By Steve Weisman

It’s hard to believe that 2022 is now in the rear-view mirror, and we are on the road to 2023. I think we all put together our resolutions for the New Year! Sometimes they turn out, and other times, well, there’s always next year – LOL! Well, here are mine for the coming year! These are ones I truly hope will come true!

The first resolution is good health for us all. We are certainly never guaranteed this, but it’s something we truly need to try to achieve. After all, without our health, our entire life is a struggle. My hope is that I can continue to exercise and keep myself in good enough shape to be able to be able to walk to my fishing spots and duck hunting spots and to be able to at least walk some upland areas during pheasant season!

Next, I call on all of us to be good stewards of our land, water and natural resources. We are so fortunate to have the trails, the public areas and the water that we have here in northwest Iowa, but they all need our help. We need to step up, and we ALL must do our part in protecting these areas and natural resources. As adults, it is also our responsibility to mentor our youth to help them develop a passion of caring for these resources.

No matter what our walk of life is, I encourage all of us to become active proponents and advocates for our land, water and natural resources. The Okoboji Blue Water Festival, which is held every August on the shores of West Lake Okoboji, is a full day for all of us to celebrate the good that we are doing and to also challenge ourselves to do better!

One of the biggest things we can do is to really support and make sure that our legislature funds the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund in this year’s session of the Iowa State Legislature. It’s already been approved by the voters in Iowa, and it is just sitting there waiting to be funded!

A look back

Back in 2006, the Iowa Legislature appointed a committee to research the feasibility of sustainable funding for natural resources. After a positive report, “legislators deemed a dedicated funding source should be established to address Iowa’s natural resource needs and that the people of Iowa should have a voice on this issue. In 2008 and 2009, proposed legislation was passed to allow the people of Iowa to vote on a Constitutional amendment that would create a dedicated trust fund.”

In November of 2010, the people of Iowa voted on the concept and “chose to amend Iowa’s Constitution and create the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund and a dedicated funding source. This passage activated Senate File 2310 (SF2310) into law on January 1, 2011, which provides the framework for the distribution, use, and accountability of the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. Upon enactment, SF2310 was finalized into Iowa Code Chapter 461.” The amendment was passed by 63% of the voters.

And now in 2023: still waiting

That’s right! We are pushing 12 years of NOTHING! Why? This has nothing to do with politics or being a Republican or Democrat! This has to do with the will of the PEOPLE who voted to fund the Trust! How can we continue to ignore what the people of Iowa want?

The bottom line is this fund will do something for ALL Iowans, including those who work the soil. It is a win-win for all of us! The good news is that when funded, it is a constitutionally protected fund, so that money cannot be diverted for other uses.

Once again, I repeat. It will provide reliable and sustainable funding for clean water and watershed protection, conservation practices, and wildlife habitat, all of which will grow as the economy grows. At the same time, the funded projects will increase the potential of attracting and retaining more people, including out-of-state visitors, to take the opportunity to experience the increased quality of our natural resources.

What’s not to like?

I don’t get it! I want my children and grandchildren to live in a state that offers “everything” a person/family could want to live here in the state of Iowa! I don’t want them to leave for a state that does offer these benefits! As Iowans, I encourage us to all contact our legislators and let them know that 2023 IS the year that the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund will be funded!