Brad Freidhof, the acting Director of Johnson County Conservation, spends most of his days in his office, yearning for a break to go outside into nature.
Freidhof said, “There’s times mentally and physically I need to get out of the office. I need to feel dirt between my fingers, leaves under my feet and I need to hear the birds and insects buzzing around me.”
Freidhof is one of the people who are at the head of putting together the $30 million conservation bond up for vote in November’s general election. The bond stands for protecting the air, water and other nature.
Freidhof said, “We take it for granted. We think ‘air is out there’ but it’s not. It’s produced by plants and if we continue to take that for granted, it’s gone before you know it.”
The bond up for a vote is the second of its kind that Johnson County has seen. In 2008, the county passed its first conservation bond for $20 million. This was the first of its kind to pass in Iowa. These bonds need a super-majority to pass, meaning it needs 60% or more of the votes.
After 16 years, the $20 million from the first bond is drying up and there is a need for more funding. There have been 15 projects funded through the 2008 bond including 9.2 miles of hard-surface trails created and nearly 1,200 acres of non-farmable land acquired for public use, conserva- tion areas, reserves and prairies. Freidhof said, “We’re losing wild- life species at an alarming rate. Anything we can do to protect that habitat is also protecting our population.”
The $20 million in the original bond was able to be used to apply for grants. Because the bond was voted on by the public with a super majority, many grants look at Johnson County Conservation favorably. They were able to add $17.1 million in grants over the past 16 years.
“Citizens of Johnson County made an investment of $20 million and we got a good rate of return on that,” said Freidhof. “We almost doubled the amount of projects we could complete with that $20 million.” According to Freidhof, the bond only costs each household $7.09 per $100,000 of the home valua- tion each year and the money goes directly to protecting the water, land, air quality, and creating recreational opportunities. This will also not increase taxes because it is a continuation of the 2008 bond.
Since Johnson County passed the bond in 2008, Polk and Linn counties have passed similar bonds. Story County will also have a conservation bond on the ballet this election cycle. This time around, Johnson County Conser- vation will point to the success they have had the past 16 years as a reason the new bond should pass. Freidhof said, “We’re not solving all the problems, but we think we’re making improvements pro- viding economic opportunities, improving our water quality, and protecting land for future use.”
Freidhof says if the bond were to pass, they would get to work on connecting more trails together. There are many trails they look to connect like the trail from Solon to West Branch, Iowa City to West Branch, and finishing the trail to Kent Park and the Amana Colo- nies. They want to buffer the rivers and improve water quality by redi- recting the runoff from farmers. Freidhof said, “It’s all about tak- ing that investment and using it wisely. Identifying projects that are advantageous to our public.”
The bond looks to fund the continuation of developing the recreational lives of citizens. As well as building destinations in the community that bring people to town, like RAGBRAI.
“When people come here for col- lege or work, what are they doing on the weekends. I don’t want to stand and stare at a cornfield, that’s what everybody across the US thinks we are. I say, no, we are a bike destination.”
Voters will find the bond refer- endum on the back side of their ballot. Wednesday, October 16 is the first day for in-person early voting at the Johnson County Auditor’s Office and the first day mailed absentee ballots can be sent. On Election Day polls will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m.