SPEAKERS BUREAU

Our Speakers Bureau of twelve members continues to attract frequent requests for presentations in every area of the state. Over the past year, our speakers have given over 30 talks in 10 counties. To date, 1000 Friends has given nearly 400 presentations. Audiences include Kiwanis clubs, student groups, Daughters of the American Revolution chapters, and churches. We continue to actively recruit speakers and new opportunities to help our Speakers Bureau get out our message.

CITIZEN EMPOWERMENT

Our goal with citizen empowerment is to educate people about how to effectively advocate for responsible land use at the local level. Over the past four years, 1000 Friends has worked in 45 Iowa counties with 88 citizen groups, each addressing an important local land-use challenge. Our assistance has helped many of these groups improve the quality of life in their communities. One of the most pressing local issues before us is a plan to flood more than 30 farms in Page County to build a lake; over 1,300 area residents have signed petitions opposing this destruction of prime farmland. Another local issue our members have become involved with is the proposal to build a regional mall on the outskirts of Ames, which would have a seriously detrimental impact on existing businesses.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

In addition to providing quality speakers and working directly with citizen groups on local land-use problems, we have worked to more aggressively increase coverage of our issues in local and state media. Columns are sent routinely to 140 weekly papers across the state. Two columns appear monthly in The Progressive Populist, a national publication printed in Storm Lake, Iowa. With the help of members across the state, our staff has worked to monitor land-use articles in Iowa’s 15 largest daily papers and encourages 1000 Friends members to write letters to the paper in response to these stories.

This fall, 1000 Friends of Iowa worked with AFSCME to organize a visit from Don Turner, retired president of the Chicago Federation of Labor. Don met with union leaders, legislators and the press in Des Moines, Waterloo and Davenport to talk about why national labor leaders are concerned about urban sprawl. Events such as this help build important coalitions and are also an effective way of increasing media coverage of our issues. More visits from high-quality speakers are being planned. Our staff is working with the American Planning Association to arrange meetings between Sam Edwards and planners, city and county officials, and the state legislature. We also anticipate a visit from a researcher with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

LAND USE BULLETIN & WEB SITE

This year, we upgraded our quarterly newsletter to a bimonthly newsletter. This seems to better meet the need to address the rapidly changing issues that affect our members across the state. Staff and volunteers continue to write the newsletter, which is sent to every member and posted on our web site. Please visit our web site at www.kfoi.org for land-use information and links to relevant sites.

BUY LOCAL PROGRAM

Our Buy Local program reached its climax this summer with the distribution of over 8,000 directories to three neighborhoods on the north side of Des Moines. The directory has served as a model and inspiration for a second directory in the Sherman Hill area of Des Moines, and many community leaders in other parts of Iowa have requested copies to help promote their own initiatives. Work continues to distribute buy-local posters to shops in small towns and urban neighborhood commercial centers.

RESEARCH

In early 2002, 1000 Friends of Iowa compiled research on ways in which the Clean Water Revolving Fund has become an unintended enabler of urban sprawl. Research showing the detrimental impact that tax increment financing (TIF) has on county budgets is nearing completion.

PUBLIC POLICY

We continue to monitor a variety of legislative and policy initiatives that affect growth and development. So that our members concerned about effective policy have access to the most recent information, our public policy updates are published electronically and sent out every two weeks during the legislative session.

FARMA-SAVE SIGNS

One of our most popular programs statewide, our seven sets of Farma-Save signs continued to tour the state this year, educating citizens about various land-use issues through the use of cute drawings and catchy slogans. Having weathered many a storm, all but one set of signs are back at the 1000 Friends office awaiting cleaning and repainting.

SEVENTH STREET REVITALIZATION PROJECT

Our work on 7th Street in Des Moines has provided a wonderful example of how quality partnerships can lead to quality development and redevelopment. Two years ago, this block was one of the most devastated in Des Moines. It now features five older homes that were moved to vacant lots and renovated, two refurbished brick apartment buildings, a new paint job for two existing older homes, a new church, two prairie gardens, three rain gardens, the most ethnically diverse community garden in Des Moines (complete with a beautiful new picket fence), 35 newly planted trees, five chemical-free lawns, several bat houses and a huge amount of neighborhood pride. In 2003, we hope to see a new playground and additional garden ventures, including possibly an orchard, a vineyard and a berry hedge.

While over 30 partners have worked together to transform this one city block, some key players include the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Community Housing Development Corporation, Bethel Mission, HOME, Inc., Anawim Housing, Community Garden Project, NRCS, MidAmerican Energy, Metro Waste Authority, and Urban Resources & Borderland Alliance Network.

Updated 1.18.03