(Okoboji)– Another reminder of the Region 3 REAP Assembly that will be taking place tomorrow (Thurs.) in Okoboji. REAP, or Resource Enhancement and Protection program, is overseen by the Iowa DNR. Michelle Wilson of that agency serves as REAP Coordinator…
“When they put the law together in 1989 they put this other piece in place that says in every even-numbered year a REAP Congress shall convene, and prior to REAP Congress, there shall be REAP assemblies held in every region across the state to gather the voices of the citizenry for how they want REAP to move forward. And not only that, they get to make motions and they also select five delegates from their region to represent them at REAP Congress which will be on August 29th.”
The REAP Congress will be held at the statehouse in Des Moines…
“And those five delegates carry that information, they carry those policies and motions forward to that congress and then as a large body they vote on what they believe should be the most important things for REAP moving forward. It’s a really cool opportunity, I think, for a lot of Iowans to participate in that and get to be in the state capitol and sit in the chamber and take those votes and whatever comes out of that gets put into a document and submitted to the Legislature and the Governor’s Office.”
Since its founding, REAP has funded nearly $430 million for projects focused on water quality, habitat protection, roadside prairies, historical development, park and trail development and conservation education. That includes many projects right here in the Iowa Great Lakes. Wilson says you can see where the funding has gone by visiting their website…
“You can actually go out to www.iowareap.com and you can download an expenditure report for your county and see exactly where REAP monies have been since 1989, which types of projects it has gone to in your county.”
Thursday’s (July 23rd) Region 3 Assembly meeting will begin at 1:00 pm at Maser Monarch Lodge, just west of the Dickinson County Nature Center.
REAP Region 3 is comprised of Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto and Sioux counties.
