As thousands of combines churn through Midwestern corn and soybean fields, the U-S Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday it will -not- be pursuing regulations on the dust kicked up by farm equipment. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the E-P-A’s statement is nothing short of a victory for farmers across the region. Grassley says, “Absolutely, and I don’t know how more to say it except finally, our campaign of several years is bearing fruit.”

E-P-A officials say they’re hoping to eliminate the “myth” that the agency planned to tighten regulations on the dust, which is viewed by some as air pollution. Grassley, a Republican, says he’s thrilled that this hot-button issue is finally being laid to rest. Grassley says, “People in the EPA, if they really stopped to think about fugitive dust, and I hope I’ve said enough over the last few years to make them stop and think about it, I’m only sorry it took them this long, but eventually, common sense is prevailing by their doing this.”

Grassley signed on as a co-sponsor of legislation from Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns, that aimed to ban the E-P-A from pursuing regulations on ag-related dust. With the announcement from the agency Monday, Johanns said he would drop the measure, which may not fly with all of his colleagues. Grassley says, “I still think that we need to have legislation that would prohibit them from doing this in the first place.” Grassley says he’ll meet with Johanns to discuss a future course of action. Similar legislation is still pending in the U.S. House.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Board Monday evening presented a small bouquet of flowers to Chairperson Nancy Frederickson, who, after serving 30-years on the board, has decided not to seek re-election in November. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring commended Frederickson for her service to the community. Frederickson said she’d spent half of her life on the board, and if she had to do it all over again, she would. Herring says the board will always welcome her expertise and involvement in the future.

In other business, the Atlantic Parks and Rec Board heard an update on the Schildberg Recreation Area Campground project. Herring said the Schildberg Committee is excited about the Phase 1 project, which involves establishing 18 gravel pads for the campground. The campground will be located at the southeast corner of the park, at the corner of N. Chestnut and Iowa Avenue. The site is currently a soybean field. Hopes are for modern restroom and shower facilities to be included in the project, at a later date.

Currently all the utilities are in place near the site, including water and electricity. Herring said fundraising efforts are underway to pay for the project, including part of the proceeds from a raffle to be sponsored by the Atlantic Rotary Club. Phase two, the most expensive part of the project, would include the construction of permanent restrooms and shower facilities, within the next couple of years. In the interim, porta-potties will be put in place, when the campgrounds are built over the course of the coming year.

Deer hunters are being reminded to take precautions to avoid bringing chronic wasting disease into Iowa. The neurological disease affecting deer and elk is not believed to be a threat to human health, but it is fatal to wildlife. Iowa Department of Natural Resources deer biologist Tom Litchfield says hunters who kill animals such as deer, elk or moose in areas affected by the disease are restricted in what they can bring home.  “If that animal comes from a chronic wasting disease area, then that animal must be butchered in that state and only the boned-out meat, hide and clean skull plate can legally be brought into the state of Iowa,” Litchfield said. The Iowa DNR has tested more than 38,000 deer for chronic wasting disease since 2003, with no positive results in the state. Officials have stepped up monitoring in border areas of Iowa in response to a report of the disease in deer in Minnesota for the first time last fall.

“We sample in every county, but in areas where the disease is likely to expand, we do increased surveillance in those counties,” Litchfield said. The disease also has been confirmed in Illinois and Wisconsin. Iowa’s early muzzleloader deer season opened this past weekend and runs through next Sunday (Oct. 23). The late muzzleloader season is set from December 19 through January 10. The two shotgun deer hunting season run from December 3-7 and December 10-18.

(Radio Iowa)

HELENA, Mont. (AP) – Missouri River state governors are clashing with Montana over flood control as federal officials tell them damage from this year’s high water will make them even more vulnerable during next year’s flood season. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer lashed back against a developing notion that downstream flood control should dominate upstream reservoir management. He told the downstream governors Monday such a plan would lead to empty reservoirs in Montana when a drought hits.

Schweitzer called into what was expected to be a private meeting attended by governors from Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota. The host, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, clashed with Schweitzer during the meeting. Schweitzer invited reporters to his office to listen to the meeting. He criticized the others for closing the doors to the public.

