27 Mar 2012

Collaboration on forest restoration projects key to sustainability

By Forest Service Press Office

Agency Chief testifies before House Committee on Agriculture

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2012 - In testimony on Capitol Hill today, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell emphasized the importance of collaboration in developing restoration projects on national forests and grasslands.

"The aim of these efforts is to move beyond the conflicts which have characterized forest policy in the past and toward a shared vision that allows environmentalists, forest industry, local communities, and other stakeholders to work collaboratively toward healthier forests and watersheds, safer communities and more vibrant local economies," Tidwell said.

Tidwell emphasized that such collaboration not only results in better projects, but will also create jobs.

His remarks were made before the House Committee on Agriculture's Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry.

"The Forest Service recognizes the need for a strong forest industry to help accomplish forest restoration work," Tidwell remarked.  "Forest industry involvement also lowers the cost of restoration to the taxpayer by providing markets for forest products."

Tidwell presented a list of programs already in place at the Forest Service that will enhance the restoration and management efforts on the nation's forests and grasslands:

- Implementation of the new forest Planning Rule that emphasizes restoration, public involvement, and sustainable management to provide benefits and services both today and for future generations.

- Investing in restoration projects with partners though the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. These projects have demonstrated that collaboration among stakeholders can facilitate large landscape scale restoration, thereby improving forest health, reducing wildfire risk, restoring fire-adapted ecosystems, and increasing timber and biomass production from the national forests.

- The Watershed Condition Framework which provides a consistent and comprehensive approach for classifying the condition of the 15,000 watersheds that comprise the National Forests and Grasslands and for prioritizing restoration needs.

- Integrated Resource Restoration which allows the agency to align its budgeting to focus on landscape scale restoration projects across resource areas and, with partners, combine the restorative focus of several line items into a single item.

- The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy which is a collaborative process with active involvement of all levels of government, non-governmental organizations and the public working for an all-lands solution to wildland fire management issues.

- The Forest Service bark beetle strategy which focuses management efforts on priority treatment areas to ensure human health and safety and to reduce hazardous fuel conditions on more than 17 million acres of National Forest System lands impacted by bark beetles.

- Use of stewardship contracting which allows the Forest Service to offset the value of the services received with the value of forest products removed. This authority is crucial to collaboratively restore landscapes at a reduced cost to the government.

- Expanding markets for forest products through the development of new markets for woody biomass utilization and green building materials by providing a reliable and predictable supply of biomass for potential investors. 

- Research using new technologies and cutting-edge science to help better understand impacts of forest disturbance on natural and cultural resources. 

- Use of a new objections process prior to a decision, rather than using an appeals process after a decision. The process tends to increase direct dialogue between the agency and stakeholders and often results in resolution of concerns before a decision is made.

- Improved efficiency of the National Environmental Policy Act process by learning from and sharing the lessons of successful implementation of streamlined NEPA analyses.

"Today, people understand that forests provide a broad range of values and benefits, including biodiversity, recreation, clean air and water, forest products, erosion control and soil renewal, and more. Our goal is to sustain and restore ecosystems that can deliver all the benefits that Americans want and need," Tidwell concluded.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Recreational activities on our lands contribute $14.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

 

#

27 Mar 2012

Three Illinois National Guardsmen launch product for Soldiers, babies

By Staff Sgt Kassidy Snyder

SPRINGFIELD, IL (03/27/2012)(readMedia)-- After multiple overseas deployments, three Illinois Army National Guardsmen came together to build a product that benefits both Soldiers and babies. Having no prior business experience, the Soldiers used educational resources to create the EasyGo dispenser.

"Being a Soldier and small business owner shows you the complexity and depth the Guard has to offer," said business co-founder Staff Sgt. Michael Pett of Chicago, with Recruiting and Retention Command. "Not only am I able to continue my service to the country, but can fulfill my dream of being a business owner."

The Soldiers signed up for a program through the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign called Illinois' Launch. Through the program, they attended small business workshops and seminars and made several connections to help them along the way, said Pett.

"We are not engineers, graphic designers, nor can we draw a family of stick figures between the three of us," said Staff Sgt. Blake Schroedter of Newton, with Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Pontiac. "We are a group of common guys, but visionaries who saw an issue and decided to fix it."

While deployed, Schroedter said he and other Soldiers had many frustrations with making an instant protein shake, a common source of nutrition for combat Soldiers. They tried cutting the tops off water bottles to make a funnel and used Ziploc bags and Tupperware for storage. What they needed was something portable and convenient to store, carry and dispense a pre-measured amount of protein powder.

