REAP assembly planning meetings begin next week

Iowa’s Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) assemblies will begin next week, giving all Iowans an opportunity to share and discuss their visions for Iowa’s outdoor recreation, soil and water enhancement, historical resources, land management and more.

The meeting for Region 10, representing Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington counties, will be held Oct. 20 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Conservation Center at Kent Park, 2048 Hwy. 6 NW, Oxford.

REAP assemblies are locally led meetings where issues can be brought forth and voted upon. Iowans can discuss the program, recommend changes and discuss impacts in their area. Delegates also may be selected from the local meeting to attend the REAP congress in January at the State Capitol in Des Moines.

Each assembly represents a region of counties and participants are required to attend the region for the county in which they reside. Meetings are held in the evening and last approximately 90 minutes. A list of REAP assembly locations is available online at 2021 REAP Assemblies.

Each year, REAP provides funding for local projects through a grant process and each year, the requests for city and county grants exceed the amount available by two or three times. Since the program debuted in 1989, more than $365 million has been awarded to more than 15,500 projects.