DES MOINES –Five of Iowa’s top conservation leaders will be at the Iowa Capitol Rotunda at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday Jan. 27 to discuss the importance of healthy land to Iowa’s economy and public health. They will be joined by hundreds of Iowa’s soil and water conservation district commissioners as part of Conservation Partnership Day. The partners also celebrate the success of Iowa’s farmers in installing conservation practices over the last 70 years.
As a result of Iowa’s high quality soil and abundant water resources, agriculture continues to be a key economic driver in Iowa. One recent analysis showed agriculture and ag-related industries directly and indirectly employ one of every six Iowans, or 17 percent of the state’s workforce. It also showed that agriculture is responsible for adding $72.1 billion to the state’s economy, or 27 percent of the state’s total. But soil is a finite resource. It needs continued protection to ensure productivity and clean waters.
Maintaining a healthy environment also produces economic returns through clean water, outdoor recreation and wildlife abundance. It is estimated that hunting, fishing and wildlife watching brings in more than $1 billion annually. Visitors to lakes, parks, and trails spent more than $2.63 billion last year and generated 27,400 jobs.
Diminishing soil quality through erosion or polluting our streams and lakes puts that economic benefit at risk. Iowa must make it a priority to support conservation programs and staff to get practices on the land in order to maintain our quality of life and remain productive and healthy in the future.
The details of the event follow here:
Who: Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Tim Palmer, President of Conservation Districts of Iowa
Richard Leopold,Director of Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Rich Sims, State Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Jerald DeWitt, Director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University
Where: Iowa State Capitol, 1st floor Rotunda
When: Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, 1 p.m.
What: Press Conference to discuss the relationship between healthy land, healthy economies and a healthy Iowa.
How: For more information about the event please contact Dustin Vande Hoef with the Iowa Department of Agriculture at 515-281-3375.
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