Numerous matters pertaining to the Schildberg Recreation area will be discussed during Monday evening’s meeting of the City of Atlantic Parks and Recreation Board. The Board will discuss and/or act on: a bike trail easement; the Summer Recreation Program with the Nishna Valley YMCA; and, the Campground Phase 1 project and related fundraising. They’ll also discuss the results of a meeting with Skate Park representatives.

The Parks and Rec Board meeting takes place at the City Hall in Atlantic, beginning at 5:15-p.m, Monday.

There’s a bright spot to the months of flooding along the Missouri River in western Iowa that destroyed homes, thousands of acres of cropland and bridges and roads. All that water is actually good for the De Soto National Wildlife Refuge near Missouri Valley. Each fall, thousands of migratory birds – including geese and ducks – use De Soto as a resting place as they fly south. Deputy Refuge Manager Mindy Sheets says those birds are now feasting on a more natural diet. “This flood has killed off a lot of exotic and invasive plant species and the native species that should be here have responded,” Sheets said. The visiting birds are no longer loading up on “junk food” from area farm fields. Instead, they’re eating the resurging native plants.

“That’s what the water fowl are supposed be eating, not corn and beans and stuff, so there’s more natural food than normal,” Sheets said. This week has been prime time for viewing with many varieties of geese and ducks as well as pelicans flying through. The 3,500 acre refuge is closed to the public for the time being, but Sheets hopes they’ll be able to re-open portions of the park in the next few weeks.

(Radio Iowa)

Area farm operators who have sustained major forage/crop production, and/or physical losses due to the combined effects of severe storms, excessive rain, flash flooding or other weather events, may be eligible for an emergency loan from the Farm Service Agency. FSA State Director John Whitaker said Thursday, the loans will cover a period from April 1^st, 2011 to present day. Applications for assistance should be completed at the Cass/Pottawattamie County FSA office in Atlantic. The final date for making an application is June 12^th, 2012.

Whitaker says the FSA may make Emergency Loans to eligible family farmers, which will enable those persons to return to their normal operations, if they sustained qualifying losses resulting from natural disasters. Applicants must be unable to obtain credit from other, usual sources in order to qualify for FSA Farm Loan Program assistance.

For more information, contact your local FSA office.

AMES, Iowa — Many of Iowa’s beautiful public gardens are in the spotlight next year with the 2012 Garden Calendar, from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The full-color, 12-month calendar highlights a different public garden each month with several photos and information about the garden. “We wanted to spotlight public gardens next year because we have so many wonderful gardens in Iowa,” said Cynthia Haynes, ISU Extension horticulture specialist. “Many of these gardens also have special plant collections, which can give homeowners planting ideas for their own landscapes.” Haynes said visiting these gardens also can help gardeners see what a plant will look like and how much space it will need, as well as inspire them with interesting planting combinations, as they plan their own gardens at home.

The public gardens featured include: The Brenton Arboretum, in Dallas Center; Reiman Gardens, in Ames; Des Moines Botanical Center and Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden®, in Des Moines; Pella Historical Village, in Pella; Iowa Arboretum, in Madrid; Bickelhaupt Arboretum, in Clinton; Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, in Prairie City; Vander Veer Botanical Park, in Davenport; Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, in Waterloo; Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Garden, in Dubuque; and Noelridge Park, in Cedar Rapids.

The calendar also lists additional public gardens in Iowa. Each garden listed includes a photo, location and contact information. Each month has several gardening activities and chores listed, so homeowners can easily stay on task as they plan, prepare for, plant and take care of their own 2012 garden. “Some gardeners also use the calendar as a journal to keep notes from their garden,” Haynes said. “We hope the calendar helps inspire people to create beautiful landscapes and gardens of their own that are fulfilling and rewarding throughout the year.” Additional extension information and resources are listed in the calendar for gardeners interested in finding out more about various garden topics.

“Public Gardens of Iowa – 2012 Garden Calendar” (PM 0815) is available for $6 from the ISU Extension and Outreach online store at www.extension.iastate.edu/store or from local extension offices. This is the 34th edition of the ISU Extension and Outreach garden calendar.

w/ Kate Olsen

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