 Iowa DNR logo | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1986 |
| Headquarters | 502 East 9th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034 [1] |
| Employees | 1,170 |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | Official website  |
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR or IA DNR) is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa formed in 1986, charged with maintaining state parks and forests, protecting the environment of Iowa, and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.
The DNR was created by the 71st General Assembly in 1986 under Terry E. Branstad, member of the Republican Party of Iowa, by combining four previous state agencies: Water, Air, and Waste Management; parts of the Iowa Energy Policy Council; the Iowa Conservation Commission; and the Iowa Geological Survey Organization. [2]
Directors of the DNR since its formation in 1986 have been
As of 2014, the DNR had 1,200 full-time equivalent employees. [11] It is headed by a Governor of Iowa-appointed director, which as of May 2019 has been Kayla Lyon. [13] The DNR has three service divisions: conservation and recreation, environmental services and management services.
There are two governor-appointed citizen commissions that decide on policies and administrative rules:
The Natural resource Commission oversees fish, wildlife, parks and forestry issues. [11]
The nine-member Environmental Protection Commission oversees water, land and air quality issues. [11] Of the nine commissioners at least 5 members have been identified in 2014 based on public records, to have a conflict of interest, when it comes to stricter environmental protections, particularly the enforcement of the Clean Water Act. [14]
As of 2013 it consisted of five bureaus: Water Quality, Air Quality, Land Quality, Field Services and Compliance, and Iowa Geological and Water Survey. [11] Field Services staff inspect permitted facilities, annually reviewing permits for more than 200 confined animal feeding operations, approximately 5,500 manure management plans, permitting more than 450 solid waste facilities and writing more than 2,000 air permits. [11]
Iowa water quality assessments have been developed only since 1992. [15] In 2013, the Iowa Geological and Water Survey published a "Survey of Iowa Groundwater and Evaluation of Public Well Vulnerability Classifications for Contaminants of Emerging Concern". [16] The most commonly found contaminant was pesticides in 41% of samples, with as many as 6 pesticide compounds together, and mostly chloroacetanilide degradates. Glyphosate was not detected, and its metabolite was only detected in two of 60 wells (3%) at the detection limit of 0.02 μg/L. In 35% of 63 samples pharmaceutical compounds were found. Of the 14 drugs, six were above the method reporting limit, the highest of which was acetaminophen. [16] : 8 One in five of the wells contained microorganisms, most frequently pepper mild mottle virus (PMMV), GII norovirus, both human and bovine polyomavirus, and Campylobacter. [16] : 9
As of 2014, the Iowa Geological and Water Survey no longer appears in the DNR organization chart, [17] as its eight scientists became part of the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research (IIHR) Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa. [18]
As of 2016, the most recent Iowa's impaired water list was from 2014. [15] It contained 571 waterbodies with a total of 754 impairments. [15] Water quality problems continue unabated. In 2023, the state general fund eliminated $500,000 in funding of 66 water quality monitors; it was "reallocated" to other conservation programs. [19]
The division assists in wildlife population surveys, provides conservation information to the public, and conducts hunter, boater, ATV and snowmobile safety programs. The division formerly consisted of seven bureaus: A 'Fisheries Bureau', a 'Wildlife Bureau' managing 356,000 acres (1,440 km2) of public land for recreational use, a 'Forestry Bureau', a 'State Parks Bureau' a 'Land and Waters Bureau', an 'Engineering Services Bureau' and a 'Law Enforcement Bureau' where conservation officers enforce laws related to fish, wildlife, boating, snowmobiling and all-terrain vehicles.[ citation needed ]
As of July 2014 [update] , the division had only six bureaus, because the Engineering Services Bureau and the Land/Waters Bureau merged to Engineering Land/Waters. [17]
It provides technical assistance to Iowa tree, forest and prairie owners and businesses with forestry and prairie management planning, cost-share programs and education. The bureau manages more than 40,000 acres (160 km2) of forests for timber, wildlife, watershed protection and recreation. It operates state nurseries in Ames, Iowa and Montrose, Iowa producing 4 million tree and shrub seedlings annually at low cost to the public for erosion control, wildlife habitat and reforestation.[ citation needed ]
The 'Parks Bureau' operates and maintains 84 parks and recreation areas with trails and cabins for camping, picnicking, swimming, boating and fishing. [20] It is responsible for more than 90 state preserves set aside for their natural or cultural significance and supervises programs in recreation planning and resource protection.[ citation needed ] As of 2018, there was one employee each for 29 of Iowa's 78 state parks, forests and off-road vehicle areas and one law enforcement official for every 9,011 people who hunt, fish or boat in the state. [21]
The department receives less than 1 percent of the state’s general tax appropriations since it was founded, "routinely ranking among the lowest states in per capita spending on environmental protection". [10] The DNR's annual budget as of 2013 was $213 million. Of that, only 6.7 percent is appropriated from the state general fund with the remainder from sources such as non-general fund appropriations, fees and federal funds. The general fund is critical, with about 35 percent used to leverage federal dollars and more than 50 percent used for state parks and state forests operation. The remaining 15% serves to bridge other funding sources that make up the operating budget. [11]
