Hey Folks, I know there's another thread BUT we have to call on you all who support the Forest Reserve Program to voice your support, write in and attend the meetings. Don't sit on the side-line!!!! You may email your letter of support to Paul Tauke, State Forest Bureau Chief: paul.tauke@dnr.iowa.gov (515)-242-6898. *My letter is at bottom and I'm planning on going to 11th of Oct meeting or possibly the 18th.
The meetings are the most important time & thing you can do! It's informative from what I've heard & YOU can have a drastic impact!!! You have the option to voice some points (hopefully in support!). Even if you do NOT have any Forest Reserve land, I assure you this will impact your access to private land!!! (read below) Foresters and Legislatures WANT to hear from YOU!!! They are requesting feedback!
Again...
October 11 - 7pm State Forest Nursery, 2404 South Duff Ave, Ames
October 13 - 7pm EB Lyons Interpretive Center (mines of Spain State Park), 8991 Bellevue Heights, Dubuque
October 18 - 7pm Pin Oak Marsh, 2 miles south of Chariton on Highway 14
October 20 - 7pm Loess Hills State Forest, 206 Polk Street, Pisgah
My Letter (copied/pasted and the bullet points and spacing didn't come through BUT content is the same- I'll still proof-read it again before I send):
Dear Forestry Bureau & Iowa State Legislatures:
I am a young Iowa Farmer, Hunter/Outdoorsmen, Conservationist & Landowner who has some land enrolled in Forest Reserve program and I strongly support keeping the program in place. I believe the cost to eliminating the program would be vast and far reaching in a negative way vs. any positives. Here is why I support the program and also what I feel the consequences would be to its discontinuation…
· Iowa only has between 5-7% Forested areas and is the most transformed state in the country. We need this program in place to keep as much of the remaining timber in Iowa for our next generations.
· Many farmers & land owners would clear more timber to make way for crop land, much of that land being poor quality tillable & highly erodible.
· If hunters and recreational/outdoors loving citizens care about the ever-depleting access to private timbered land: I personally know many land owners who will lease out the rights to their land for hunting and recreation to make up the extra costs. This will obviously deny access to the citizens who had previously had permission to hunt & enjoy recreation. Access to private lands will be greatly depleted to make up for the higher taxes. I believe this will also impact our hunting license sales in a negative way.
· Our timber has been vastly transformed from the once great Oak timbers to poor quality & invasive tree species because of poor logging and timber management, cattle grazing and clearing. We’ve made huge strides through REAP & other initiatives to improve our timber. These efforts to improve our timber will be reversed or greatly slowed as folks cattle graze their timber, doze and clear it.
· Taking an exemption for the forested ground on your land is no different, in my opinion, than taking a child/dependant exemption, taking a mortgage interest exemption, etc. I will suspect most opposed to the Forest Reserve program take advantage or have taken advantage of these exemptions and also take advantage of government $ to improve their land.
· Autumn brings in tourists & millions of dollars from around the area, state and other states to travel to our forested land & enjoy the little we do have.
· New, young & small farmers trying to make it and cash-flow their new farming operation will be greatly impacted by removing this program.
· The vast majority of landowners are paying far more than their fair share in property taxes. I know very few who own all timber or even 50% timber. These folks are paying far more than their fair share through their tillable taxation, houses, buildings, ponds, CRP acres, etc. I myself pay a staggering amount in property taxes and a significant % of my income. I am paying my fair share & beyond and the discontinuation of this program would greatly impact me & many others negatively.
· This program encourages landowner to plant trees, fence off forest to keep cattle out and invest in Timber Stand Improvement. I have done all these things and have planted over 20,000 trees. I likely would not have done as many or any of these things if this program was not in existence.
· The slight increase in revenue will produce a storm of unintended consequences and removing the Forest Reserve Program will have vast negative effects vs. positives. The unintended consequences of this program being removed would be staggering, it would greatly impact our: hunters & outdoor’s people, tourism, future timber harvests (which are taxed), drastically hurt our 5-7% timber that remains, cause landowners to make drastic changes to make up for the increased taxes. It would hurt wildlife, our ecosystem, cover for many endangered or threatened animals. The list would go on and these consequences would ripple through our ecosystem, economy, habitat, etc.
