Pathways
To
Nature
Newsletter of the Webster
County Conservation Board
Winter-Spring 2007
Electronic
Newsletter | From Our
Director | Conservation News | Partners In
Conservation | Public Programs | Wildlife News
| Conservation Clippings | General Info
by Matt Cosgrove, Director
When you ask any community if they want great
parks, scenic trails, tranquil wilderness areas, and excellent water quality,
the answer is always, “ Of course”!
This seems like an easy problem to solve. Unfortunately in Iowa, when it comes time to fund conservation
and recreation initiatives seem to get pushed to the bottom of the pile. Iowa is 49th out of the 50 states
in the percentage of public land for outdoor recreation. Our water quality is the poorest in the
nation and Iowa only spends about 1% of our annual state budget on natural
resources. With higher priorities, such
as health care, education, and transportation, our natural resources are often
the last to be funded.
The
2005-06 Legislature has realized the poor condition of our natural resources
and the economic and social impact this will have on our state. They have taken a very important step in
addressing the problem by establishing an advisory committee to explore a sustainable
funding source for our natural resources. The advisory committee is made up of a diverse group of people
representing a variety of interests.
This group was given the task of exploring ways to establish a sustainable
source of income to fund projects that include wildlife, water quality, parks,
and trails. The group has a deadline in
January 2007 to look at successful programs in other states, gather public
input, and draft recommendations for our legislators to review. My hope is the legislature will review these
recommendations, seek public input, and develop a sustainable
funding source that will protect and enhance our natural resources for many
years to come.
With
the recent elections behind us and many new faces preparing for their positions
in political offices, now is the perfect time to visit with your local and
regional leaders to let them know the value of our natural resources and the
important role they play in Iowa’s future.
As the Iowa economy grows and we take the lead in the global energy
market, it’s important that our natural resources share in this success and
ensure that we have a great place to live and raise families.
The
political atmosphere is changing and we are beginning to put a value on
recreational opportunities and the important role they play in recruiting and
retaining a qualified workforce. Local
signs of this change include: the City of Fort Dodge Recreational Study and
Needs Assessment, the riverfront revitalization, the formation of the Webster
County Development Trails Task Force, and the organization of the Friends of
Webster County Conservation. Many
good things are happening around us. I
would encourage you to be a part of these good things and get involved through
boards, committees, and public input sessions.
It’s time we all ask ourselves, “Are we willing to pay for what’s important?”.
Additional information about
sustainable funding for our natural resources
can be found at http://www.iowadnr.com/
Local news about the
Webster County Conservation Board
Board Member changes
Another
long-standing board member has recently retired from the Webster County
Conservation Board. Orville O’Connell
served on the board for 23 years.
Orville’s dedication to conservation and interest in the environment is
commendable, and his commitment to the board’s mission is much
appreciated. The Webster County
Conservation staff and remaining board members would like to thank Orville for
his time devoted to natural resources and environmental education.
Latest changes to the board have been the
appointment of Jim Eslick, Kirk Seltz, and most recently, Jerry Beck. We welcome these new members and hope their
experience is gratifying. Feel free to
encourage and support them in their conservation decision-making.
Environmental
Education Expansion
Hello, my name is Erin
Meehan. I am the new naturalist aid for
Webster County Conservation & the Iowa DNR. I graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High, attended ICCC, and
finally graduated from the University of Dubuque with a B.S. degree in
Environmental Science.
My responsibilities within
Webster County are to carry out environmental education programs at Kennedy
Park, Dolliver Park, and Brushy Creek SRA through campground programs and
general year-round public programs.
Implementing school programs for both in-class and outdoor classrooms is
one of my tasks. I will also be designing and developing
informational displays, brochures, trail guides and other promotional
materials.
This
career has opened new areas in self-achievement and personal abilities. Since starting I have been involved with
school programs, field trips, public programs, and park upkeep. This position is a pilot for the state of
Iowa to pave the way for future sharing opportunities between agencies. I would like to thank all for making this
position possible and giving me this opportunity.
