(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa tax checkoff that sends funds to the Fish and Wildlife Fund has seen some ups and downs in recent years. D-N-R wildlife biologist, Stephanie Shepherd, oversees what’s called the Chickadee Checkoff. “During tax year 2020, folks were especially generous. So we did see a big drop in donations this year from 2020. But those donations in 2020, were really high,” Shepherd says. She says the bigger concern is the number of people who check the box and make a donation. “A decade ago, we had several thousand more people who were donating, and we’re down to just about, six-thousand people donating, they’re just being more generous with their donations. So kind of keeping us at the same level, ” Shepherd says.

There were 62-hundred Iowa taxpayers who used the Chickadee Checkoff in 20212– a drop of one-thousand from 2020. Shepherd says they want more people to know how the checkoff money is used in hopes of increasing donations. “It is the only program that has a 100 percent focus on all the wildlife you can’t hunt, fish or trap. So you know, game species game fish have other funding sources through hunting license, and fishing license dollars,” she says. “But non-game wildlife doesn’t really have doesn’t get a lot of money from those sources. And our major funding to support those species comes from the chickadee checkoff and the natural resources license plates.”

Shepherd says the Wildlife Diversity Fund is used for many different things. “Working to enhance habitat for non-game wildlife, finding areas to conserve for non-game wildlife and doing data surveys for species such as the Rusty Patch Bumblebee, which is a federally endangered species,” she says.  Some of the other species it helps are songbirds, bald eagles, salamanders, turtles, and monarch butterflies. Shepherd says a majority of people now are filing their taxes electronically, which she says can hinder donations. “With most tax preparers, you need to be very vocal that you’d like to donate to the Chickadee Checkoff or they will just skip right over it. Some tax preparers will even charge more if you want to donate on the contribution line. So you know, that’s a deterrent for folks,” Shepherd says. “And then also, if you’re using one of the electronic programs like TurboTax, or whatever, a lot of times it can just be easy to skip over or miss.”

She says any amount you can donate will help. “Folks can donate as little as a dollar on their state tax form….there’s four different charitable organizations on the tax form that are eligible for donations and you can throw a dollar at each of them and it makes a difference,” she says.  Shepherd says the average donation is 12 dollars. If you do miss the Chickadee Checkoff on your tax form, you can now donate directly to the Wildlife Diversity Program on the Iowa D-N-R website.

The Chickadee Checkoff has been on Iowa tax forms since the 1980s.

(Radio Iowa) – Black bears would become a protected species under legislation working its way through the Iowa House. Representative Dave Jacoby of Coralville says the goal is to let state officials regulate hunting if the black bear population grows. “I think it’s important for Iowans if we do see a shift or a reintroduction naturally of black bear in Iowa that we have a system,” Jacoby says, “that we don’t want to shoot them on site, but going through the Department (of Natural Resources) and the legislature decide on how we want to handle possible open hunting seasons.”

Jacoby says he sponsored the bill after hearing from a number of people in Winneshiek County. “A couple of years ago a couple of some black bear were seen in Winneshiek (County),” Jacoby says, “and I think there’s also some black bear that venture into Iowa more than we know.” The bill directs the Department of Natural Resources to monitor the population of black bear in Iowa and set up a hunting season if the population needs to be controlled or reduced at any point. “I happen to be experience in Superior National Forest up north,” Jacoby says. “I’ve been around bears for the last 40 years and frankly I’m more scared of getting trampled by a moose than a bear.”

Todd Coffelt of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says if the population increases, a so-called “season” for black bear should be included in the part of state law about “fur harvesting.” “Even though we may use the word hunt for black bears,” Coffelt says. For example, there’s currently a coyote season in Iowa, alongside seasons for trapping smaller animals like mink and muskrats. That season started November 5th and ends January 31st.

Jim Field visits with Ed Kordick of Decision Innovations Solutions about the “Managing 2023 Farm Margins” workshop in Atlantic on February 6 sponsored by Iowa Farm Bureau and ISU Extension.  To register, visit:  www.iowafarmbureau.comn/managing2023farmmargins.

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(Radio Iowa) –  For the first time about nine decades, the leader of the Iowa Pork Producers Association is a woman. Trish Cook, of Buchanan County, was elected Tuesday at the organization’s annual meeting. Cook and her family run a farm near Winthrop that produces 32-thousand hogs a year as well as corn and soybeans. Cook says one of her goals for 2023 is to build on the vigilance Iowa pork producers have developed in recent years to guard against biohazards, like foreign animal diseases.

As for being the first woman in the post, Cook says the things that are important to her are important to all pork producers, which she says starts with working as a team.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first case of avian influenza in the state in more than one month. The case is reported at a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County with some 28,000 birds.

The last case of bird flu was reported in an Ida County commercial turkey flock on December 12th. Seven of the 31 outbreaks confirmed since last March have been in Buena Vista County.

Turkeys. (IPR photo)

Sixteen of the outbreaks have involved commercial turkey operations.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it is seeking people who enjoy the outdoors, camping and meeting new people, to consider becoming volunteer campground hosts for the upcoming recreation season. Volunteer campground hosts live in state parks from one to five months assisting DNR staff with light maintenance duties, checking in campers, and being a resource for visitors enjoying state parks and forests. Campground hosts are provided a free campsite while they are actively hosting during the camping season. Hosts volunteer 20 – 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, while living on site in their own camper.

Host positions in the KJAN listening area are available at the Springbrook State Park.

Information about campgrounds and state parks is available online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/about-dnr/volunteer-opportunities To discuss the host position, contact the state park directly, or call 515-443-2533.

w/Kate Olson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is the new leader of the Des Moines based foundation that awards the annual “World Food Prize.”  “I don’t intend to do this for a long time,” Branstad says, “but I intend to do it, say, at least for a year.” In October of each year the foundation presents the World Food Prize and it’s 250-thousand dollar award to people at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality, quantity and availability of food.

“I’ve seen all the international leaders who have received this award,” Branstad says. Branstad, who served as U-S Ambassador to China, was governor when Des Moines businessman John Ruan donated the seed money for the World Food Prize and its headquarters in Des Moines. Norman Borlaug, the Cresco native who won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his research that developed high-yielding wheat, took the lead in creating the World Food Prize in 1986.

“I knew both John Ruan and Norman Borlaug very well. I have the greatest respect for what they did and I want to maintain that legacy,” Branstad says. “Also, I’m a farm kid, from Iowa, and I want Iowa to be recognized as the local for this Nobel like prize for food and agriculture.”

Branstad, who is 76, is America’s longest serving governor. He was U.S. Ambassador to China from mid-2017 to the fall of 2020. As president of the World Food Prize, Branstad will be a lead fundraiser and host of the annual World Food Prize symposium. The event attracts global leaders in research, government and commerce to Des Moines for discussions about advances in food production and food security.

Barbara Stinson, who had 30 years of experience in environmental policy and business management, stepped down last week after three years as president of the World Food Prize.

On Friday, January 20, Governor Kim Reynolds signed an extension of the proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain, fertilizer, and manure.

The Harvest Proclamation is effective immediately and expires February 19, 2023. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid, and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.

The proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

See the proclamation here.

Jim Field visits with CAM North Elementary School Title I Reading Teacher Kay Stork and 2nd Grade students Ryker Jarrett, Addy Wahlert and Will Kanning about the “Valentines for Veterans ” program.

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