Ladage Land Claim

According to this “news” story (https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/senator-proposes-bill-to-let-iowa-buy-9-minnesota-counties-could-still-buy-gopher-gear/ar-AA1xgU8Z), an Iowa lawmaker has proposed the State of Iowa purchase nine southern counties from the State of Minnesota. Also in the article the lawmaker refers to Iowa’s budget surplus versus Minnesota’s budget deficit. I would like to weigh in on this idea.

• IF Iowa is going to buy counties from Minnesota, perhaps we should also include Cook, Lake, and St. Louis Counties in far Northern Minnesota. This part of the purchase would then include the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area (under Federal management). Acquisition of the BWCA would then finally add extensive “wild” lands for Iowans - certainly to be shared with Minnesotans since they have done an excellent job of protecting the area to this point.

• Since, according to the article, Iowa would be “investing” our budget surplus, then maybe taxpaying Iowa residents should be able to lay “Land Claims” to the new territory since the Iowa budget surplus came from us - the taxpaying Iowans. Some of that surplus is my money. I would not mind having my dollars put to this good use.

• As a taxpaying Iowan, I would like to lay claim to the small area identified in this map. I am trying not to be too greedy since I would expect the remaining land area in those counties would also be claimed by tax-paying Iowans. It would be our (new landowners) responsibility to maintain open access to the BWCA - maintaining use as it is now.

On second thought, maybe the “budget surplus” that seems to have drawn the attention of one or more lawmakers might be used here in Iowa.

• Why don’t we use some of those surplus funds to “Fund the Trust” - something the voters approved years ago but still has not happened.

• Maybe we should not manage the BWCA Counties since water quality is paramount in that area and we struggle to protect our waters (legislatively) here in Iowa.

Obviously the proposal in the news is not likely to go too far. But, now that the “can of worms” of using taxpayer surplus funds has been opened, now is the time for serious conversations about conservation. Keep the dollars in Iowa and invest in Iowa!