TURTLES IN IOWA NEED OUR HELP

From Jeff Leclrere, Zoologist performing amphibian and reptile surveys at MN DNR

Just attended commercial turtle harvest meetings in Muscatine and Des Moines, Iowa. If you care about wild turtle populations, your help is needed! - read on. The Iowa DNR has proposed closing the season on turtle harvest from January 1 - July 15. This will benefit IA turtle populations by completely eliminating harvest during the female's egg development and nesting seasons. Please consider sending a quick email (contact listed below) to SUPPORT the IDNR's recommendation to impose a season on turtle harvest. The email can be very brief and take just a couple seconds to compose. Simply state "I support the IDNR's recommendation to impose a season on commercial turtle harvest". Feel free to add a sentence or two more such as "I believe IA turtle populations cannot sustain continued harvest over time due to certain aspects of their life history" or something similar. Commercial turtle harvesters have, and will, definitely voice their opposition, so every person's email counts! Iowa residents AND non residents can comment. The comment period begins now and will end by Feb 23, 2014. Please send comments of support to: Martin.Konrad@dnr.iowa.gov Share this with others and thank you!