Friends of the Prairie Learning Center - Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

History of the Friends Organization

Congress approved the tallgrass prairie restoration on September 5, 1990

The project was undertaken with the support and encouragement of former Congressman Neal Smith

Congress authorized the refuge to purchase 8,654 acres and the first parcel of land was purchased in April 1991

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September 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchased 3,622 acres from Redlands Corporation, a subsidiary of Iowa Power

To date, about 5,000 acres of the 8,654 acre goal have been acquired

In 1993, the Central Iowa Group of the Sierra Club sponsored a weekend prairie seminar, inviting Iowa prairie experts such as Dick Birger

Former Congressman Neal Smith and Vice
President Al Gore at the Refuge dedication

Birger recommended the formation of a Friends group to 1) help increase public awareness and participation in the Refuge activities and 2) to provide money for projects that federal funds would not cover

Penny Thomsen of Des Moines assembled a list of individuals and representatives from civic and conservation organizations interested in forming a Friends group

The first Friends board meeting took place on November 17, 1993. The original board included:

Penny Thomsen Robin Fortney Mike Smith Lynn Huebler Jane Clark	Judy Sohn Nancy McKlveen Jerry Selby Mike Sweeney
Ex officio board members: Refuge staff Dick Birger and Dave Aplin

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