WHAT: Xstream Cleanup–over 1,600 volunteers will team up to clean up 43 waterways and other areas in need of care in the Quad Cities.

WHEN: Saturday, August 11, 2012. 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Preliminary results of the cleanup will be available by 3 p.m. Saturday. Call Erin Vorac at 563-349-3345.

WHO: Over 1,600 volunteers of all ages, some working in teams and representing businesses and organizations throughout the Quad Cities.

WHERE: 43 sites are targeted for cleanup.

See https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.2&thid=13906d6e4ecf37c2&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D7484cc5eec%26view%3Datt%26th%3D13906d6e4ecf37c2%26attid%3D0.2%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbTEeJRQhdNO4vnenrQhHI6Vmxf1bA.

• Iowa: Bettendorf, Buffalo, Davenport, LeClaire, McCausland and Scott County; Illinois: Milan, Moline, Rock Island and Silvis

PROCLAMATÍON OF BURNING PROHIBITED

ON JULY  2012, THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL RECEIVED A REQUEST PURSUANT TO IOWA CODE 'IOO.40('I) (1995) FROM ROSS BERGEN, REPRESENTING EACH FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVING ALL OR PART OF THEIR FIRE DISTRICT 'IAIITHIN SCOTT COUNTY, THAT THE STATE FIRE NIARSHAL PROHIBIT OPEN BURNING IN SCOTT COUNTY. UPON INVESTIGATION THE FIRE IVIARSHAL FINDS THAT CONDITIONS IN SCOTT COUNTY ARE SUCH THAT OPEN BURNING CONSTITUTES A DANGER TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED THAT NO PERSON SHALL ENGAGE IN OPEN BURNING IN SCOTT COUNTY, EFFECTIVE JULY 11, 2012 AT 6:00 P.IIñ.. EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY PERMITTED BY IOWA CODE 100.!-10(3) UNTIL SUCH TIME AS ROSS BERGEN, REPRESENTING EACH FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVING ALL OR PART OF THEIR FIRE DISTRICT VVITHIN SCOTT COUNTY, NOTIFIES THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL THAT SUCH CONDITIONS DANGEROUS TO LIFE OR PROPERTY NO LONGER EXISTS.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT PURSUANT TO IOWA CODE '100.4(2) ANY \/IOLATEON OF THIS PROCLAIVIATÍON ORDER IS A SIMPLE IVIISDEIVIEANOR.

Continues call for action on Farm Bill and Disaster Assistance

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after learning that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack had issued a disaster declaration to assist Iowa farmers who have suffered losses from the ongoing drought impacting the Midwest.   The counties identified in this declaration have experienced a drought intensity value of at least severe for eight or more consecutive weeks, with some counties experiencing extreme drought conditions at some point.  Harkin is a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.

"The ongoing drought continues to inflict hardship on farmers in Iowa and across the Midwest," said Harkin.  "With today's announcement, farmers in eligible counties may apply and qualify for low-interest loans and other disaster assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency, and farmers in all Iowa counties will be allowed expanded haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres.  I welcome today's actions and thank Secretary Vilsack for responding to our severe drought problems in Iowa."

In Washington, Congressman Dave Loebsack today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for issuing an agriculture disaster declaration for 42 counties that have seen extensive damage to crops and livestock from the recent drought.  Last week, Loebsack introduced the Agriculture Disaster Assistance Act to help farmers and livestock producers with drought losses beyond insurance until a new farm bill is signed into law.

"I have been walking the rows with farmers to hear firsthand about the damage the recent heat and lack of rain has done to their crops and livestock.  I applaud the USDA for their decision and will continue advocating for the farmers and rural areas who have been greatly impacted.

"USDA has moved to help Iowa farmers - now Congress needs to act and stop playing politics.  As Iowans continue to struggle to recover, our rural areas and farmers need certainty during these tough times. They need Congress to pass a long-term farm bill and extend access to agriculture disaster assistance, not take votes for the appearance of action and then leave for August recess.  Unfortunately, with disaster programs already expired and the farm bill is about to expire - it is now more important than ever for Congress to get to work instead of going on vacation while the fields wither."

Specifically, the counties of Appanoose, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton, Davis, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, Tama, Van Buren, Wapello and Wayne.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winneshiek and Wright.

 

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Davenport, IA / July 25, 2012 - It's not always easy to bring the lesson into the classroom, especially if it involves the health of our Country's rivers. That is why Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) has found a way to bring the classroom to the river with their new barge. This new 150-foot long barge features a handicapped-accessible classroom, which can host up to 60 attendees at a time, as well as sleeping quarters for an 8 person Living Lands & Waters crew. The new barge will be in Davenport for an educator workshop Monday, August 6^th and Tuesday, August 7^th.

The educator workshops will bring teachers and instructors on board for day long programs on a number of different topics ranging from History to Biology to the Navigation of our waterways, which they can then bring back to their classroom. This is also a chance for teachers to learn about the opportunity of student workshops, which will be conducted in various locations throughout the school year. Living Lands & Waters has been conducting educational workshops since 2003, but this experience could only be attended by teachers and instructors.  "We developed these workshops to give teachers a hands on look at our river environment with lessons they could take back to their students.  The instructors who attended were so engaged, but all said this would have much more of an impact if their students could be on the barge for something like this," says Tammy Becker, coordinator of the LL&W's Educational Workshops.  Over the years, LL&W held 92 teacher workshops for more than 1,700 teachers and educators. There were over a 100 different presenters in these presentations and over 60 different topics covered.

"This is a big collaborative effort that will affect so many students nationally.  A first hand look at our rivers will have an impact on these kids for years to come," says Chad Pregracke, LL&W founder.   LL&W plans to begin focusing on High School Juniors and Seniors. "We plan to work with teachers to customize workshops to dove-tail with the curriculum they are currently concentrating on, be it ecology, history or economics," said LL&W founder Chad Pregracke.

"This is really taking the education of our rivers to a whole new level and it could not have been done without the help of the many businesses who believe in what we're doing," expressed Pregracke.  The floating classroom was made possible by the generous support of five of LL&W's long-term partners: ADM, AEP River Operations, Ingram Barge Company, Caterpillar and Cargill as well as a number of Unions who gave so many hours of labor to help complete this project.

Chad Pregracke started Living Lands & Waters in 1998 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the beautification and restoration of America's major rivers and to the education of people about environmental issues. From his single boat beginning, LL&W has grown to an internationally known organization with a fleet of barges and workboats.  LL&W engages thousands of volunteers each year in river cleanups, hands-on environmental education workshops, the Great Mississippi River Cleanup, Adopt-a-River-Mile programs and the Million Trees Project.  Recently, LL&W founder Chad Pregracke was honored by the Points of Light Foundation.  This distinguished honor, established by former U.S. President George H. W. Bush was awarded during a televised ceremony from the Lincoln Center which featured all of the living former presidents.   Chad ads this honor to many others he's received in recognition of his achievements since founding LL&W.  They include a Jefferson Award, and awards from the American Institute for Public Service; Heroes of Conservation Nomination and Field & Stream Magazine.

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