
"We take our stewardship responsibility very seriously, but there is a very significant part of our economy that is driven out of natural resources," Paulsen said. "While that calls for protection of those resources, we don't want to make it so hard that farmers can't compete."
Democrats kept control in the Senate. Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said he isn't giving up on an environmental agenda.
"A lot of these issues depend on the new lay of the land, including who the new DNR director is," said Gronstal, of Council Bluffs. "I'll retain a hopeful attitude."
The resources department's legislative wish list is newsworthy for what it doesn't contain, avoiding some of Iowa's most contentious environmental issues. There's not a word about hog-confinement odors, for example, or any proposed changes in state control of permitting and siting of large livestock farms.
Branstad has said he wants to revisit regulations across state government to make sure they aren't stifling economic development as the state fights to recover from the recession. He has vigorously opposed local control of confinements, as have Paulsen and some Democrats.
There is precedent for environmental action with split control of the Legislature. Republicans controlled one chamber when Gov. Tom Vilsack pushed through more money for water-quality work, and the GOP has helped approve added spending in state parks.
The parties also cooperated on amendments to livestock laws, though the nonprofit Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and other environmental groups consider those regulations weak and too friendly to the industry.
The move to limit wildlife feeding last session led State Sen. Merlin Bartz, R-Grafton, to protest that the measure would ban fishing. The language has been changed to exempt fishing, but Paulsen still is concerned the legislation might prevent people from trapping mice or moles.
"The bill went far beyond what they intended" last session, Paulsen said. "We'll have to see if they modified it. I'm not going to dismiss it."
Surrounding states have spent millions of dollars fighting chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis, neither of which has been confirmed in Iowa. Willie Suchy, a lead biologist involved in managing the state's deer herd, said offering deer a salt lick or corn risks passing pathogens through the feed. And deer don't need extra food in Iowa, he said.
"Supplemental feed makes people think they can keep deer on their property," Suchy said. "That causes unnatural concentrations, like in our urban areas. Then there are people who suffer the consequences because of deer damage. Deer don't want to concentrate, but if you bait them, they will."
Critics have objected to the proposal as an invasion of private property rights. Suchy said the health of the deer herd and livestock that could be sickened outweighs those concerns.
The drunken boating law would set the same blood-alcohol limit, 0.08, that vehicle drivers face now. The limit for boaters was left at 0.10, the previous limit for vehicle drivers, when the limit on roads was tightened years ago.
Paulsen said that measure - which Gronstal said has enjoyed wide support in the Senate - has raised questions on technicalities.
"Does the boat have to be moving?" Paulsen asked. "Does it have to have a motor? What about a sailboat? What if a guy is sitting in his big boat at the dock, and just wants to fish?"
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources wants lawmakers to control Iowans' wildlife-feeding habits to prevent the spread of diseases that could kill deer and livestock.
The agency also wants boaters to be cited for drunken driving at the same blood-alcohol level as automobile drivers.
Those proposals face dicey futures when the Iowa Legislature convenes next month, leaders of both parties said. Lawmakers question elements of both proposals, and Gov.-elect Terry Branstad's DNR director may have different ideas.
Branstad declined to discuss those ideas or any others Friday because he hasn't named his DNR director and wants briefings on environmental issues before commenting, spokesman Tim Albrecht said.
Incoming House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said it's likely to be a quiet session on environmental issues, despite the state's standing battles to clean up waterways and to manage the stench of hog confinements.
"We'll wait to see what the Branstad administration wants to do" on the environment, Paulsen said. "My speculation is that, based on the election cycle, it's not going to be as high-profile as in the past."
The GOP regained control of the Iowa House of Representatives and the governor's office in the November election. Branstad, a former four-term governor, returns to his old office.
"We take our stewardship responsibility very seriously, but there is a very significant part of our economy that is driven out of natural resources," Paulsen said. "While that calls for protection of those resources, we don't want to make it so hard that farmers can't compete."
Democrats kept control in the Senate. Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said he isn't giving up on an environmental agenda.
"A lot of these issues depend on the new lay of the land, including who the new DNR director is," said Gronstal, of Council Bluffs. "I'll retain a hopeful attitude."
The resources department's legislative wish list is newsworthy for what it doesn't contain, avoiding some of Iowa's most contentious environmental issues. There's not a word about hog-confinement odors, for example, or any proposed changes in state control of permitting and siting of large livestock farms.
Branstad has said he wants to revisit regulations across state government to make sure they aren't stifling economic development as the state fights to recover from the recession. He has vigorously opposed local control of confinements, as have Paulsen and some Democrats.
There is precedent for environmental action with split control of the Legislature. Republicans controlled one chamber when Gov. Tom Vilsack pushed through more money for water-quality work, and the GOP has helped approve added spending in state parks.
The parties also cooperated on amendments to livestock laws, though the nonprofit Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and other environmental groups consider those regulations weak and too friendly to the industry.
The move to limit wildlife feeding last session led State Sen. Merlin Bartz, R-Grafton, to protest that the measure would ban fishing. The language has been changed to exempt fishing, but Paulsen still is concerned the legislation might prevent people from trapping mice or moles.
"The bill went far beyond what they intended" last session, Paulsen said. "We'll have to see if they modified it. I'm not going to dismiss it."
Surrounding states have spent millions of dollars fighting chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis, neither of which has been confirmed in Iowa. Willie Suchy, a lead biologist involved in managing the state's deer herd, said offering deer a salt lick or corn risks passing pathogens through the feed. And deer don't need extra food in Iowa, he said.
"Supplemental feed makes people think they can keep deer on their property," Suchy said. "That causes unnatural concentrations, like in our urban areas. Then there are people who suffer the consequences because of deer damage. Deer don't want to concentrate, but if you bait them, they will."
Critics have objected to the proposal as an invasion of private property rights. Suchy said the health of the deer herd and livestock that could be sickened outweighs those concerns.
The drunken boating law would set the same blood-alcohol limit, 0.08, that vehicle drivers face now. The limit for boaters was left at 0.10, the previous limit for vehicle drivers, when the limit on roads was tightened years ago.
Paulsen said that measure - which Gronstal said has enjoyed wide support in the Senate - has raised questions on technicalities.
"Does the boat have to be moving?" Paulsen asked. "Does it have to have a motor? What about a sailboat? What if a guy is sitting in his big boat at the dock, and just wants to fish?"