Gomers -- What's going wrong

WEST NILE SURFACES: West Nile disease made its first appearance this year in humans with a confirmed case in Linn County. It's a reminder that protecting against mosquito bites and avoiding areas where they're more likely to be a pest are ongoing wise practices. While rarely fatal, the disease can cause moderate to severe illness especially among more vulnerable people such as the elderly.

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TIMBER LOSSES MOUNT: Iowa has lost 40,000 acres of woodlands, with more tree clearing done in the past three years than in the previous 20 years, according to state and federal forestry officials. High commodity prices are providing incentive for farmers to clear small areas of timber for cropland but another factor is developers who are converting existing cropland into commercial and residential buildings, which reduces the amount of lands available for farming. The 40,000 acres of private land recently cleared is more than half the area under management in state and federal protected forests. Iowa already ranks at the bottom nationally for acres in public lands and state parks - where much of what timber we have is located - as well as the amount of money spent on acquiring and maintaining such resources.

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