Local support continues to grow for a major conservation effort to acquire more public hunting and fishing land.

Greene County Board of Supervisors recently agreed to write a letter of support to help lobby the United States Congress to designate a large portion of land in Greene, Guthrie and Carroll counties as a National Wildlife Refuge. Greene County Conservation Director Dan Towers says they also have support from the Guthrie County Supervisors and Carroll County’s Pheasants Forever Chapter.

The land is in the Willow Creek Watershed and would increase Dunbar Slough’s acres from 2,500 to 25,000. However, Towers notes that not all 25,000 would be part of the designation, but in a mosaic pattern as funds became available.

“It’s not a condemnation or eminent domain type thing. It would be willing sellers that would be interested in selling their wet 80-acres or whatever and adding that onto tjhe Dunbar Slough complex.”

It would stretch from Ralston down to the Greene and Guthrie County line, with about 90 percent of the land in Greene County.

The project has been in discussion for several years and a bill was introduced by former US Senator Tom Harkin, but it failed to gain any traction. But now, Towers says they have federal support from Senator Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Congressman Steve King and David Young.

“(Congressman) Dave Young is going to introduce the bill (to Congress) in support of it. It puts the project on people’s radar. So that’s what will happen again this year. It will probably be introduced again and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

Towers adds that a project like this may take 20 years before it is completed. However, one way that will help push the bill along this year is if there is overwhelming support and no opposition to it. He says anyone can submit a letter of support to his office, which is on the second floor of the courthouse in Jefferson, inside the County Recorder’s office.