March 28, 2024

Outdoor news

Rural grants

AMES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources forestry section’s fire program, working in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service has grant money available for Iowa’s rural fire departments to help battle wildfires.

The grants offer funding assistance for wildfire suppression equipment, slide in units, hoses, nozzles, adapters, portable tanks and pumps, personal protective equipment and communications equipment.

Additionally, if a fire department has a special need that can be tied directly to wildfire suppression, this grant allows for such special requests.

The grant provides 50 percent reimbursement for wildland fire equipment with a maximum reimbursement grant of $3,500 per department.

Gail Kantak, state wildland fire supervisor for the Iowa DNR, reminds fire departments that they should send her a Wildland Fire Report whenever they respond to a wildland fire or provide assistance to a prescribed or controlled wildland fire. Departments actively returning these reports can receive priority points in the Volunteer Fire Assistance grant application scoring process.

“It is important for rural fire departments to return these reports so we can assess the actual demands on our rural fire departments as a result of wildfire activity,” Kantak said. “The wildland fire reports are compiled locally and nationally and reported to Congress.”

The Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant applications are due Oct. 15, 2017.

In mid-June, fire departments were mailed information about the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant. The grant application package and the Wildland Fire Report form are also available online at www.iowadnr.gov/fire.

For more information, contact Gail Kantak at gail.kantak@dnr.iowa.gov, 515-233-8067 or 515-233-1161.

Invasive species

Registration is now open for an educational forest field day taking place at Hickory Hill Park in Iowa City, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Backyard Forest Invasive Species Field Day will cover issues related to invasive species including identification and management, as well as establishment of healthy native habitat.

The event is free and open to the public. Landowners are encouraged to join the experts to learn how to improve their woodlands and become advocates for healthy forests.

The field day is sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, Trees Forever and the Iowa DNR, in partnership with Iowa City Parks and Recreation. For planning purposes, pre-registration is required. Detailed registration information can be found at
http://www.treesforever.org/backyardforest.

Avenson Range

The archery range at Volga River State Recreation Area, in Fayette County, was dedicated Avenson Archery Range on July 18.

Don Avenson, for whom the range is named, lived a short distance from the Volga River area and was instrumental in protecting it as a state recreation area.

From 1972-1990, Avenson served as a member of the Iowa Legislature in the House of Representatives. During this time, Avenson’s primary political focus was on environmental legislation and among his most noteworthy achievements were the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program, one of the most comprehensive conservation programs in Iowa, and the Groundwater Protection Act.

Don Avenson, 72, died May 19.

“Because of Don’s significant accomplishments in protecting Iowa’s natural resources and the fact he was an avid bow hunter and archer, we felt it fitting that the range should be named in his honor,” says Chuck Gipp, director of the Iowa DNR.

Through the partnership of the local Echo Valley Archers and Volga River State Recreation Area, the area has become known for its archery opportunities. Together they play host the annual Reinhart Target R100 – a national 3D archery event, drawing more than 600 archers each year.

The archery range is located west of the Albany Campgound off Hill Road. Refreshments are provided by Echo Valley Archers.