The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is holding a public meeting tonight (Wednesday) discuss a proposal to designate the Shimek State Forest region as a state Bird Conservation Area. Doug Harr is the coordinator of the D-N-R’s Wildlife Diversity Program. Harr says the idea of bird conservation area is to set aside and area that has particular importance to groups of birds, especially declining species of birds.
Harr says this is a way to turn things around for the birds that are struggling. He says they’re trying to recognize and take some conservation measures in the areas to help the species in the area survive. Harr says this would be the second forest bird conservation area, and would be the seventh overall.
He says they hope to have 20 to 24 designated bird conservation areas across the state. Harr says they like to link public and private lands together with the bird conservation area. Harr says they’ll explain the whole program at the meeting, including that the program has not regulatory effect on landowners. The meeting is at seven P.M. at the Donnellson Community Center.