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Senate passes bill limiting conservation land acquisition

T-R FILE PHOTO - The Marietta Sand Prairie Preserve is one of the conservation lands purchased with the help of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the State Revolving Fund.

The state Senate passed a bill earlier this week that would restrict how the State Revolving Fund can be used, and some conservation officials are opposed to the action.

The revolving fund is meant to be used to help improve water quality in the state, and Marshall County Conservation Director Mike Stegmann said the fund has played an important role locally.

“We have in the past utilized that avenue to acquire lands that we would otherwise not have been able to, in part for the water quality issues that it supports,” he said. “It allows us to borrow money through the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation to acquire parcels of ground that we, at any specific time, don’t have money to use to acquire.”

Stegmann said the fund has been used in Marshall County to purchase marginal farm ground around the Iowa River to help prevent erosion, including the Iowa River Wildlife Management Area. The Marietta Sand Prairie is another piece of land acquired with help from the fund.

“What this does is buy us time to raise funds through private donations and grants to repay through the Heritage Foundation,” Stegmann said of the revolving fund.

The Senate bill, SF 548, passed in the chamber by a 32-17 vote Wednesday. State Sen. Jeff Edler, R-State Center, was one of the “yes” votes.

“The Senate bill would only restrict private entities from using that revolving loan fund for land acquisition,” he said. “Upon further and deeper review, in (Iowa) Code there is no way it says it can be used for land acquisition. It is supposed to be used for projects.”

The language in the bill makes that more clear, Edler said. He also said the use of the fund by government conservation officials gives an unfair advantage when it comes to acquiring property.

“Right now, there are private entities using that fund to compete at a zero or low interest rate when everyone else has to use a bank,” Edler said.

Stegmann said the passage of the bill would hurt local conservation boards.

“We don’t go out searching for land, we’re typically approached by landowners who want to sell us their ground,” he said. “If we don’t have the cash in hand to make that transaction and this avenue that allows us to do that is eliminated, then that just takes that potential for the acquisition off our plate.”

In order to become law, the same bill would have to get a majority vote in the Iowa House of Representatives. It would then go to Gov. Kim Reynold’s desk to be signed into law.

To follow legislation at the State Capitol, visit https://www.legis.iowa.gov/

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Contact Adam Sodders at (641) 753-6611 or asodders@timesrepublican.com

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