(Iowa News Service) – A nonprofit group that tracks oil and gas development has created an interactive map to show how close CO2 pipelines in Great Plains states come to environmentally and ecologically sensitive areas. The map includes Indigenous land that hasn’t been included in similar previous projects.

Ted Auch, Midwest program director for the FracTracker Alliance, said it focuses on Indigenous areas but goes further, showing in detail how close proposed CO2 pipelines would come to soybean and ethanol facilities, for example, but also to private land. He said the interactive map is an improvement over existing ones.

“Which is to say that you could look at it as a static image, but you can’t interact with or manipulate the data in terms of, like, scrolling in, scrolling out, finding addresses – you know, that kind of thing,” said Auch. “It’s available as a PDF or a JPG. So, what we’ve done is, we’ve taken that stuff and we’ve digitized it and we’ve included it on this map, so that people can actually – spatially and in real time – interact with the data itself.”

The Great Plains Action Society says CO2 pipelines pose risks that disproportionately affect Indigenous communities and people of color.  Auch said FracTracker is working on another version that takes a deeper look at the proximity of pipelines to the Winnebago reservation south of Sioux City. Energy companies say the pipelines are a safe and effective way to capture carbon from industrial processes, and store it underground, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Auch said the interactive map will give farmers and other landowners near the proposed pipelines what they need to understand what’s happening on their land, leveling the information playing field with corporate interests. “You have these large, multinational corporations, and then on the other side of the ledger are small, medium-sized frontline or Indigenous groups that either have small budgets or no budgets,” said Auch, “and don’t have the capacity, the time, or the expertise to develop maps to inform their organizing activism or advocacy.”

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in Omaha is making a livestream available as it hears oral arguments today in a case involving Iowa landowners affected by CO2 pipeline proposals, some of whom face seizure of their property by eminent domain if the Summit Carbon Solutions project moves forward.

The Iowa DNR is seeking campground hosts for the 2025 camping season. If you enjoy camping and meeting new people, this may be the perfect volunteer opportunity for you.

Campground hosts work alongside DNR staff to help clean and beautify the park, ensure reservations are up-to-date and accurate, and assist visitors in a welcoming and helpful manner. Actual duties vary based on each park’s individual needs.

In this volunteer position, hosts are provided a free campsite and live in the park for one to five months during the summer season. Hosts volunteer a minimum of 20 hours per week, often including weekends and holidays, while living on site in their own camper.

Each park’s camping experience is unique – some are rural and rustic, others are in popular tourism areas; some have small campgrounds, and many are hubs of activity, especially on peak weekends. In addition, assigned lengths of stay are dependent on each park’s needs for the upcoming season.

Parks currently needing hosts: 

• Backbone – need hosts for 2 campgrounds (Delaware County)
• Bellevue (Jackson County)
• Clear Lake – 2 slots available (Cerro Gordo County)
• Geode (Henry County)
• Lewis and Clark (Monona County)
• McIntosh Woods (Cerro Gordo County)
• Pilot Knob (Winnebago County)
• Pine Lake (Hardin County)
• Prairie Rose (Shelby County)
• Red Haw (Lucas County)
• Stephens State Forest (Lucas County)
• Union Grove (Tama County)
• Walnut Woods (Polk County)
• Wapsipinicon (Jones County)

To learn more about a park’s unique experience and needs, please contact the individual state park office; a list of parks and their contact information can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/stateparks, or for general inquiries about campground host opportunities, email: iowa.stateparks@dnr.iowa.gov

Additional information about volunteering and applying for a campground host position is available at www.iowadnr.gov/volunteer. The list of parks needing campground hosts can change, so please check back to this web page regularly for additional opportunities.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled a virtual public meeting to update the public on statewide chronic wasting disease surveillance and management efforts.

The meeting is scheduled for Dec. 5, at 7 p.m., and will be hosted on Zoom. Those wishing to attend must register in advance using the link below. To view and listen to the presentation, attendees will need a computer or smart device (e.g., phone, tablet) with a secure internet connection. Attendees can also join by calling in but will only be able to listen to the audio. The recording will be posted to the Iowa DNR’s YouTube channel and shared on social media platforms, when available.

To register to attend, visit: https://bit.ly/CWD120524

As of Nov. 19, a total of 397 wild deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease in 25 Iowa counties.

“Chronic wasting disease will be a generational challenge,” said Dr. Rachel Ruden, state wildlife veterinarian with the Iowa DNR. “What we do to limit the spread of this disease today will pay dividends tomorrow, and we need everyone at the table.”

This public meeting is an opportunity for all Iowans to learn more about chronic wasting disease surveillance and management efforts in Iowa, understand ways they can help, and most importantly, ask questions.

“As this disease continues to expand its geographic footprint in Iowa, we encourage all Iowans to stay up-to-date on where we have found CWD so they can make informed consumption decisions,” she said.

Testing for the disease requires a tissue sample from a particular lymph node found just behind the jaw.

Chronic wasting disease is a neurological disease belonging to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases. It attacks the brain of infected deer causing the animal to lose weight, display abnormal behavior, lose body functions, and die. It is always fatal to the infected animal and is present in all tissues, including the meat.

To learn more about chronic wasting disease and the DNR’s surveillance and management efforts, visit www.iowadnr.gov/cwd.

(Radio Iowa) – Summit Carbon Solutions has submitted a second application in South Dakota for construction of a carbon pipeline. Last year, South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission rejected Summit’s initial application. Officials said it did not comply with county zoning rules. Earlier this month, South Dakota voters upheld those restrictions. According to a news release from Summit Carbon Solutions, the company has made major changes in its South Dakota pipeline route after more than a year of one-on-one work with landowners.

Iowa and North Dakota regulators have approved permits for the project. It would ship carbon from 57 ethanol plants in five states to underground storage in North Dakota.

Summit’s C-E-O says the project represents a pathway to new markets and lasting economic growth for generations to come. Nine IOWA counties passed zoning ordinances for carbon pipelines and tomorrow (Wednesday), judges on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in Omaha will hear arguments over ordinances in Shelby and Story Counties that Summit sued to overturn. Summit has pending lawsuits against Emmet, Kossuth and Palo Alto Counties and recently sued Bremer County over its zoning ordinance.