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Polk County's Water & Land Legacy Launches Public Campaign

September 9, 2021

POLK COUNTY, IA (Sept. 8, 2021) – Polk County’s Water & Land Legacy today announced its public campaign launch for the $65 million Polk County Water & Land Legacy bond which will be on the ballot on Nov. 2, 2021. The bond represents an extension to the successful Polk County Water & Land Legacy Bonds which were overwhelmingly approved by Polk County voters in 2012. The benefits of the bond include:

  • Protecting drinking water sources
  • Protecting the water quality of the Des Moines River, Raccoon River and their tributaries
  • Protecting wildlife habitat and natural resources for future generations
  • Protecting communities from flooding through flood mitigation & prevention
  • Built-in accountability mechanisms like an annual independent public audit of all funds

“Clean water matters, and protecting nature and our ability to pass that legacy along to future generations also matters. Passing this measure helps us do just that” said Pat Boddy, Outreach Chair for Polk County’s Water & Land Legacy PAC and local Conservation Advocate.

The campaign is already endorsed by over 35+ community organizations and civic leaders such as AARP Iowa, Great Outdoors Foundation, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Environmental Council, Iowa Rivers Revival, Catch DSM, Racoon River Watershed Association, Capital Crossroads, The Nature Conservancy, Forward Latino, New Frontier Action, The Trust for Public Land, and more. A complete list of endorsements is available on the website PolkCleanWater.com.

“The Polk County Water & Land Legacy bond will accelerate collaborative regional efforts to improve water quality, prevent future flooding and enhance outdoor recreational amenities such as the Iowa Confluence Water Trails project,” said Jay Byers, President & CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “These targeted quality of life investments are key to attracting and retaining talent in Polk County and the entire DSM region.”

If passed, the Polk County Water & Land Legacy bond would allocate $65 million through the Polk County Conservation board. The list of projects that are bond-supported is available here and includes the Jester Park Nature Center and Easter Lake Park. To pass the bond requires a 60% +1 vote. Internal polling conducted earlier this year shows well over 70% support from Polk County residents for the proposed measure.

About Polk County Water & Land Legacy Bond

The Polk County Conservation Board’s mission is to provide the citizens of Polk County with quality outdoor recreation, conservation education, and long-term protection of Polk County’s natural heritage.

In a joint venture with the Polk County Board of Supervisors, we have placed the Polk County Water & Land Legacy Bond provision on the November 2, 2021 ballot. The bond will help fund the preservation of our water quality and continued nature conservation for the Central Iowa community. The bond measure will focus on water quality, nature conservation, accessibility to our waterways and wildlife habitat protection.