NUSSLE TESTIFIES WITH ELKADER CONSERVATIONIST ON REQUEST TO EXPAND EFFIGY MOUNDS BOUNDARY

Congressman Jim Nussle and conservationist Larry Stone of Elkader have testified in support of a request to allow the National Park Service to buy adjacent land for expansion of the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Allamakee County. They appeared before the House Committee on Resources, National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee.
Allamakee's Effigy Mounds, currently covering 1,481 acres, was established as a national monument in 1949 by President Truman to protect American Indian burial mounds. "Effigy" mounds are those mounds built in the shape of bears and birds, but other mounds resemble geometric shapes, such as lines and cones. The Allamakee County site contains 29 of the 46 known effigy mounds in the United States.
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is asking Congress to authorize the National Park Service to spend up to $750,000 to purchase the Ferguson/Kistler Tract, containing 1,045 acres of adjacent land that would add four more burial mounds to the national monument, including two effigy mounds. Nussle introduced a bill Feb. 29 to authorize the purchase, and that bill must pass before money could be appropriated for the purchase.
The expansion area includes 2.5 miles of the Yellow River, and examples of endangered plant and animal species. The property also was the site of Iowa's first sawmill, which was powered by water and managed by Jefferson Davis.
Nussle told the committee, "Anthropologists estimate that there were thousands of Indian burial mounds built on the North American continent. However, effigy mounds are primarily located in northeastern Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin, and were constructed, by some estimates, over the course of 2500 years. The mounds inside of the Effigy Mounds National Monument are a representative and outstanding example of a significant phase of the prehistoric American Indian mound-building culture."
"Iowa has a rich cultural history and much scenic beauty. However, there is very little property held by the public. Less than two percent of Iowa's land is not privately owned," Nussle said. "Iowans understand the value of private property and private property rights. There are some lands that, however, Iowans believe need the utmost protection, and Effigy Mounds is a perfect example."
"As you know, I am a strong supporter of private lands and private ownership," Nussle said. "I also recognize the benefit the Monument has brought by preserving the effigy mounds and their surrounding open spaces. It's also important to point out that this is a locally driven initiative, and I have heard from a significant number of constituents in support of this addition. I believe that expanding the Monument's current boundaries to include the Ferguson/Kistler Tract would be a wise step in preserving a rich part of our country."
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation selected Larry A. Stone, a self-described "writer, photographer, lecturer" from Elkader, to represent the group at today's hearing before the National Parks and Public Lands Sub-committee. Stone said he has been waiting for this opportunity for 30 years.
Stone said, "I believe the significance of the property goes beyond just local interest," noting its topography and historic resources. "Effigy Mounds, with its unique mounds and cultural history, is a national treasure, and the addition of this property can only enhance its importance," he said. "The land also lies along the Great River Road, a route used extensively by tourists along the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border."
Stone first visited Effigy Mounds as a 1960's college student on an ecology field trip. "I remember Effigy Mounds, and the nearby private land, as a remarkable expanse. Unlike the remaining two thirds of Iowa, this region has escaped recent glaciation, and is dominated by rugged limestone bluffs, unusual plant and animal communities, and winding river corridors."
As a former outdoor writer and photographer for the Des Moines Register, Stone had several opportunities to write about Effigy Mounds, as well as the Mississippi and Yellow River valleys.
"I have fished and canoed the rivers, helped on red-shouldered hawk and bald eagle research, and learned about the cultural history of the mound builders and other early inhabitants of the region," Stone told the committee. "As a newspaper reporter, I also wrote several stories about the often-controversial proposals to clear-cut, sub-divide, or otherwise develop the land. All these experiences reinforced my beliefs about the importance of the site as a natural area, as an open space complex along the Yellow and Mississippi Rivers, as a historic resource, and as an important tourist attraction for northeast Iowa."
Stone recalled 30 years of discouragement over failed attempts by several groups to acquire the property. "My very real fear was that the land might be split up and sold in small tracts for home sites or commercial enterprises or intensive timber production," he said. That's why I was delighted to learn that Charles and Dorothy Kistler had worked with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation to protect their land for this special conservation purpose. I believe that both the Kistlers and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation are to be commended for their dedication to the project."
Stone said the environment in and around the Effigy Mounds Monument "must be protected, because it is one of the largest woodlands under one ownership in northeast Iowa. And it is a significant resource for watershed protection and wildlife habitat, with a rich plant community and strong historical values."
Stone called the expansion project "an excellent example of cooperation between public and private entities," noting a $530,000 financial commitment from the State of Iowa through the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa State Historical Society, as well as the pledge of a $265,000 in private donations. He said the Allamakee County Conservation Board "also has realized the importance of protecting this unique area, and has supported its acquisition." Nussle noted that more than half of the $1,545,000 needed for the expansion already has been secured on the state and local level through donations and grants.
Nussle said, "The intent of President Truman's proclamation was to preserve the effigy mounds and to protect wildlife and scenic values in the area," Nussle said. "The Monument's mission has been a success. Since the time of the Monument's establishment, the effigy mounds in Iowa have become a popular tourist destination for Iowans and those traveling along the scenic Upper Mississippi River valley."
Stone said, "Congressman Nussle's support for this request is vital, and he has been a very strong supporter so far. The community needs to hear from him as someone who is behind the existing Monument as well as the plan to acquire the land. He understands the significance of this site and how important it is to help out the tourism economy."