After returning home from deployment, Schroedter along with Pett and Staff Sgt. Tony Genovese of Naperville, with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora developed a prototype that evolved into the EasyGo Dispenser product lines.

"The evolution of the prototype lasted over a year with countless hours of phone conferences with our director of manufacturing, ensuring we accomplished our goals," said Schroedter. "I am excited for the day when I am at an airport or gym and I see a complete stranger utilizing our product."

After the initial prototype for the protein powder was created, the Soldiers developed a second dispenser to accommodate baby formula powder.

"Currently there are no military programs that promote entrepreneurship for Guardsmen that we are aware of," said Genovese. "One of our major long-term business goals is to create a program designed to aid military personnel in ventures similar to ours."

The Department of Defense launched a few programs that help disabled veterans and families of the wounded and fallen start businesses, but nothing specific for Guardsmen.

The Soldiers boast a young start-up company that offers a product durable enough for Soldiers to use on missions during war and gentle enough for parents to use for their babies at home.. The product was launched March 11 in Chicago. The first shipment of EasyGo PRO and Baby dispensers is due to arrive in August. For more information please visit http://easygodispenser.com/.

27 Mar 2012

Picture book for immigrant women is now available

By M. McNeil
Explaining the need for mammograms and pap smears to immigrant women?who don't speak English?is a challenge for health care workers and those trying to help the immigrants assimilate into a new country.  Thanks to a "Stand Against Cancer" grant there is a new picture book designed to educate the women about the procedures.

A sneak preview of the book will be held Wednesday, March 28th at 9:30 at Church of Peace in Rock Island (1114 12th Street).

The list of attendees at the news event who will be available for interviews include author, Nora Steele, the Stand Against Cancer advocate for this area; Kathy Lemburg from the Rock Island County Health Department; 2 representatives from the Komen Quad Cities group; illustrator, Barbara Crede; Doug Tschopp from Augustana College; Church of Peace Pastor Michael Swartz, Black Hawk College teachers who are instructing the immigrants as well as the students who the book was written for.

WHO:  Immigrant women
WHAT:  Picture book explaining mammograms and pap smears
WHERE:  Church of Peace Rock Island?1114 12th Street
WHEN:  Wednesday, March 28th at 9:30 am.

###
27 Mar 2012

Investment in Crime-fighting Program

By Grassley Press

Monday, March 26, 2012

 

Cantwell, Grassley Lead Bipartisan Senate Coalition Urging

Investment in Key Program to Fight Crime

Byrne JAG program provides critical assistance for local law enforcement fight

against gangs and meth but could face even larger budget cuts

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last Friday, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) led a bipartisan coalition of 42 senators in support of continued investment in a crucial tool for law enforcement in the fight against crime. The coalition, in a letter penned to Senate Appropriators, opposed any additional cuts to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program, which helps states and communities across the country reduce crime, prevent juvenile delinquency, and reduce recidivism.

 

"As you well know, Byrne JAG is a cornerstone crime-fighting program that supports the federal government's crucial role in spurring innovation across the criminal justice system, as well as testing and replicating evidence-based practices nationwide," wrote the Senators in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. "Given the significant financial constraints the federal government has faced in recent years, funding for Byrne JAG has been reduced by nearly one-third over the past two fiscal years. Therefore, we ask that the Byrne JAG program be protected against further cuts in the Fiscal Year 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill."

 

Byrne JAG funds have been used to keep vital law enforcement programs alive that go after criminal gangs and facilitate drug treatment during a time when budgets for law enforcement officials and prosecutors across the nation have been cut. These funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and criminal justice information systems. Investments in the program have been reduced by over one-third the past two fiscal years.

 

Even with lower funding levels, the program has played a major role in reducing crime. Nationally, from October 2008 through September 2011, recipients of Byrne JAG grants:

 

·         Disrupted over 5,000 drug trafficking organizations

·         Arrested 7,739 gang members on felony charges

·         And from July 2010 to July 2011 seized 2.3 million pounds of drugs

 

The Byrne JAG program is a partnership among federal, state, and local governments that tailors federal law enforcement grants to the needs of different communities. It supports a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system that include : law enforcement programs; prosecution and court programs; prevention and education programs; corrections and community corrections programs; drug treatment programs; and planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs.

 

The procedure for allocating Byrne JAG grants is based on a formula of population and violent crime statistics, in combination with a minimum allocation to ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share of funding. Sixty percent of Byrne JAG funds are allocated to states which then provide it to innovative programs in local communities. The remaining 40 percent is provided directly to communities via a state-wide competitive grant process.

