Commission wants one million for "Destination Parks"

A state commission is asking state legislators for one million dollars to begin work on two, so-called “destination parks” in Iowa. The Natural Resources Commission yesterday voted in favor of the “Phase II” plans to renovate the Brushy Creek Recreation Area near Fort Dodge and the Honey Creek Park at Lake Rathbun in south central Iowa. Keven Arrowsmith of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says up to 80 new rental units, some of them duplexes, would be built at Brushy Creek.There are no rental cabins at Brushy Creek now. Arrowsmith says the first steps at Honey Creek will be more basic, such as putting roads and utilities.Arrowsmith says the one million dollars would be used for engineering design of the park improvements.Arrowsmith says it’ll be near the end of the decade before the parks would be enhanced to a “designation park” status with plenty of long-term, all-weather camping facilities.