New Vegetation
Specialist
My
name is Cody Peterson and I am the Vegetation Technician for Webster
County. I was hired last July to help
carry out the county’s IRVM program. I
attended Pocahontas Area High School and went on to attend college at Central
Lakes in Brainerd, Minnesota. I then
transferred to Stevens Point, Wisconsin where I received my bachelor’s degree
in natural resource management with minors in soil science and environmental
law enforcement.
My
position deals mostly with keeping the roadsides in Webster County clean of
invasive plants and trying to get native vegetation to thrive where they once
were found. I also work with farmers in
seeding their CRP areas and help the rest of the park staff with maintaining
Kennedy Park. I really enjoy my job
here and get to work with some great people.
Moving On…...
We
recently bid farewell to a friend and co-worker, Andy Hockenson, as he took a
job as park ranger for the Boone County Conservation Board. Andy had been with us since 2004 and many of you got to know him through the
various tasks he carried out: managing
the Kennedy Park campground, assisting with school groups and public programs
like the Maple Syrup Festival, and Ice Fishing, Plant Some Shade, etc. We wish him well in new career and future
goals. We will miss his hard work,
pleasant smile, and warm personality.
It won’t be the same without him here.
Friends
of Webster County Conservation
The
mission of the Friends of Webster County Conservation is to provide awareness,
appreciation, and the preservation of Webster County’s natural resources for
future generations.
TJ Lynn – Chairperson Individual $15.00
Brad Luke – Vice-chair Family $25.00
Deanna Rohrer – Secretary Business $250.00
Jerry Beck – Treasurer
Members
receive special notice of upcoming events, discounts on program fees, an annual
event for members, a network with like-minded conservationists, a link to the
natural environment, & an opportunity to provide valuable input for future
developments
If
interested in becoming a Friend, please contact Karen at 576-4258.
Friend of the Year
for 2006
This
year, the Friends of Webster County decided to give an award to a member who
went above and beyond the call of “conservation” duty. The board decided that Steve Johanson was
most deserving of the “Friend of the Year” award, given for outstanding
contributions in environmental education, conservation awareness, land
stewardship, and outdoor recreation.
For years Steve has been storing the corn for the Trumpeter Swan program
in Webster County. Thanks to his hard
work, the fish cleaning station at Kennedy Park became a reality. He orchestrated a great deal on an aluminum
dock for the summer boat rentals. He
located a corn hopper for the future corn burner. He and his partner, Brian Fischel, co-owners of Ribs ‘n More,
have been the makers of the free pancakes at the Maple Syrup Festival held each
spring AND they donated the delicious meal they catered for the Friends banquet
this past Nov. Thanks so much to both
of you. And congratulations, Steve, for
all your devotion to conservation.
IRVM Shed
The
Webster County Conservation Board (WCCB) has recently acquired a new building
for their Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) program. This
building is a Heritage Building System and was donated by The Iowa Sportsman
Magazine, a division of Heartland Communications. Russ’s Construction erected the building
and the electrical work was completed by Gross Electric Inc. The board also received an $11,500 grant
from the Living Roadway Trust Fund through the Department of
Transportation to help fund the project.
This
building has been a 10-year plan in the making. WCCB was in need of a facility to store prairie grass seed,
chemicals and their roadside equipment.
This building will have an air-conditioned room for seed storage, which
will allow for longer seed viability.
The chemical room will be heated to allow for year-round storage and the
main part of the shed which is 40’ X 75’ will provide storage for the
equipment.
Thank
you Iowa Sportsman and Heartland Communications for your generous
donation!!
