Grassley Applauds $800,000 for Silos and Smokestacks


? Sen. Chuck Grassley today said the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana, confirmed that $800,000 in funding for the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area will be included as part of the fiscal 2003 appropriations bill for the Department of Interior. The appropriations subcommittee will meet Thursday to formally approve the legislation.

Grassley said the funding will help Silos and Smokestacks continue its mission to communicate northeastern Iowa's agricultural heritage. The project involves more than 80 communities, sites and attractions in northeast Iowa that tell the story of agriculture and its role in the region's history.

"Silos and Smokestacks is an important part of northeastern Iowa's effort to preserve its heritage and culture," Grassley said. "Since its inception, the project has heightened public awareness to the unique cultural aspects of the region's history that would otherwise be lost to future generations."

Grassley has worked with Senate appropriators to include funding for the project starting in the 1990s. After the subcommittee meets Thursday, the bill will move for consideration by the full appropriations committee. Grassley said he will continue to work with Senate appropriators throughout the process to see that funding for the project is included in the final version of the bill. The appropriations process begins each spring and is typically completed at the end of each congressional session.