 

The letter to Senate Appropriators was signed by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Carl Levin (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), John Kerry (D-MA), Max Baucus (D-MT),  Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), James Inhofe (R-OK), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jon Tester (D-MT), Scott Brown (R-MA), Jim Webb (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Hoeven (R-ND), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mark Begich (D-AK), David Vitter (R-LA), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Jack Reed (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

 

The complete text of the letter sent Friday follows.

 

March 23, 2012

 

The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski

Chairwoman

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

Senate Committee on Appropriations

142 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

 

The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

Senate Committee on Appropriations

125 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

 

Dear Chairwoman Mikulski and Ranking Member Hutchison:

 

Thank you for your continued leadership in providing substantial federal support for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) Program over the years.  As you well know, Byrne JAG is a cornerstone crime-fighting program that supports the federal government's crucial role in spurring innovation across the criminal justice system, as well as testing and replicating evidence-based practices nationwide.

 

Given the significant financial constraints the federal government has faced in recent years, funding for Byrne JAG has been reduced by nearly one-third over the past two fiscal years.  These cuts will have a direct and serious impact in our states as successful public safety initiatives and cross-jurisdictional collaborations are forced to close or be scaled back.   Therefore, we ask that the Byrne JAG program be protected against further cuts in the Fiscal Year 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

 

One of the keys to the Byrne JAG program's continuing success is its flexibility: federal dollars can be used in a wide variety of capacities at the local level in the way most appropriate to address local community needs across the criminal justice spectrum, and allows localities to balance resources and react to urgent challenges or changing circumstances.

 

Byrne JAG funds are used for law enforcement, prosecution and courts, prevention, drug treatment and enforcement, gang prevention, planning, evaluation, training, technology, and crime and victim witness programs.  Guided by statewide strategic planning, Byrne JAG funds are able to test and measure innovative methods for reducing crime, preventing juvenile delinquency, and reducing recidivism, while at the same time saving taxpayer dollars.

 

Sixty percent of Byrne JAG funds are provided to the states to pass through for innovative programming in local communities.  The remaining forty percent is provided to local communities directly.  In Fiscal Year 2011, over 1,300 local jurisdictions across the country were awarded direct grants, and many more were awarded funds passed through by the state criminal justice planning agencies.

 

As you move forward in deliberations over Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations, we ask that you continue Congress' commitment to the Byrne JAG Program.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

###

 


27 Mar 2012

A Safe and Abundant Food Supply

By by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Chances are pretty good you've enjoyed at least one meal today before reading the words here in front of you.  Due in large measure to generations of hard-working farm families, Americans continue to benefit from a safe and abundant food supply.

Much has been said lately about the one percent vs. the 99 percent in America, usually in a political context.  But there's another one percent-99 percent divide in America that isn't making headlines or firing up social media users.

Did you know that one percent of Americans grow the food that feeds the other 99 percent?

U.S. food security is second-to-none.  And yet, food security is too often taken for granted.  With a shrinking pool of Americans linked to the land for their livelihood and way of life, it is important now more than ever to foster appreciation and educate younger generations how the food on their plates got there in the first place.

Too often, there's scant appreciation for those who devote their lives to helping erase hunger from our communities and the world.  The U.S. dairy farmer puts in 12-plus hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to tend to his herd.  And the American soybean farmer grows the commodity used to make soymilk for those who choose a dairy alternative in their morning cup of coffee.

In fact, American farmers have answered the call of their vocation by ramping up efficiency and embracing technological advancements to feed a growing world population.  Consider that today's modern combine can harvest more than 900 bushels of corn per hour.  That's 100 bushels every seven minutes. When my dad farmed in the 1930s, a farmer would harvest approximately 100 bushels of corn in a nine-hour workday.  Only 50 years ago, the U.S. farmer produced enough food to feed 26 people.  Today, each American farmer produces enough food for approximately 155 people.

Production agriculture continues to meet the demands of a growing world population for affordable food.  Advances in biotechnology help farmers increase crop yields and reduce chemical applications that improve environmental stewardship.

In the U.S. Senate, I have worked for rural America at the policymaking tables in Washington, D.C.  As Congress debates renewal of the farm and nutrition bill in Congress, I am working to strengthen America's commitment to a safe and abundant food supply in recognition of the one percent of Americans who grow our food.

