DES MOINES, IOWA (March 22, 2019) — A bill that passed the Senate on March 20 puts new limits on Iowans’ ability to support conservation, clean-water. and natural-resources projects.
Iowa ranks 49th in the country when it comes to public lands. The Revolving Loan Fund has provided a way for Iowans to borrow money to buy land from voluntary sellers. The process allows land-owners to ensure their property is used for good environmental projects and that restrictions will limit future development of the land.
SF548 will prohibit donating or selling land to the state or other government entities if state Revolving Loan Funds are used by a private organization to acquire land as part of a water-quality and conservation project. Projects can include restoring wildlife-habitat, stabilizing stream-bank erosion, preventing floods in wetlands, and other efforts to improve water-quality.
The state’s Revolving Loan Fund has been a practical tool to fight flood-damage. Limiting its use for initiatives that help prevent flooding couldn’t come at a worse time. At this very moment, Iowa has dozens of flood alerts in effect between the Missouri to Mississippi rivers.
Additional information
This is a legislative update by State Senator Jim Lykam, representing Davenport and Buffalo. For bio, photos and further information, go towww.senate.iowa.gov/senator/lykam.
To contact Sen Lykam when the Legislature is in session, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. Otherwise he can be reached at 563-391-1919. E-mail him at jim.lykam@legis.iowa.gov.
Sen Lykam serves on the following committees:
