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DNR set to unveil new state park reservation system

December 24, 2010 By

Cabin at Pine Lake State Park, Eldora

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is preparing to unveil a new state park reservation system. Project manager Sherry Arntzen says the online system, set to debut February 17, will include many of the current features – but with a “new look and feel.”

There will also be some enhancements. “Our customers are going to be able to cancel reservations or make reservation changes online,” Arntzen said. “Currently, you’re unable to do that. You have to go through the call center, which has a limited number of hours.” The call center hours will be expanded to include weekends in conjunction with the changes to the online system.

Arntzen says the DNR is switching to a new vendor, The Active Network, for a number of reasons. “We’ve had issues of double-bookings occurring, which we do not want the system to allow. We’ve had some timing out issues,” Arntzen said. “The current system is a little cumbersome and time consuming for us to make changes when facilities are updated, we’ve added facilities or taken facilities away. And the financial reporting mechanism has just not been in place with the old system.”

The current system will continue to operate and accept reservations for cabins, day-use lodges and shelters through February 3. Camping reservations for 2011 will not be accepted until February 17. The state park campgrounds open on April 1. “Generally, we do not have a lot of people who make camping reservations for the month of April and it’s somewhat iffy for the first part of May,” Arntzen said. “So we do think the February 17 launch date will coincide pretty well with when people normally are starting to think about camping and making those reservations.”

The Active Network operates park reservation systems in 41 states and already handles the Iowa DNR’s hunting and fishing license system.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Recreation & Entertainment

ISU ag dean urges Branstad to protect state’s “brand”

December 24, 2010 By

The dean of Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture is urging the governor-elect to find a middle ground on industry regulations. 

Branstad has indicated he’ll seek regulatory changes that provide livestock producers, grain processors, and other ag business more certainty about state rules.  I.S.U. College of Agriculture Dean Wendy Wintersteen says she agrees the state must address the barriers that discourage additional processing facilities in Iowa, but she says the state must protect its reputation at the same time.

“Our brand is invaluable and we’ve had some situations this year where we have had the brand damaged and I think it’s time in agriculture for all of us to stand up and say, ‘No longer will we allow bad actors, no longer will we allow the Iowa brand to be damaged,’” Wintersteen says. 

Wintersteen is referring to the salmonella outbreak and massive egg recall this summer involving two Iowa egg operations. 

Winersteen is also urging Branstad to ensure the state addresses water quality contamination caused by farm run-off before the federal government demands changes.  “It’s time for us to get serious about that…not to wait for the federal government to come in and tell us that we’re going to do it, but to do it in a voluntary fashion,” Wintersteen says.

Wintersteen spoke Thursday at an agriculture briefing for Governor-elect Branstad.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Branstad, union feuding even before Branstad takes office

December 23, 2010 By

Ninety-eight percent of the members in the union which represents the largest share of state workers has ratified a new two-year contract negotiated by outgoing Governor Chet Culver.  Incoming Governor Terry Branstad says he’ll investigate all options to challenge the deal.  

“We’re going to go in and try to analyze the whole situation and look at it from a perspective of managing it as best we can, looking at all options and alternatives and we want to try to find the most efficient and economical way to deliver services,” Branstad says. “There are other ways to do things and we are going to try to look outside the box.”

The two-year deal includes a three percent pay increase in each year, and is projected to cost the state $100 million in the first year alone.  Governor-elect Branstad is considering state worker layoffs, as well as outsourcing some state functions to the private sector.  Branstad also intends to ask the AFSCME union to reopen contract talks in hopes of changing the deal it struck with Culver.

“The fiscal year doesn’t begin until July 1 and so we want to be very thoughtful. We want to be very deliberative. We want to consider all options,” Branstad says. “We want to have a very open, honest and frank discussion.” 

Earlier this week the president of AFSCME Council 61 issued a written statement, saying he was “deeply troubled” by Branstad’s repeated call to reopen contract talks.  AFSCME Council 61 president Danny Homan said Branstad “has made attacking state employees his top priority” and Homan said Branstad’s behavior was “totally unacceptable.”

Homan called the wage increase “fair and modest” and pointed to the pay cuts state workers agreed to take over the past year.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , , ,

Slow moving storm to dump up to 8 inches of snow

December 23, 2010 By

A snow storm is slowing making its way to the state just in time to possibly disrupt Iowans’ holiday travel plans. National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Cogill says the snow will be fairly “gentle,” but it’ll keep falling for several hours.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Weather

Vilsack hosting conversation about organic, genetically-modified crops

December 23, 2010 By

U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says his agency’s consideration of restrictions for biotech alfalfa should not be a concern to Iowa farmers who plant genetically-engineered corn and soybeans.  The U.S.D.A. is considering new rules for the location and cultivation of hay fields planted with Roundup Ready alfalfa.

“What we’re having is a discussion and a conversation to try to take the courts out of determining who gets to farm and who doesn’t get to farm,” Vilsack says. 

