The initiative follows action last month by each senator to prompt a review by the federal government of the Loess Hills in western Iowa. Both Grassley and Harkin are scheduled to testify on the proposal during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Thursday afternoon. The hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation will begin at two o'clock in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
"This joint effort moves Iowa one step closer to saving a true Iowa treasure. The Loess Hill have survived for hundreds of centuries, but they are beginning to crumble. Protecting this area must be given a high priority. Our bill calls on the government to explore the tremendous potential for the area and consider the options to preserve the Loess Hills for generations to come," Harkin said.
Grassley said a federal study is in order "because of the initiative shown by the grassroots-based Loess Hills Alliance and the Iowa legislature. Now, the Interior Department can provide a complete review of the many models and alternatives that exist for preserving the Loess Hills, especially those that are driven by local and state leadership. In Iowa we know that the Hills are a unique geographic area worthy of preservation. The congressional hearing this week provides a good opportunity to discuss their importance and distinction," he said.
The Grassley/Harkin legislation would direct the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a study of the Loess Hills area to review options for the protection and interpretation of the area's natural, cultural and historical resources. The study would include an analysis of the suitability and feasibility of designating the area a unit of the National Park System, a National Heritage Area or Heritage Corridor or such other designation as may be appropriate. The bi-partisan Senate bill provides $275,000 for completion of the year-long study.
The Loess Hills have natural distinctions which are found in only one other place in the world, China. Soil deposited by wind over many centuries formed the Loess Hills, which support several species of rare native prairie grass. The Hills are spread across 600,000 acres in Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, and Woodbury counties in Iowa.
National attention was drawn to the Loess Hills last September, when Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit visited Monona County for an event sponsored by The Des Moines Register and the Onawa Chamber of Commerce.