Cass County Conservation Department Director Micah Lee provided the Board of Supervisors with a quarterly report on his department’s activities, during the Supervisor’s meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic. Lee said he’s checking prices and trying to obtain additional information, with regard to the installation of a pit-style toilet facility at the Outdoor Classroom site southeast of Massena. If they don’t prove to be too costly, the latrine would be similar to what can be found at Lake Anita.

Lee reported also County Environmental Education/Naturalist Lora Kanning saw 2,152 people last quarter, and worked to acquire a Resource Enhancement and Protection-Conservation Education Program (or, REAP/CEP) grant from the Iowa Department of Education. The $6,000 grant will allow the conservation department to purchase bird watching equipment, such as spotting scopes and binoculars, for the Outdoor Classroom. There will also be another “Trunk” with trail and tracking information added to the classroom building for students and teachers to look at the utilize.

Lee said progress has been made also on signage used to identify the southernmost trailhead for the T-Bone Trail in Cass County. He said new ID signs have been installed along Olive Street to point people in the direction of the south trail head location along Dunbar Road. Additional signs are being ordered to further mark the parking site for the south trail head, which is kind of obscured by brush and trees.

And, Micah says they’re working with the Iowa DNR to provide another campground entrance for Cold Springs State Park near Lewis, to alleviate congestion with campers trying to maneuver in the area. The entrance would be from the south, off of Park Road. He says there wouldn’t be any major changes to the park to accommodate the entrance, other than modifying an old gate.