A federal court in California ordered the U.S.D.A. to consider the economic and environmental problems organic growers encounter when their fields are next to a field where Roundup Ready alfalfa is planted.  Vilsack is inviting organic farmers and traditional farmers who embrace genetically-modified seeds to have a conversation in his office to try to resolve the disputes.

“This is a very complicated discussion and one that probably should have taken place a long time ago,” Vilsack says.  “We’ve seen a rapid adoption of biotechnology in alfalfa and many other areas of agriculture.  At the same time we’ve seen a substantial expansion and growth of organic productionm, We want both of them to survive and both of them to be profitable and we want both of them to sort of co-exist in the same neighborhood.” 

Vilsack suggests coming up with a plan that both sides can embrace may put an end to the parade of lawsuits which have been filed, challenging the planting of some genetically-modified crops, like alfalfa and sugar beets.  Organic growers complain their crops are compromised by cross-pollination from a neighboring field where genetically-modified crops are being grown.

“How can we get to a point where I get to farm and you get to farm and a judge can’t say to you, ‘You can’t farm the way you want to farm,’ or the judge says to me, ‘You have to stop doing what you’re doing,’” Vilsack says. “That’s not good for agriculture.”

Genetically-modified or “biotech” crops were introduced in the U.S. in 1996.  According to the U.S.D.A., 90 percent of the corn and 96 percent of the soybeans planted in Iowa in 2010 were a genetically-engineered variety. 

“We need the biotechnology.  We need the capacity to produce more on less — the capacity to use less pesticides and chemicals and water in an ever increasing demand globally for food,” Vilsack says. “At the same time, this organic operation is very profitable. It can help small farmers stay on the farm.  It can help repopulate rural communities and there’s a greater consumer demand for it, so we need to figure out how to do both.” 

Vilsack made his comments during taping of the Iowa Public Television program, “Iowa Press,” which airs Friday night at 7:30.

Filed Under: Agriculture

Fat cats and pudgy pooches need exercise, too!

December 23, 2010 By

‘Tis the season for Iowans to stuff their faces — at big family dinners, office parties and neighborhood gatherings — and our pets are also feasting during the holidays. Carrie Libera, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society, says Iowans should try to avoid tossing their table scraps to their dogs and cats.

“Turkey skin, fat trimmings or gravy is really bad for them,” Libera says. “Turkey bones can break and splinter and cause problems in their digestive system. You should not feed your pets onions, grapes, raisins.”

We hear plenty every year about people who pack on extra holiday weight, but she says it can quickly become a health threat for a pet to gain a few pounds.

Libera says, “It’s a really serious issue so you do want to think twice about giving your pets too many special holiday treats because it can lead to a lifetime of problems.”

She says limiting human food treats and walking pets, even in the cold weather, will help prevent the animal from gaining any holiday pounds.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

Key conservative urges justices to resign rather than face impeachment

December 23, 2010 By

The man who chaired the successful campaign to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices says he’d prefer the four remaining justices on the court resign rather than be impeached.

Bob Vander Plaats, president and C.E.O. of The FAMiLY Leader, was the chairman of Iowa for Freedom — the group which led the effort to defeat three of the justices in November’s judicial retention election.

“I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the people of Iowa to go through a long, drawn-out impeachment hearing.  There’s a lot of issues on the plate (for legislators),” Vander Plaats says. “But this issue’s going to be in the judge’s hands.  If they choose to resign, it doesn’t go through the impeachment process. If they choose not to resign, I think it will go through the impeachment process.”

Three Republicans who’ll be sworn in as state representatives in January intend to draft articles of impeachment against the four Iowa Supreme Court justices. 

“It’s not that I’m not gung-ho on the impeachment idea. I believe there’s a process,” Vander Plaats says. “Being a former high school principal, I always wanted to give students who were in violation of the student handbook the opportunity to do the right thing. That’s what the resignation piece is. I think the concern, as I mentioned during the judge retention effort, was we need to stay focused on ‘vote no’ — I mean, not get into other cases and do all that, but stay focused on our message and that’s why I’m staying focused on the resignation.”

However, Vander Plaats is predicting that if the Republican-led House passes articles of impeachment, there’s a “better than 50/50 shot” the Democratically-led Iowa Senate will vote to impeach the justices.

“And that’s why I think the resignation’s the thing to do. It honors the court. It respects the voice of the people and you do the right thing and you let Iowa get on with business,” Vander Plaats says.  “…People really don’t want to see a 2012 retention campaign again.  They don’t want to see a 2016 retention campaign again. I think if (the justices) really want to put an end to this, they do the right thing, they step down and allow the process now to carry forward and, to me, that’d be in the best interest of Iowans.”

Vander Plaats made his comments after taping the December 31 edition of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program. December 31,2010 is the final day on the court for the three justices who were voted off the bench.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,
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