Environmental
Education Programs
Winter-Spring 2007
For more information, contact Karen at
576-4258 or khansen@webstercountyia.org
Mon., Feb. 5
Kennedy Park
6:00 pm Cost listed below
Building nest boxes for our
wild birds and mammals is a fun and memorable pastime shared with family. Due to habitat loss, nest boxes are
important. Call / e-mail your
choice of boxes by Jan. 31:
Wren,
Bluebird, Chickadee $7; Robin, Barn swallow
$10 Bat, Screech or Saw whet
Owl, Kestrel $13 Flicker $16
Ice
Fishing
Sat., Feb. 10 Kennedy
Park’s Heun Shelter
9am
Free
Learn about safety on ice
and how to enjoy one of Iowa’s winter sports.
Come and catch a nibble.
Cross-Country
Skiing & Snowshoeing
Rental Info.: The public may rent the skis & snowshoes on weekends upon
availability. Equipment may be picked
up no later than 4:00 pm on Friday and returned no later than 4:00 pm the following
Monday. Ski packages and snowshoes rent
for $10 per adult, and kids are FREE.
Refunded deposit of $100 per set.
Hunter
Safety Class
Mon., Feb. 26, Tues., 27, Thurs., March 1 Kennedy Park’s Heun
shelter
5:30-9:00pm Free
For future hunters age 12
& up. Register at Keith’s Outdoors
in Fort Dodge. Call 576-4414 or stop in
at 1408 N. 17th St. Class is required
if born after July 1, 1972.
Cougar
Program—call
for more info.
Wed., March 7 7:00pm
Briggs Woods headquarters Free
Learn more about these
elusive felines that once roamed the hills and valleys of Iowa.
Whitetail
Rack Measuring
Sun., March 11 ICCC —
Career Education Bldg.
1-3pm
Scoring is FREE (Sports Show
fee I— $4 adults & $2 children)
Free deer rack scoring
during the sports show at ICCC. Willlie
Suchy, DNR’s deer biologist will plan to present the status of Iowa’s deer
population.
Sports
Show
Sat., March 10 9am-6pm
ICCC — Career Education Bldg.
Sun., March
11 11am-4pm $4 adults; $2
children; Free ages 6 & under
Come and see Iowa pro angler
Bob Jensen, exhibition shooter Tom Knapp, and pro walleye champ Ted Takasaki. Outdoor / conservation groups will have
tables set up with info. and prizes.
Maple
Syrup Festival
Sat., March 17 Kennedy Park’s Heun Shelter
1:00 pm
Free
Enjoy the sweet, simmering
smell and taste of homemade maple
syrup. Bring the family to learn about
the uses of sap long ago, see the tapping of trees, watch sap cooking into
syrup, and finally taste it! Good
hands-on fun and a tasty maple syrup treat for everyone.
Bird
Nest Monitoring
Sat., March 31 Kennedy Park’s Heun Shelter
10:00am-4:00pm $ 7.00 (for lunch)
Sponsored by the DNR
Wildlife Diversity Program, this workshop is for the avid nature enthusiast who
wants to be involved in wildlife surveys for years. Call Karen to register for this workshop.
Earth
Day Cache In -Trash Out
Sat., April 21 Brushy Creek SRA—meet at the south day use area
9:00 am—4:00pm Free
Learn how to geo-cache (find
a prize hidden in nature using GPS units) and take out the trash as you
go. Wear old clothes & gloves. Bring a GPS unit or some will be available
on loan from us. Potluck will follow at
5:00pm. For equestrians (if it’s not
too muddy) and hikers. Families
welcome.
Wind
Turbine Program —–TBA. Call for more information.
