Iowans gathered for Celebrate Iowa’s Outdoors Day to champion outdoor recreation in Iowa. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowans gathered at the Iowa Capitol Thursday to celebrate the parks, trails and outdoor spaces across the state.
The gathering was also intended to serve as a reminder to lawmakers that Iowans care about the outdoors and about preserving access to trails and public lands.
Joe McGovern, president of Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, encouraged attendees to think of the creek, park trail or family farm that was special to them and to bring those feelings into the crowded rotunda.
“Today, we want to choose joy,” McGovern said. “We want to celebrate Iowa’s outdoors and for all the great things that it brings to us.”
Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, said the outdoors gives Iowans a sense of commonality, which he said is “sometimes sorely missing” at the State Capitol.
“Because we’re Iowans, and we step out and look at the great sky above us, smell the air, feel the breeze, look at the trees, and that is where we feel at peace,” Baeth said.
Baeth said the outdoors can’t be taken for granted, and pointed at urban sprawl as a major contributor to Iowa’s loss of prairie, wetland and forest habitats.
“If we don’t do something and put our foot down, we’re going to pave over this entire planet,” Baeth said.
He encouraged attendees to remind legislators that the outdoors are a “top priority” for Iowans.
“It’s a top priority for our health, it’s a top priority for our quality of life, it’s a top priority for our economic development, and it’s a top priority for investing in Iowa’s future,” Baeth said.
Outdoor economics
Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa’s County Conservation System, said outdoor recreation is Iowa’s top source of tourism and accounts for $8 billion annually in economic output, according to a recent study.
Shirley said state, county and city parks alone account for $3 billion of that, which is a big increase since the last time his organization did a study in 2012 and found parks had an economic output of less than $1 billion.
“Things have really amped up in Iowa,” Shirley said.
Shirley said the study, which is not yet published, also found the trails, lakes and conservation sites create positive environmental impacts and health outcomes for Iowans.
“Our outdoor recreation and conservation efforts are not just about preserving Iowa’s natural beauty, but are integral to its economic vitality and health,” Shirley said.
Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, said cycling and trails in Iowa have an economic impact that is on par with that of the top 50 industries for the state.
This comes from a study published in January that found biking and trails have a $1.4 billion impact in the state.
The figure accounts for tourism, trail maintenance, jobs and Iowa’s more than 80 brick and mortar bike shops.
“It’s in our life blood, it’s part of who we are, it’s part of what makes us great as a state,” Hoffman said.
Fund the trust
Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said at every town hall, or community event he has done in the 10 years as a lawmaker, someone brings up the need to fund the natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund.
The trust was established in 2010 via a constitutional amendment that had more than 60% approval at the ballot box, to fund parks, trails, water resources, conservation efforts and natural areas in the state. The trust, however, has not had any allocations or withdrawals to date.
“The people spoke overwhelmingly, and we need to get this done,” Kaufmann said.
Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, said he tries to think of tax policy, as chair of the Ways and Means Committee, not just in terms of dollars and cents, but also to make a better state.
“If we’re going to have a state that’s going to grow … and keep people in here and have generational families continue to be here in Iowa, we have to find some of those place making opportunities as well,” Dawson said.
The senator said he and his colleagues need to find a “tax pathway” to do what Iowans have asked them to do.
The state would have to raise its sales tax rate by three-eighths of a cent to fund the trust, but Iowa has not increased sales tax rates since 2008.
Earlier this session, senators introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal the natural resources trust fund and replace it with one that would provide property tax relief. Senate Joint Resolution 6 did not advance beyond its subcommittee hearing ahead of the legislative funnel deadline.
Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, said Iowans consistently show up to make their voices heard when legislation threatens the trust fund, or the acquisition of public lands.
“You have the last word on all matters that happen in this building, and the power of your voice is significant,” Trone Garriott said.
Senators advanced Senate File 553 to would restrict the Department of Natural Resources’ ability to purchase land and grow the amount of public land in Iowa. Trone Garriott opposed the bill in committee, because she said constituents had flooded her inbox with messages on the importance of public lands.
Trone Garriott said Iowa policy and budgets need to reflect the values and priorities of Iowans.
“We need to put our money where our hearts are,” Trone Garriott said.
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