Tell Your Legislators to Protect the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund

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The Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund is in danger. Your voice is needed now to stop Senate Joint Resolution 6, which would effectively dismantle the Trust Fund. This is the fund (also known as IWILL) that was overwhelmingly approved by Iowa voters in 2010, but it has never been funded in spite of what Iowans clearly demanded with their vote.

It was designed to protect and enhance natural resources in Iowa, including state parks, trails, wildlife habitat, and the conservation of agricultural soil. It would provide an estimated $220 million every year for soil quality, outdoor recreation, economic development, and water quality investments in all of Iowa’s 99 counties.

SJR 6 proposes to repeal the constitutional amendment passed by Iowa voters to create the Trust Fund. Under the new measure, 0.375 percent of any increased sales tax would go toward property tax relief and the Trust Fund would disappear.

Advocates, including the IEC team, packed an overflowing Senate subcommittee meeting on Wednesday, with the majority speaking out against SJR 6. They pointed out the myriad benefits of the funding the Trust, including:

Outdoor recreation, water quality, and parks continue to rank high in polling for all Iowans – this is an issue that broad swaths of Iowans care about and want to see improved and increased.

State parks and outdoor recreation attract and retain talent and jobs, and bring visitors and tourists to our state.

The Trust Fund is an opportunity to revitalize rural Iowa and bring new tax revenue to local governments.

Making outdoor spaces accessible to Iowans can help combat obesity, which is linked to increased rates of cancer (Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers in the country).

Our state has serious, ongoing challenges with water quality. The Trust Fund would be another tool to work toward clean, healthy water.

The history: More than 63% of Iowans voted for a constitutional amendment in 2010 to create the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, establishing a permanent source of funding for clean water, outdoor recreation, soil quality, and wildlife habitat. The Trust Fund requires a 3/8ths cent increase in the state sales tax to receive funding. However, it has remained empty for 15 years because the state has not taken action to increase the sales tax.

Our lawmakers need to hear from us now. If anything, it is time TO FUND THE TRUST. not break the public trust. It’s clear that Iowa voters knew what they wanted 15 years ago, and those issues still matter.

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Iowa Environmental Council
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iecmail@iaenvironment.org

Iowa Senate Ways and Means Committee, State Government Committee, and all sponsors of SJR 6

Subject: Oppose SJR 6: It Undermines the Will of Iowa Voters

Message:

Dear Senator, I am asking you to oppose Senate Joint Resolution 6. This legislation does not align with what Iowans have clearly and consistently said they want. SJR 6 would eliminate the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund from the Iowa Constitution, after 63% of Iowa voters approved the amendment in 2010. SJR 6 undermines the will of Iowans and puts our state on the wrong path. Here's how: - The Trust Fund was designed to invest in the things things that Iowans across geographic and demographic lines support: outdoor recreation, water quality, soil improvement, and economic development. These issues continue to rank high in polling for all Iowans. - State parks and outdoor recreation attract and retain talent and jobs, and bring visitors and tourists to our state. - The Trust Fund is an opportunity to revitalize rural Iowa and bring new tax revenue to local governments. - Making outdoor spaces accessible to Iowans can help combat obesity, which is linked to increased rates of cancer (Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers in the country.). - Our state has serious, ongoing challenges with water quality. The Trust Fund would be another tool to work toward clean, healthy water. Please don’t move this legislation forward. It takes our state backward at a time when we should be finding ways to actually make good on what Iowans demanded more than a decade ago. Thank you for your time,

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Our lawmakers need to hear from us now. If anything, it is time TO FUND THE TRUST. not break the public trust. It’s clear that Iowa voters knew what they wanted 15 years ago, and those issues still matter.

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