PLEASE – Ask your State Rep/Senator to VOTE NO to dismantling the FOREST RESERVE ACT

PLEASE – Ask your State Rep/Senator to VOTE NO to dismantling the FOREST RESERVE ACT of 1906.  
This can be a short email (or postcard at the Grannies mtg this Tuesday). The bill may likely come up for a vote this week. And please send to friends /families around the state – we need to get to all reps.  THANK YOU!

This email just in with INFO: 

As of Friday, March 22 the members of the State of Iowa Legislature are continuing their pursuit of dismantling  the FOREST RESERVES and ORCHARD  ACT of 1906.  The Bill did pass through the Ways and Means Committee on March 19th.  If this BILL passes – precious habitat will be lost, pollution of rivers and streams can occur and life long Iowans will experience a plundering forest industry.  Please contact your State Senators and Representatives this weekend and ASK THEM TO VOTE NO on changes to this vital law.  OUR STATE OF IOWA NEEDS TO KEEP ITS FORESTED LAND ACRES.

Philip E. McCune , President –  Iowa Woodland Owners Association  (IWOA)

EMAIL: arcadiafarm2000@yahoo.com  Phone: 641-260-1762

More details –Paul Millice, IWOA Board Member, Email: pmillice@aol.com 319-331-1238

     “The Forest and Fruit Tree Reserve Act of 1906 was initiated to encourage landowners to keep their timber intact (and not plant it) to help with water quality, runoff and habitat management. The incentive? There is no property tax on these acres!

 Our current Iowa Legislature has two bills that will both have profound effects on the Forest and Fruit tree Reserve Act of 1906.

 The first is a new bill introduced in the House and approved by the House Ways and Means Committee (HF 2093) which raises the requirement for the number of acres to qualify for the program from 2 Acres up to 5 Acres. And also gives County Boards of Supervisors the authority to completely opt out of the Forest Reserve tax exemption in their County. Counties all over the state – especially those with poor farmland values that aren’t bringing in much tax revenue – could completely ditch this long-time protection for our forests.

This bill could very easily come up for a vote in the House this week!

 Also still alive is SF 548 which will reduce the tax exemption by 25% the first year and 50% for all following years.

As we all know, trees are our best water quality tool, slowing run off, preventing pollution, sequestering carbon and creating oxygen. As well as wildlife cover.

 We’ve been losing a tremendous amount of forest over number of years…due to the derecho, ash borers, oak diseases running rampant, changing climate, etc.. We are at serious risk of losing our dominant Oak forests.
 
If either of these bills are approved, it could accelerate our tree cover losses by hundreds if not thousands of Acres.”
 
To find your legislator   https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find  
Posted in Environmental Justice

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