I urge you to keep this program in place for the benefit of our citizens, timbered areas, wildlife, economy and future generations.
Respectfully,
Charles “Skip” Sligh
Urbandale, IA 50323
The meetings are the most important time & thing you can do! It's informative from what I've heard & YOU can have a drastic impact!!! You have the option to voice some points (hopefully in support!). Even if you do NOT have any Forest Reserve land, I assure you this will impact your access to private land!!! (read below) Foresters and Legislatures WANT to hear from YOU!!! They are requesting feedback!
Again...
October 11 - 7pm State Forest Nursery, 2404 South Duff Ave, Ames
October 13 - 7pm EB Lyons Interpretive Center (mines of Spain State Park), 8991 Bellevue Heights, Dubuque
October 18 - 7pm Pin Oak Marsh, 2 miles south of Chariton on Highway 14
October 20 - 7pm Loess Hills State Forest, 206 Polk Street, Pisgah
My Letter (copied/pasted and the bullet points and spacing didn't come through BUT content is the same- I'll still proof-read it again before I send):
Dear Forestry Bureau & Iowa State Legislatures:
I am a young Iowa Farmer, Hunter/Outdoorsmen, Conservationist & Landowner who has some land enrolled in Forest Reserve program and I strongly support keeping the program in place. I believe the cost to eliminating the program would be vast and far reaching in a negative way vs. any positives. Here is why I support the program and also what I feel the consequences would be to its discontinuation…
· Iowa only has between 5-7% Forested areas and is the most transformed state in the country. We need this program in place to keep as much of the remaining timber in Iowa for our next generations.
· Many farmers & land owners would clear more timber to make way for crop land, much of that land being poor quality tillable & highly erodible.
· If hunters and recreational/outdoors loving citizens care about the ever-depleting access to private timbered land: I personally know many land owners who will lease out the rights to their land for hunting and recreation to make up the extra costs. This will obviously deny access to the citizens who had previously had permission to hunt & enjoy recreation. Access to private lands will be greatly depleted to make up for the higher taxes. I believe this will also impact our hunting license sales in a negative way.
· Our timber has been vastly transformed from the once great Oak timbers to poor quality & invasive tree species because of poor logging and timber management, cattle grazing and clearing. We’ve made huge strides through REAP & other initiatives to improve our timber. These efforts to improve our timber will be reversed or greatly slowed as folks cattle graze their timber, doze and clear it.
· Taking an exemption for the forested ground on your land is no different, in my opinion, than taking a child/dependant exemption, taking a mortgage interest exemption, etc. I will suspect most opposed to the Forest Reserve program take advantage or have taken advantage of these exemptions and also take advantage of government $ to improve their land.
· Autumn brings in tourists & millions of dollars from around the area, state and other states to travel to our forested land & enjoy the little we do have.
· New, young & small farmers trying to make it and cash-flow their new farming operation will be greatly impacted by removing this program.
· The vast majority of landowners are paying far more than their fair share in property taxes. I know very few who own all timber or even 50% timber. These folks are paying far more than their fair share through their tillable taxation, houses, buildings, ponds, CRP acres, etc. I myself pay a staggering amount in property taxes and a significant % of my income. I am paying my fair share & beyond and the discontinuation of this program would greatly impact me & many others negatively.
· This program encourages landowner to plant trees, fence off forest to keep cattle out and invest in Timber Stand Improvement. I have done all these things and have planted over 20,000 trees. I likely would not have done as many or any of these things if this program was not in existence.
· The slight increase in revenue will produce a storm of unintended consequences and removing the Forest Reserve Program will have vast negative effects vs. positives. The unintended consequences of this program being removed would be staggering, it would greatly impact our: hunters & outdoor’s people, tourism, future timber harvests (which are taxed), drastically hurt our 5-7% timber that remains, cause landowners to make drastic changes to make up for the increased taxes. It would hurt wildlife, our ecosystem, cover for many endangered or threatened animals. The list would go on and these consequences would ripple through our ecosystem, economy, habitat, etc.
I urge you to keep this program in place for the benefit of our citizens, timbered areas, wildlife, economy and future generations.
Respectfully,
Charles “Skip” Sligh
Urbandale, IA 50323
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(I'll be at one of the later meetings for sure so hope to see some of y'all)
