For my undisciplined mind, it was fortuitous that it was Fathers Day weekend as I prepared to write this column. My thoughts kept drifting to memories of when I felt closest to Dad, who died 30 years ago this last March. I eventually realized that many of my memories with Dad involved outdoor recreation and sports boating, swimming, mushroom hunting, pheasant hunting and golfing. We used to take day trips to DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge during the autumn migration, where thousands and thousands of geese would blur the visual line between land and sky as they landed and took flight in waves of endless motion. To this day, anytime I hear or see a flock of geese flying overhead I inexplicably feel closer to him.

Dads active appreciation of Iowas natural resources sharpened my awareness of the incredible bounty of diverse life that it sustains, as well as the subtle, yet sensational landscape features that make Iowa unique. Being the father of eight, he also deeply valued the commercial opportunities offered by the rich soils and powerful rivers that demark our east and west state borders and he favored commercial development that could expand our agriculture-based economy. It is this balance of protecting and preserving Iowa land and waters while also providing a healthy business climate that makes me a strong proponent of funding Iowas Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund.

On Nov. 2, 2010, a resounding 62.57 percent of Iowans voted their approval of the Iowa Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund Amendment. Meaning, that the next time the Iowa Legislature approves a tax increase, 3/8ths of one cent will go into this dedicated trust fund to be used to protect and enhance water quality, natural areas and outdoor recreation in the state.

At the time, it was estimated that it could generate about $150 million a year, to be apportioned according to a set formula between lake restoration, trails, local conservation partnerships, Iowa Resource Enhancement and Protection, watershed protection, soil conservation and water protection, and natural resources.

According to Iowas Water & Land Legacy (IWILL), less than 10 percent of our wetlands remain. When you look at a watershed map of Iowa, you recognize immediately that this land between two rivers is essentially a filtering system. We have 57 watershed systems - land that drains into a lake or stream - that used to act as natural spaces that helped prevent destructive and costly flooding and offered millions of acres of habitat for water and land wildlife. Recently we've suffered devastating 100- and 500-year floods, we've lost more than five million acres of wetlands and more than 1.6 million acres of habitat used by pheasant and other game (Iowa DNR cites an 85 percent decline in our pheasant harvest), and every year we lose an average of five tons of our rich, productive soil to erosion.

The condition of our water quality is a source of great angst and controversy in Iowa. We've seen the headlines about lawsuits, claims and counterclaims that play into a rural vs. urban dispute. The great benefit about the research behind this trust fund is that it addresses the issue - high levels of eroded sediment carrying excess soil, nutrients and bacteria filtering down through our watersheds into our water sources - by assigning up to two-thirds of the funding for voluntary, non-regulatory, private land conservation projects. Projects that could be implemented on private farm and ranch land as well as in urban areas where storm drains carry lawn and golf course fertilizers and soil displaced by construction into streams and lakes.

There is so much more to discuss - the number and quality of hiking and biking trails, the mandatory annual audits and extensive measures of accountability, the economic impact of outdoor recreation and the sheer quality-of-life factor to attract and keep young families in Iowa. To learn more and to become an effective advocate, I highly recommend visiting IWILL's website. It is a "broad-based coalition ranging from business leaders and farmers to conservationists and sportspersons." Among its many supporters are: Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Iowa Bow Hunters Association, Iowa Soybean Association, CF Industries, and mayors of several Iowa cities, including the mayor of Cedar Rapids and our own Sioux City mayor, Bob Scott, who have had to deal with the costly aftermath of ravaging floodwaters.

Please raise your voice in support and let's keep those geese flying over our treasure-filled lands.

Katie Colling is the executive director of Women Aware, a private nonprofit agency. She was elected to two consecutive terms on the Woodbury County Extension Council and serves on several civic-organization boards. She and her husband, Ron, live in Sioux City.

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THE REGULARS: Iowa trust for natural resources, recreation deserves funding - Sioux City Journal