The bill introduced by Iowa's senators provides $275,000 for completion of a year-long study by the Secretary of the Interior. It directs a review of options for the protection and interpretation of the area's natural, cultural and historical resources. The proposed study would include an analysis of the suitability and feasibility of designating the Loess Hills a part of the National Park System, a National Heritage Area, Heritage Corridor, or another designation as may be appropriate. The Interior Department is required to consult with local and state officials, landowners who would be affected, as well as interested public and private organizations in Iowa.
The Senate gave unanimous approval to S.776 before adjourning for a July 4thcongressional recess week. A companion bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Greg Ganske, where it awaits committee action.
Grassley and Harkin personally sought support for their Senate bill during a subcommittee hearing in April by giving testimony along with Shirley Frederikson of Golden Hills Research, Conservation and Development in Oakland, Iowa, and Maurice Welte of the Loess Hills Alliance in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa.
Grassley said he wants a federal study because of the initiative shown by the grassroots- based Loess Hills Alliance and the Iowa legislature. "The Interior Department can sort through the many models and alternatives that exist for preserving the Loess Hills, especially the kinds of initiatives that are driven by local and state leadership. The Loess Hills are a unique geographic area that deserves recognition," he said.
"Loess Hills are an Iowa treasure - passage of this bill puts us on the path of making them a national treasure," said Harkin. "These hills have survived for thousands of years, but today they are crumbling - literally being torn apart. Urban sprawl is unfortunately taking its toll on the Loess Hills. Protecting this area must be given a high priority."
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.