Sat., April 28 (tentative)
at Briggs Woods in Webster City
Conservation Calendar
Mon., Feb. 5—–Nest Box Building Workshop — Kennedy
Park; 6:00 pm
Sat., Feb 10—–Ice Fishing Clinic — Badger Lake, Kennedy
Park; 9:00am
Feb. 26, 27, March 1—–Hunter Safety—Kennedy Park Heun
Shelter; 5:30-9:00pm
Wed., March 7—–Cougar Program—Briggs Woods headquarters; 7:00pm
Sat., March 10—–Sports Show — Iowa Central, Career Ed. Bldg;
9:00am-6:00pm
Sun., March 11—–Sports Show — Iowa Central, Career Ed. Bldg;
11:00am-4:00pm
Sun., March 11—–-Deer rack measuring — Iowa Central, Career
Ed. Bldg; 1:00-3:00pm
Sat., March 17—–Maple Syrup Festival — Kennedy Park; 1:00 pm
Sat., March 31—–Bird Nest Monitoring — Kennedy Park; 10:00am-4:00pm $7
Sat., April
21—–Earth Day Cache In-Trash Out — Brushy Creek; 9:00am—4:00pm
Sat., April 28—–Wind Turbine program — Briggs Woods, Webster
City; 3:00-6:00pm
Sat., May 5—–Fishing Derby — Brushy Creek; 9:00am-Noon
Sat., May 5—–Duane Bills Family Fishing Derby at Badger
Lake; 1:00- 4:00pm
May 4-6—–Free Camping Weekend — State Parks only!!! (NOT Kennedy Pk)
Board meetings—2nd Tues. of each month —Kennedy Park Rec.
Ctr.; 7:00pm
Sat., May 5—–Duane Bills Family Fishing Derby at Badger
Lake; 1:00- 4:00pm May 4-
Natural Areas Update
Miller
Marsh Grows
The Webster County Conservation Board (WCCB), in
partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), the Natural
Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Webster County Soil and Water
Conservation District, is working to expand Miller Marsh Wildlife Management
Area in Webster County. Miller Marsh is
a 38-acre wildlife area that was purchased by Webster County Conservation in
2003 through the Wetland Reserve Program and named after past Conservation Director,
Charlie Miller. It is located in northeast
Webster County, five miles east of Badger and a mile and a half northwest of
Vincent.
The Department of Transportation has purchased 146.5 acres
of adjacent property from three landowners as a wetland mitigation project for
the construction of Highway 20. The
Conservation Board has signed an agreement with the DOT that requires the Board
to reconstruct the wetland and manage the site if the DOT acquires the property
in the name of Webster County. The
board is also working with a separate landowner to purchase an additional 31.3
acres to provide another access to the property. The completed project would be approximately 215.8 acres of
wildlife habitat!!
WCCB and the NRCS have developed a reconstruction plan that
will: 1.) close one of the two remaining ag. drainage wells in Webster County,
2.) install three water control structures to maintain several wetlands at a
variety of depths, 3.) create excellent nesting and winter habitat for upland
birds and migrating waterfowl, and 4.) provide a great opportunity for public
hunting.
The Conservation Board has applied for a Habitat Stamp Grant
to assist with the funding of this project.
The board has already received significant donations, but is still in
need of additional dollars to make this plan a reality. If you would like to help enhance water
quality, improve wildlife habitat, and provide a great place for public
recreation please contact the Conservation Office. TO BE CONTINUED…..
The Natural
Resource Conservation Service, the Webster Co. Soil & Water District,
Webster Co. Pheasants Forever, Whitetails Unlimited, and the landowners that
made this possible!!!
Family Cabin &
Boat Rental
Blessed
with buildings………..The Iowa Central Carpentry program under the direction of
Bill McAnally built 2 different cabins recently and donated them to WCCB. The larger family cabin rests near the
lakeshore of Badger Lake in the campground at Kennedy Park. When the interior work is completed, it will
sleep 6 people, have electricity and possibly an outside water hydrant. Rental fee is $40 for Friday & Saturday
(2 night minimum required); and $35 for Sunday-Thursday (1 night minimum
required). Deposit of $100 required.
Rental is planned to start sometime this summer. The other smaller donated cabin will be
used as a concessions building for paddleboats and miscellaneous supplies. Watch for scheduled rental hours this summer.
