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Action Alert: Bills threaten future parks, trails and wildlife areas

Posted on March 4, 2025 in Blog

Action Alert: Tell your legislators you support parks, trails, and wildlife areas and to VOTE NO on HF 714 & SSB 1198. 

Update 3/4: Both HF 714 and SSB 1198 passed out of subcommittees this morning, but the full House Natural Resources Committee declined to consider the bill. That means the only way for this bill to stay alive is to pass the Senate Natural Resources & Environment Committee tomorrow. There are efforts underway to make the language in the bill even more restrictive, prohibiting the Iowa DNR from purchasing land at auction, regardless of the public need or benefit. Please contact the entire Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee and ask them to oppose SSB 1198. 

annette.sweeney@legis.iowa.gov
tom.shipley@legis.iowa.gov
art.staed@legis.iowa.gov
liz.bennett@legis.iowa.gov
claire.celsi@legis.iowa.gov
mark.costello@legis.iowa.gov
rocky.dewitt@legis.iowa.gov
lynn.evans@legis.iowa.gov
mike.pike@legis.iowa.gov
ken.rozenboom@legis.iowa.gov
ken.rozenboom@legis.iowa.gov
dave.sires@legis.iowa.gov
sarah.trone.garriott@legis.iowa.gov
cherielynn.westrich@legis.iowa.gov
mike.zimmer@legis.iowa.gov
dan.zumbach@legis.iowa.gov

Read coverage from today's subcommittee hearings on the companion bills

Identical bills have been introduced in the Iowa House and Senate restricting our state’s ability to expand parks, trails and wildlife areas. They are being fast-tracked — both with subcommittee hearings tomorrow — to beat this week’s legislative funnel.  

House File 714 and Senate Study Bill 1198 would place unnecessary restrictions on efforts to protect and grow Iowa’s public parks, trails and wildlife areas, prohibiting the Iowa DNR from purchasing land at auction, regardless of the public need or benefit.

We need you to contact your legislators now and ask them to oppose these bills. 

While this bill may seem to be narrow in scope, it is part of a larger attempt to restrict opportunities to enhance Iowa's outdoors — eroding our state's ability to offer outdoor recreation, improve water quality and preserve threatened natural areas.? 

In recent years, bills have been introduced that would: 

  • prohibit any new public open spaces. 
  • limit landowners’ ability to receive a fair price for their land simply for choosing to sell their property for public use. 
  • require agencies to sell off parks, trails or wildlife areas in order to add or expand other areas. 

Currently, there is also a proposal to repeal the voter-approved Natural Resources & Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, despite advocates urging its funding over the past 15 years.   

Thanks to the ongoing advocacy of Iowans like you, many of these bills have not passed. Yet, others have been enacted, such as a bill repealing a statewide goal to protect more open spaces and a bill restricting the use of Clean Water Act funding for targeted land protection projects for water quality improvement. HF 714 and SSB 1198 are unnecessary and just the latest attempt to limit the growth and enhancement of parks, trails and wildlife areas in Iowa.  

Your voice is needed now to halt legislation that lays the groundwork for further attacks on Iowa’s parks, trails, wildlife areas, and waters.  

HF 714 & SSB 1198 are companion bills, moving through the committee process in the House and Senate simultaneously. This Friday, March 7, marks the first legislative funnel, in which bills must be passed out of a full committee to proceed in the legislative process. These bills are being rushed through with minimal time for public input. Your only opportunity to comment on these bills in person will be at the subcommittee hearings tomorrow morning.   

Contact Your Legislators

House Subcommittee
Only those present in-person may provide comments at House subcommittee meetings. The subcommittee may be viewed online.  

Committee: Natural Resources (House) 
Subcommittee: HF 714 
Date: 03/04/2025 8:45 AM 
Location: House Lounge 2 

Virtual Meeting URL: https://ialegis.webex.com/ialegis/j.php?MTID=mcc047a6fcc97cce2c3fede3c7379ed9a 
Call in number: 14084189388 
Access code: 24989073876 

Senate Subcommittee
In-person and virtual remarks are permitted at Senate subcommittee meetings. Review Zoom guidelines here.  

Subcommittee: SSB 1198 
Date: 03/04/2025, 10:00 am or upon adjournment of Agriculture Committee 
Location: Room 217 Conference Room 

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85039056407?pwd=Saz45Bo9eZfVxE25qDWwyOXp7NMXma.1 
Meeting ID: 850 3905 6407 
Passcode: 608149 

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