Should the federal government officially recognize and help preserve the Loess Hills?
First and most important, a grassroots-based effort has set in motion the necessary groundwork to build consensus for conserving the Loess Hills. Second, the Iowa legislature has given its stamp of approval to see that the project moves forward. It is now appropriate for the federal government to join the effort to help preserve the only land formation of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. As Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator, I am working to secure federal funds to have the U.S. Park Service complete a comprehensive, one-year review. A feasibility study would help shape a formal plan of action that is necessary to balance efforts to preserve the area’s natural, cultural and historical treasures with the rights of local landowners.
