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Permanent LinkMeeting Public Comments
Subcommittee meeting and times are as follows:
A bill for an act relating to forest and fruit-tree reservations by establishing a program fee and including contingent effective date provisions. (Formerly SF 219.)
Subcommittee members: Wulf-CH, Meggers, Wessel-Kroeschell
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
Location: House Lounge
Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.
Comments Submitted:
04-07-2026
Myron Danzer
Iowa is the most altered State in the NationIn 1840 Iowa contained 7 million acres of Forests today there are 2.9 million Acres of forests left in Iowa, of which 86% are owned by private landowners.In the last 25 years the number of Bur, Red and White Oaks have declined by 18%, 50% and 49%Trees Generate Oxygen, absorb carbon, build soil, slow runoff, prevent soil loss, slow pollution, trees are pollinators.Iowa has lost half of our top soil since we were settled!As we continue to lose tree cover our water quality will continue to decline.I predict that some time in the near future Iowan's will start demanding action on our declining water quality as well as our extremely high cancer rates. Why would we as a state to do anything that deters having trees, trees look a lot better than ugly windmills
04-07-2026
Taylor Sklenar [Climate Land Leaders]
Im writing as an Ames resident and as the Iowa Policy Lead for Climate Land Leaders, a group which includes about 50 farmers and landowners across Iowa, many of whom incorporate fruit and nut trees or other agroforestry into their operations. We are opposed to this bill or any other that would add additional fees and barriers to agroforestry in Iowa. While the resulting tax benefit would be felt minimally, the impact on growers who make use of this program will be significant and will disincentivize investment in agroforestry. I have heard time and time again from our small growers that they need policy solutions that help lower barriers for transitioning acres to more sustainable options in a system that favors corn and soy growers and this fee structure raises, not lowers those barriers. Trees are a vital and diminishing resource in Iowa that make our ecosystems more resilient, improve water and air quality, and put local food on the table. Lets encourage, not deter that!
04-08-2026
Rob Hursh
Ah it must be springtime. Grass is greening up, trees are budding, birds are singing, and the Iowa State Legislator is trying to significantly alter the Forest Reserve Program. AGAIN! This happens every year even though the Forest Reserve program is only 1/10 of 1 percent of the state budget. What is wrong with you folks? Don't you have anything better to do? Can you not see the forest for the trees. Literally?
04-08-2026
gary blatny
I am an Iowa farm land owner , Iowa tax payer that also is involved in the Forest Reserve program because some land should not be farmed to erosion. The fee is based on 'where' you live relevant to the forest. What if they did the same thing with CRP? Ownership of our forest reserve land is shared among siblings. Two owners reside in Omaha, Nebraska, and one resides in Clive, Iowa (Polk County). Under the proposed legislation, none of the owners would qualify for a reduced peracre fee because no owners homestead is located in the same or an adjacent county to the forest land. As a result, even the Iowaresident owner would be penalized solely due to county of residence.This creates arbitrary geographic distinctions among similarly situated Iowa residents and raises serious equal protection concerns under Article I, Section 6 of the Iowa Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.