One of Iowa’s two U-S Senators is heading to the state’s western regiontoday for a stretch of the legs and some politicking.Tom Harkin plans to hike through some of the 200-mile-long Loess Hills as away to promote them. Earlier this week, he and Senator Chuck Grassleyco-introduced a measure that aims to have the unique region studied forpossible National Park status. The study would cost 275-thousand dollars &is expected to be approved next week.Harkin says the Hills are a national treasure and need the protectionNational Park status would bring. He says only a few states have lessfederal land set aside than Iowa.State legislators are also working on a measure that asks seven counties totake a comprehensive look at how to protect the region. They are: Plymouth,Woodbury, Monona, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Mills and Fremont.