Iowa gets B- on first environmental report card

URBANDALE – Iowa's environment rates above average – barely.

That according to the first-ever report card issued Tuesday by the state Department of Natural Resources, which posted an overall B minus grade based on a quality index of air, water, wildlife, foul, land protection and recreational subgroups.

The state scored highest among eight classifications with a B plus for its recreational, educational and outdoor programs, but lagged with C minuses in areas of water quality and nongame bird population and habitat, according to DNR Director Richard Leopold, who released the report card at the Environmental Protection Commission's monthly meeting.

“This is our first attempt to try to look at things through the public's eye,” said Leopold, who noted a report card will be issued annually close to Earth Day. “We're hoping that it's a good accountability of what's in the field, but also it's a starting point for what we need to do better.”

Leopold said the overall grade point average of 2.7 was better than he expected it would be, noting there have been great strides made in upgrading Iowa's natural resources. But, he added, there still are areas that need improvement that will require additional money and time to achieve.

Leopold pointed to specific appropriations made by the governor and Legislature in recent years for lake restoration – along with work done in developing a long-term wildlife diversity plan -- as examples where groundwork is being laid for improved grades on future report cards.

“This is the kind of effort that will translate into tangible results in the future,” he said. “The report card measures what matters. The subject areas are interdependent and give a snapshot of the state of our natural resources.”

Iowa's environment got straight Bs for deer, game birds, clean air and clean lakes, while land protection efforts rated a B minus.

The report card gave high marks for a growing number of opportunities for Iowans to experience nature by hunting, fishing, camping, volunteering and participating in outdoor educational programs.

“While fishing and hunting decreased last year, perhaps mostly due to historical floods and severe weather, overall trends in Iowans spending time outdoors are positive,” according to the DNR report.

On the flip side, Iowa's water quality index rated poor in measuring different factors that affect fish and aquatic life, drinking water, recreation and aesthetics, the report indicated. Iowa's streams and rivers wee just behind lakes in terms of water quality.

The report found that 69 of 132 Iowa lakes tested had good water clarity with the other 63 were a murky, cloudy blend due to sediment and algae.

“Water quality varies from lake to lake, but statewide water clarity and nutrient levels were similar to a year before. While sediment levels have changed little since 2007, they have fallen since the DNR began monitoring lakes in 2000,” according to the DNR report card.

Land protection rated a B minus but DNR officials noted they own about half of the 2 percent of Iowa acres open for public use, with the remaining 98 percent of Iowa's 36 million acres being privately owned.

 “That means decisions made on private lands make a large impact on the quality of our water, wildlife, recreational opportunities and more,” the report card stated. “Responsible management of our lands, whether farmland, forest, grassland or an urban backyard, is critical to our environmental health.”

A decline in the number of acres in government conservation programs have impacted wildlife habitat and the increased emphasis on row-crop farming has contributed to some water quality and environmental concerns.

Five of nine nongame bird species have declined in Iowa.

Numbers of Canada geese and wild turkeys were down slightly, but Iowa's pheasant population is struggling with this year's pheasant harvest the lowest ever at 350,000 birds. That resulted in about 96,000 fewer hunters taking to Iowa fields and an estimated $52 million loss to the Iowa economy.

About 40 percent of Iowa counties have met their goals for controlling Iowa's deer population problem and DNR officials expect to meet their overall deer management goals by 2011, thanks in part to Iowa ranking among the top states for percentage of antlerless deer harvested for four straight years.

Iowa Environmental Report Card

Overall grade B-

Individual subjects and grades are as follows: Iowans outdoors B+; Land protection B-; Deer B; Game birds B; Nongame birds C-; Clean air B; Clean lakes B; Water quality C-

Source: Iowa Department of Natural Resources