The landscape has changed since passage of the last farm bill in 2008.  The 2012 bill must reflect demands to help shrink the budget deficit.  The looming national debt crisis requires savings and sacrifices from across-the board.  I'm working to make sure Congress trims the fat without cutting into the backbone of American agriculture.

The commodity program safety net was designed to help small- and medium-sized farmers weather downturns and stay in business when circumstances out of their control negatively impacted the market or destroyed their crops.  The largest operators should not be banking on Uncle Sam to help underwrite their efforts to get even bigger.  It creates an unfair burden on taxpayers and makes it even harder for beginning farmers to compete.  Already, the current system is contributing to upward pressure on land prices that squeeze beginning farmers out of the market.

My bipartisan proposal would install a hard cap of $250,000 per married couple on annual federal commodity program payments of any kind and close long-abused loopholes in the farm payment program that has allowed non-farmers to qualify for federal farm payments.  Not only is it important for the safety-net to be effective, it also needs to be defensible.  One of the best things Congress can do to make the farm program more defensible to those who may not understand the inherent risks with farming and the necessity of a farm safety net is make sure that non-farmers aren't receiving a farm payment.  That's good for farmers and taxpayers.

As Congress moves ahead on the next farm bill, Iowans can be sure I know and appreciate who grows the food.  I'm working for an effective safety net that looks out for both the family farmer and American taxpayer.

March 26, 2012
27 Mar 2012

Time is Now for Farm Payment Limits Reform

By Elisha Smith

By John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

On March 22nd, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) introduced legislation to tighten payment limits on federal farm programs and close loopholes mega-farms use to evade payment limits. This is the most important step Congress can take to strengthen family farms.

The Grassley-Johnson bill has a hard cap on marketing loan gains of $75,000 ($150,000 for a couple). The remainder of the payment limit would cap the total amount a farmer can receive in safety-net payments generally. For instance, if the Congress were to adopt a shallow loss program, the Grassley-Johnson bill would set a limit of $50,000 ($100,000 for a couple) that an individual could receive.

Moreover, the bill would limit payments to active farmers who work the land and their landlords. It sets a measurable standard for someone to qualify as actively engaged in farming by providing true management for the operation. Weaker current law allows investors who participate in one or two conference calls to be considered active farmers, allowing mega-farms to get around payment limitations by claiming uninvolved investors as active partners.

Americans, rural and urban, want to support family farmers. However, Congress has allowed rhetoric to take the place of reform, allowing the nation's largest farms to receive virtually unlimited subsidies, drive up land costs and drive their smaller neighbors off the land.  During tight budgetary times, there is no excuse for not saving taxpayer dollars and protecting small and mid-sized family farms by enacting the Grassley-Johnson farm payment limits.

27 Mar 2012

Demand a Change to the Tax Code

By Cain Connection
This is an incredibly urgent time in American history. We're facing record budget deficits, soaring energy costs, high unemployment and a decline in America's standing abroad.

Friends, Washington is broken and business as usual just won't cut it anymore. We need lasting reforms that change the very nature of our nation's capital. We need a Solutions Revolution!

A report released by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service showed that there are over $1 trillion a year in tax loopholes for special interests in this country! Our tax code is so contorted and complicated, and it's impossible for the average American to understand. It discourages growth, investment and job creation. It's a mess. It's the enemy of American prosperity.
The solution is simple: America needs 9-9-9!

That's why, on April 16, the American people are going to show up on Capitol Hill to demand an end to a repressive tax code by demanding the simplicity and fairness of 9-9-9; no more handouts to special interests, no more confusing and frustrating tax preparation, and no more choking off job creation and economic growth

Herman Cain is also releasing in the coming weeks titled 9-9-9: An Army of Davids, which will lay out why we must rip up and replace the existing tax code - and the role that American patriots like you will need to play in making it happen.
But you don't have to wait for April 16, or for the book, to hear from us on the issue of the tax code. Today we've release illustrates the problem in a way that, shall we say, will definitely get your attention. It all comes down to this: America needs to scrap the tax code that has been written by - and for - special interests, and replace it with 9-9-9!

