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For people who like to camp for the entire
Memorial Day weekend, the three-month window to reserve a state park campsite
for a Friday arrival opens Feb. 25.
Memorial Day weekend starts Friday, May 25 through
Monday, May 28.
“Campers can make reservations for sites three
months ahead of their first night stay,” said Todd Coffelt, chief of the DNR
State Parks Bureau. “Now is a great time to start planning summer vacations and
make a reservation at your favorite park.”
New for the 2018 season, 75 percent of available
campsites at each park can be reserved through the online reservations site;
the remaining 25 percent are available first-come first-serve at the park.
Information on Iowa’s state parks is available at www.iowadnr.gov including the link to
reservations. Campers also can log on directly to http://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com
to make a reservation.
When visiting the reservation site, campers should
take note of closures or renovations taking place at each park. Five
campgrounds will be closed for the entire 2018 summer camping season for upgrades
and renovations including the campgrounds at Ledges State Park, Lacey-Keosauqua
State Park, Geode State Park, Marble Beach State Recreation Area and Maquoketa
Caves State Park. Those parks will still
be open for day-use visitors.
Closure information can be found www.iowadnr.gov/parkclosures
and on individual park web pages.
Media Contact:
Todd
Coffelt, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-725-8485.
DES MOINES – Nearly 5,500 acres of Iowa land in 32 counties was permanently
protected through donations for conservation.
The donors associated with 48 donations of land or land value will
be recognized during a ceremony on March 5, from 12:45 to 2 p.m., in the first floor rotunda, at the State Capitol, in Des Moines. Iowa Governor Kim
Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg are scheduled to attend.
Landowners who are in attendance will be honored individually for
their donation. For more information about individual donations, visit the DNR
website at www.iowadnr.gov/landdonors.
MEDIA CONTACT: Alicia Plathe, Iowa Department of Natural Resources,
515-725-8263.
Hunters
who need to satisfy the hunter education requirement can search for and sign up
for a course at www.iowadnr.gov/huntered.
Prospective students can see which
courses or field days are near them; how many seats are available for the class
or if the class is full and a waiting list is available. There is also a map
showing the location along with the instructor’s name, a course overview and
any special instructions.
Iowa law
requires all hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 to satisfactorily complete a
hunter education course in order to purchase a license. Children as
young as 11 may enroll in the course, but their certificate of completion will
not become valid until their 12th birthday.
Each year,
around 12,000 students complete hunter education in Iowa.
Online only course option for adults
The online only course for adults is
designed for Iowa residents 18 years of age or older that have prior hunting
and/or firearms handling experience.
The course covers the same material as
the classroom course, allowing the student to complete the entire course,
including the final test, in an online setting.
Certification is received at the successful completion of the online
course.
MEDIA
CONTACT: Megan Wisecup, Hunter Education
Administrator, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-238-4968.
Hunter
Education Classroom courses are offered by knowledgeable and certified
volunteer instructors and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation
Officers. Classroom courses are typically 12-15 hours in length and are held
over 2 to 3 sessions (days). In order to receive certification, a student must
attend all sessions and pass the final exam.
Iowa
law requires that anyone born after January 1, 1972 must be certified in hunter
education before they are eligible to purchase an Iowa hunting license.
Upcoming
Hunter Education Classes
Feb. 27, Jefferson, Milwaukee Road Depot
March 1, Indianola, Izaak Walton League-Indianola
March 2, Des Moines, Izaak Walton League-Des
Moines
March 6, Ottumwa, Izaak Walton League-Ottumwa
March 6, Winterset, Pammel Park Nature Center
March 7, Palo, Palo Outdoors
March 8, Central City, North Linn Fish & Game
Club
March 8, Muscatine, Monsanto Recreation Building
March 10, Montrose, Lee County Conservation Board
March 10, Mount Pleasant, Henry County Nature
Center
March 10, Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College -
Waterloo
March 10, Chariton, Pin Oak Lodge
March 12, Cresco, Prairie’s Edge Nature Center
March 12, Anthon, Anthon Shelter House
March 13, Toddville, Wickiup Hill Learning Center
March 15, Knoxville, Marion County Sportsman Club
March 17, Ventura, Iowa Regular Baptist Camp
March 17, Oelwein, Regional Tech Complex
March 17, Maquoketa, Hurstville Interpretive
Center
March 19, Clarinda, American Legion – Clarinda
March 20, Dubuque, EB Lyons Interpretive Center –
Mines of Spain
March 22, West Des Moines, Raccoon Park Nature
Lodge
March 24, Vinton, Izaak Walton League–Vinton
March 24, Fairfield, Southeast Iowa Skeet Club
March 24, Victor, Knights of Columbus
March 26, Burlington, Starr’s Cave Nature Center
March 27, Ames, Izaak Walton League–Ames
March 29, Tipton, Cedar County Conservation Board
Office
April 5, Iowa City, Fin and Feather
April 6, Durant, Durant Community School
April 11, New Sharon, Mahaska County Conservation
Board Nature Center
April 12, Ionia, Twin Ponds Nature Center
April 12, Des Moines, Baldwin-Patterson American
Legion Post 274
April 14, Solon, Solon Lakeview Elementary School
For
more information on these and other hunter education opportunities, go to www.iowadnr.gov/huntered
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