Thank you Iowa Central
Carpentry for your valuable donation
to outdoor recreation in
Webster County!
Stop the movement of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and other exotic pests
Exotic
pests like the EBA are starting to become a major threat to Iowa’s
forestland. The Emerald Ash Borer aggressively
attacks ash trees, killing even healthy trees in one to three years.
Emerald
Ash Borer can become established in an area when infested firewood is
transported into a new area. Since the
infestation is under the bark you usually cannot tell if you’re bringing these
unwanted “hitchhiker” into a new
area. To stop the spread please do the
following:
·
Use
local wood sources
·
Do
not bring firewood from home
If
you bring firewood from home, BURN IT IMMEDIATELY
So what does the future hold
for our native and very popular ash trees?
Some
experts are predicting that when it arrives here (and it will), it will be
devastating. Some predict with
education, we may be able to keep them at bay for 5-10 years, but the story
with most invasive species is usually a hope for control because eradication is
not practical. There is no cure for the
ash trees once these insects arrive.
Future tree plantings should avoid this species. Education of invasive species is vital.
As
you enjoy the many outdoor activities in Iowa parks, please be on the look out
for these unwanted pests. In ash trees
only, if you see these following signs:
·
D-shaped
exit holes
·
Die-back
of the crown (dead branches at the top of an other- wise healthy tree)
·
Splitting
of the bark to reveal serpentine or S-shaped galleries
·
Shoots/suckers
coming up from the base of the tree
please
report them to Robin Pruisner, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land
Stewardship 515/281-6323 or you local conservation office or district forester.
To Plant or NOT to
plant…….
Trees
NOT to plant due to diseases: Scotch
Pine, Blue Spruce, All Ash species.
Trees
& shrubs NOT to plant because they are invasive: Tree of Heaven, Siberian Elm, Black Locust, Norway Maple, Bush
Honeysuckles, Buckthorns, Autumn & Russian Olives, Japanese Knotweed, Gray
Dogwood (to name a few).
General Advice:
If
it’s not a native species, there’s a good chance of it becoming an
invasive! To avoid such a tragedy,
contact a forester, ISU Extension, a conservation agency, or WCCB for approval.
This
county’s district forester is Wayne Fuhlbrugge. Wayne.Fuhlbrugge@dnr.state.ia.us
Thank
You — Jon Thrams
Jon has donated many hours toward checking and maintaining the bluebird trail at Kennedy Park...And I think he really enjoys himself. We appreciate his enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment!!
1415 Nelson Ave.
Fort Dodge, IA. 50501
Phone: 515-576-4258
Fax: 515-574-3763
E-mail: conservation@webstercountyia.org
Webster County Web Page: http://www.webstercountyia.org/
Staff
|
Matt Cosgrove |
Director |
|
Dave Scherff |
Park Ranger |
|
Pat Shehan |
Park Ranger |
|
Vacant |
Park Ranger |
|
Karen Roosa Hansen |
Naturalist |
|
Erin Meehan |
Naturalist Aid |
|
Cody Petersont |
Roadside Manager |
|
Cindy
Knickerbocker |
Secretary |
Board Members
|
Jerry Beck |
Fort Dodge |
|
Jim Eslick |
Gowrie |
|
Brad Luke |
Fort Dodge |
|
Kirk Seltz |
Badger |
|
Mark A. Thompson |
Fort Dodge |
Electronic Newsletter
In order
to cut costs and save a few trees, the county would like to encourage the
public to receive the “Pathways to Nature” newsletter via e-mail
To subscribe,
send an email to: wccnewsletter@webstercountyia.org
Enter SUBSCRIBE
in the Subject line. Your email address will be added to our mailing list.
This newsletter
can also be downloaded and shared with others.
Tell those with
internet access to check the web at: www.webstercountyia.org
Electronic
Newsletter | From Our
Director | Conservation News | Partners In
Conservation | Public Programs | Wildlife News
| Conservation Clippings | General Info