The need for a Story County Conservation friends groups has been considered since at least the 1970's when there was an effort by the Army Corp of Engineers to dam up and flood the the South Skunk River valley north of Ames and create a lake. Many local people were opposed. It turns out that the geology was too porous to support a lake and the project was shelved.
So why now? The county supervisors realized they were not going to be able to properly fund conservation in Story County. Additional resources would be needed. There was also local interest by generous donors to help provide that support and now, a mechanism, the Story County Community Foundation, to make these contributions more enticing to potential donors due to an Iowa tax credit. The hitch was, Story County Community Foundation needed a non-profit 501(c)3 group to to work with Story County Conservation. The Outdoor Alliance of Story County, with the encouragement of Story County Conservation and the County Supervisors, is that friends group.
The volunteers that worked through the process to form the Outdoor Alliance of Story County Conservation have decades of outdoor recreation, education and conservation experience as well as other community service: Mike Meetz, Todd Burras, Linda Zaletel and Greg Vitale.
As Story County Conservation friends group, the Outdoor Alliance of Story County, also has already accessed grants that government agencies are not eligible to apply to, actively solicited donations, volunteers and worked with other governmental agencies in Story County, other nonprofit groups and informal groups to enhance outdoor recreation, education and conservation groups in Story County.
It is our hope that you will support the ongoing efforts of Story County Conservation to make Story County a better place to live, work and enjoy the outdoors. Become a Outdoor Alliance of Story County member, volunteer and create a legacy gift.
So why now? The county supervisors realized they were not going to be able to properly fund conservation in Story County. Additional resources would be needed. There was also local interest by generous donors to help provide that support and now, a mechanism, the Story County Community Foundation, to make these contributions more enticing to potential donors due to an Iowa tax credit. The hitch was, Story County Community Foundation needed a non-profit 501(c)3 group to to work with Story County Conservation. The Outdoor Alliance of Story County, with the encouragement of Story County Conservation and the County Supervisors, is that friends group.
The volunteers that worked through the process to form the Outdoor Alliance of Story County Conservation have decades of outdoor recreation, education and conservation experience as well as other community service: Mike Meetz, Todd Burras, Linda Zaletel and Greg Vitale.
As Story County Conservation friends group, the Outdoor Alliance of Story County, also has already accessed grants that government agencies are not eligible to apply to, actively solicited donations, volunteers and worked with other governmental agencies in Story County, other nonprofit groups and informal groups to enhance outdoor recreation, education and conservation groups in Story County.
It is our hope that you will support the ongoing efforts of Story County Conservation to make Story County a better place to live, work and enjoy the outdoors. Become a Outdoor Alliance of Story County member, volunteer and create a legacy gift.