When you support our Solutions Revolution, you support an organization that is relentlessly attacking this issue and won't let up until Washington hears the voice of all of us. Please help us secure a brighter future for America and join our Solutions Revolution by making a donation today.
27 Mar 2012

Teen Poetry Contest

By Jan LaRoche
Students in grades 6-12 can enter one (1) original poem of up to 25 lines for a chance to win a gift certificate of up to $25. Deadline for entries is April 21. Read your poems at the Poetry Café on May 5 at 10:00 a.m. This contest is free and entry forms are available at the Moline Public Library or online at http://molinelibraryteens.. For more information call 309-524-2440 or visit us at 3210 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.
27 Mar 2012

Rock Island Library Lines

By R.I. Public Library
March 27 Civil War Program Canceled

Due to a emergency with our speaker, our Tuesday, March 27 program at 2:00 pm at the Main Library with  Civil War scholar Tom Emery, of Carlinville, IL, has been cancelled. This was previously announced as "Eddie: Lincoln's Forgotten Son." The event will be rescheduled in April, so stay tuned!
Children's Room Hosts Circa Cast Member

Circa 21 Theatre will bring a special story event to the Rock Island Main Library Children's Room, at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, April 2. The program features their upcoming children's play, Diary of a Worm, Spider and a Fly, based on the children's book by Doreen Cronin and illustrator Harry Bliss. The event will feature a story presented by actor Marc Ciemiewicz, playing the character of "Worm" and a related craft.

 

Is Spider getting too big for his own skin? Will Fly find her superhero powers in time to save her Aunt Rita from Peril? Will Worm learn to stand on his own feet ... even though he doesn't have feet? We invite you to take a look at the world from a bug's perspective. Perhaps you'll see that their lives are not all that different from yours! This exciting new children's musical is based on the popular books Diary Of A Worm, Diary Of A Spider, and Diary Of A Fly.

 

For show information, please contact Circa 21. The library event is free and open to the public.
Changes to April 5 Library Schedules
Due to a staff in-service, Rock Island Libraries will close at noon on Thursday, April 5. As a result, the independent movie previously scheduled for that night has been cancelled.
Spring Cleaning? Save personal papers for our Shred Day!

Four area libraries, including Rock Island, are again working together to offer Community Shred Days as part of Money Smart Week Quad Cities, April 21-28, 2012.

To use the service, patrons may just pull up and drop their materials in locked bins with bonded staff of Document Destruction Services and Recycling Services of Davenport.  All items will be secured and shredded off-site for confidentiality. No shredding is done onsite. The Rock Island Shred Day location is:

  • Saturday, April 28, 2012
  • 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street

 

April Art Show

A Tribute to Children of the Holocaust, Portrait Collages that Bridge the Gap Between Then and Now, by artist and educator Barbara Powers, will be on exhibit at the Main Library from April 9 to June 8.

 

The exhibit and Ms. Power's school visits are funded by grants from the Scott County Regional Authority and the Rock Island Community Foundation. The exhibit joins a number of Anne Frank and Holocaust remembrance events in the community planned by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.
27 Mar 2012

Grassley Receives Jobs Champion Award from the American Wind Energy Association

By Grassley Press
WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today received a USA Wind Jobs Champion Award from the American Wind Energy Association for "his determined support and diligent work in helping to create and sustain U.S. jobs in the wind energy industry and its manufacturing supply chain."

John Ragan of TPI Composites and Denise Bode of the American Wind Energy Association presented a commemorative plaque and wind turbine bolt as part of the award this afternoon.  TPI Composites operates a 316,000 square foot wind turbine blade facility in Newton.

Senator Grassley authored the legislation that established the tax credit for wind energy in 1992 as a way to provide a level playing field for this renewable resource against coal-fired and nuclear energy and to help grow an innovative energy industry.

Today, Grassley is the author of bipartisan legislation to extend the tax credit for two years after it expires at the end of the year.  If the tax credit lapses, an estimated 37,000 jobs could be lost across the country.

"Tax relief has proven successful in developing wind energy, and it ought to be continued with the degree of certainty needed for continued investment and development of this clean energy alternative," Grassley said.  "Wind is free, inexhaustible, and environmentally friendly.  Conventional energy sources, including oil, gas and nuclear, enjoy countless tax incentives and many of them are permanent law."

Nationwide, the wind energy industry supports 75,000 jobs and drives as much as $20 billion in private investment.  During the last five years, 35 percent of all new electric generation in the United States was wind.  There are nearly 400 wind-related manufacturing facilities today, compared with just 30 in 2004.

In Iowa, the wind energy industry employs 5,000 full-time workers, and there are major wind manufacturing facilities in Newton, West Branch, Cedar Rapids and Fort Madison.

Iowa generates 20 percent of its electricity needs from wind.  Wind energy powers the equivalent of a million homes.  There are nearly 3,000 utility-scale turbines in Iowa, and they generate lease payments to landowners worth $12.5 million every year.

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