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LEADERSHIP AGENDA

OPERATIONAL SCAN

DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE

Natural Resources

Richard Leopold , Director

Mission Statement:
Conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life for Iowans and ensure a legacy for future generations.

Construction permits issued for animal agriculture
Controlling the white-tailed deer population
Loans help Iowans protect water quality
Iowa water quality index for streams
Pollution prevention saves business money
Hunter Safety

•  Performance Plan - How we measure our progress


•  Strategic Plan - How we plan for progress
•  Performance Report - How we report our progress
• Department Home Page - Learn more about this department

Why this is important:
Our rivers and streams can be impacted by animal agriculture. When animals are kept in small areas where feed and manure are concentrated, animal byproducts can also become concentrated, becoming pollutants if they are not stored and managed properly. When excess nutrients and organic matter reach our waters, they can cause low levels of dissolved oxygen, algal blooms and, in extreme cases, fish kills. Twenty-eight percent of fish kills are attributed to runoff from open feedlots, management problems with manure storage at confined animal facilities, and runoff from manure-treated fields.


What we're doing about this:
Iowa regulates animal feeding operations to reduce risk to and prevent contamination of our surface and groundwater resources. Open feedlots and confinement facilities must be designed to minimize the risk that concentrated manure will reach nearby rivers and streams. If properly built and maintained, these facilities should enable producers to use their animal manure more effectively as a nutrient source. The DNR reviews construction plans for larger facilities, and inspects open feedlots and confinements to ensure that facilities meet state requirements. The DNR also offers educational programs to help producers understand requirements, better manage their facilities for environmental protection, and understand the benefits of protecting our water resources.

Why this is important:
The white-tailed deer herd in Iowa has been rising through the past several decades. Hunting is the primary control measure available in Iowa to manage a healthy herd, maintain recreational hunting, and minimize the impacts of deer as pests and road hazards.


What we're doing about this:
The goal is to maintain a healthy deer population, provide recreational hunting opportunities to the public, and minimize car-deer accidents and damage to crops and ornamental vegetation. More hunting opportunities have been made available to increase the harvest of deer, especially females. It is working and the herd size appears by all measures to be shrinking. A new method of counting harvested deer was instituted in 2006 and continued through 2007. The method allowed in-season adjustments to increase the harvest of deer by hunters. Ice, snow and cold weather reduced hunting this past season.

Why this is important:
Water contamination comes from many sources including the daily activities of residents and businesses throughout the state. Investment in facilities to reduce leaking septic tanks, manure spills, and runoff from agricultural fields and urban developments can improve the quality of our waters.


What we're doing about this:
Homeowners, farmers, livestock operators and other Iowans can use loans to finance water quality protection improvements to their property and their activities. the State Revolving Fund, which has funded $500 million to communities for wastewater infrastructure, is now making loans available to individual Iowans so that they can make the necessary investments to protect our water resources. The program can make loans for conventional or innovative solutions regarding domestic waste, livestock waste, soil and nutrient conservation, storm water management, lake and wetland restorations, and even watershed planning.

Why this is important:
Good water quality is necessary for business, industrial and domestic uses, and an integral part of many quality-of-life pursuits that are so important to helping Iowa grow and flourish. The water quality index combines eight important physical, chemical and biological parameters and creates an integrated focus on overall water quality conditions and trends. The water quality index is affected by year-to-year weather patterns as well as watershed management practices.

What we're doing about this:
The Iowa Water Quality Index reveals the need to improve Iowa's stream water quality across the state. DNR is seeking to establish priorities for the restoration of selected lakes, coldwater streams, warm water streams, wetlands, and vulnerable aquifers. Together with local leadership, these targeted watersheds will demonstrate the improvements we could be making everywhere.

Why this is important:
Reducing the use of natural resources and protection of the environment from risks are national and local goals. Business can advance these goals and improve corporate profits through increased efficiency. Such an incentive to business should serve to promote a stronger Iowa economy and improve the quality of life.


What we're doing about this:
DNR forms partnerships with Iowa businesses and recruits students from Iowa colleges and universities to serve as summer interns at the companies. The interns, many of whom are highly trained in engineering, identify processes in the companies that can benefit from increased efficiencies and help their companies implement them. Savings are especially notable in energy conservation, reduction of solid waste generated, water conservation, reduction of air emissions, and the reduction of hazardous and special wastes. A side benefit is that many of these students remain to work in Iowa and remain committed to furthering pollution prevention goals. Much of the savings this year required extensive capital investments. Savings from these will accrue in future years as company investments are made. Also, some of the environmental benefits this year involved risk reduction, and such benefits are not readily converted to dollars.

Why this is important:
Hunting is one of many outdoor recreation activities that has a significant economic impact on Iowa. Hunting has some risks and these risks must be minimized to protect all hunters.


What we're doing about this:
Hunter safety education is the primary strategy for minimizing hunting accidents. Everyone born since 1967 must pass a safety course before being issued a hunting license. Conservation officers and dedicated volunteer instructors provide instruction to over 12,000 folks annually. Protective, visible clothing is another strategy, and we require or recommend that hunters wear blaze orange clothing. The education and clothing programs work. Hunting related incidents have dropped since the 1960s with about 100 accidents and 15 fatalities to the much lower levels reported in recent years.

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