In 2011, three environmental groups sued the US EPA to bring DNR's Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) program into compliance with the Clean Water Act. [22]
In January 2015, the Des Moines Water Works declared its intent to file a lawsuit against three Iowa counties Buena Vista, Sac, and Calhoun county where groundwater water tests had shown nitrate levels as high as 39.2 mg/L, which was 4 times the federally required Safe Drinking Water Act limit of 10 mg/L as the DNR continued not to enforce the Clean Water Act. [23]
In September 2021, the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club and Trout Unlimited filed a lawsuit against the DNR, alleging the agency improperly approved the manure management plan of a feedlot in northeastern Iowa, and that the plan had incorrect calculations of how much manure could be safely applied to fields nearby the operation. The feedlot, Supreme Beef, is a beef cattle feeding operation that was built in the Bloody Run watershed in Clayton County. On April 28, 2023, a Polk County District Court judge ruled that the DNR improperly approved the nutrient management plan and that the DNR would require Supreme Beef to resubmit a new plan. [24] [25]
IDNR produces Iowa Outdoors magazine with a reported monthly circulation of 40,000. [26]
Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,989. Its county seat is Jackson.
Jay Norwood Darling, better known as Ding Darling, was an American cartoonist who won two Pulitzer Prizes. He was an important figure in the 20th century conservation movement and founded the National Wildlife Federation. In addition, he was known to be close friends with Walt Disney.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana. There are many divisions within the DNR and each has a specific role. The DNR is not only responsible for maintaining resource areas but also manages Indiana's fish and wildlife, reclaims coal mine ground, manages forested areas, aids in the management of wildlife on private lands, enforces Indiana's conservation laws, and many other duties not named here. According to the department's website, their mission is "to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana's citizens through professional leadership, management, and education".
The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness areas are managed by four federal land management agencies: the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recreational trails, and recreation areas as well as managing minerals, wildlife, and forestry throughout the state. The agency is divided into six divisions - Ecological & Water Resources, Enforcement, Fish & Wildlife, Forestry, Lands & Minerals, and Parks & Trails.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy for the WDNR. The WDNR is led by the Secretary, who is appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin. The WDNR develops regulations and guidance in accordance with laws passed by the Wisconsin Legislature. It administers wildlife, fish, forests, endangered resources, air, water, waste, and other issues related to natural resources. The central office of the WDNR is located in downtown Madison, near the state capitol.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan fo9unded in 1921, charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Since 2023, the Director is Scott Bowen. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.
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Bloody Run is a creek tributary to the East Fork Des Moines River. It flows through Humboldt County, Iowa. It enters the East Fork Des Moines north of Humboldt, Iowa. It has been designated as an Outstanding Iowa Water by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, a title granted to a water body to receive stronger protection under the state's Antidegradation Rule. The creek faces the threat of pollution by manure as a result of Supreme Beef, a beef cattle feeding operation built in the Bloody Run watershed in Clayton County, housing 11,600 animals.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is a Florida government agency founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tallahassee. It manages and regulates the state's fish and wildlife resources, and enforces related laws. Officers are managers, researchers, and support personnel, and perform law enforcement in the course of their duties.
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A conservation officer is a law enforcement officer who protects wildlife and the environment. A conservation officer may also be referred to as an environmental technician/technologist, game warden, park ranger, forest watcher, forest guard, forester, gamekeeper, investigator, wildernessofficer, wildlifeofficer, or wildlife trooper.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. Its headquarters are in Annapolis.
The Equitable Building is a high-rise located in Des Moines, Iowa. It is named after the insurance company Equitable of Iowa, which originally owned the building, and is located along Locust Street in the downtown area of the city. The 19-story Equitable Building, at 604 Locust St. in Des Moines, was completed in 1924, and standing at 318 ft (97m), for 49 years was the tallest building in Iowa. It remained the tallest building in Iowa until the completion of Financial Center in 1973. The Equitable Building is now the eighth tallest building in Iowa.
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement is a membership-based grassroots organization dedicated to community organizing in the state of Iowa.
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Walnut Creek is a stream in Polk and Dallas counties, in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is a tributary of the Raccoon River.
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