EarthPORK: Finally Taken Off Life Support?

From the P-C

Organizers of a project to build an indoor rainforest and education center in Iowa have until Friday to provide information to government officials or lose nearly $50 million in federal funds.

Funding for the Earthpark project — once slated for Coralville — was rescinded in year-end spending bills approved by Congress earlier this week. The funding will be lost unless the Department of Energy approves proposed matching funds submitted by project planners before President Bush signs the spending bill into law.

Bush has until Friday to sign the measure.

Plans for the $150 million project, which includes an indoor rain forest and 600,000 gallon aquarium, call for it to open in 2011 near Lake Red Rock, southeast of Des Moines.

Charles Grassley, who helped secure the federal grant for Earthpark, criticized Congress for rescinding the funding.

``I put in place a process to ensure the money wasn't frittered away,'' Grassley said in a statement. ``The Appropriations Committee should have let the current law play out, giving the Energy Department ample time to consider the matching funds proposal before allowing the law governing the federal dollars to be changed.''

Funding for the Earthpark has been criticized by some in Congress, including Sen. John McCain, who see it as an example of wasteful spending.

"Earthpork" Project Suffers Yet Another Set Back

The former Coralville Rainforest turned Pella "Earthpork" project is getting no love from Gov. Culver. The $155 million Earthpark project, an interactive museum-like attraction, would feature an indoor rain forest, an aquarium and an environmental and ecological education center. It had been planned for Coralville before Coralville officials parted ways with the project.

Earthpark has received a $50 million federal grant spearheaded by Senator Chuck Grassley that will be revoked if developers don't obtain matching money by the end of this year.

David Oman, Earthpark's executive director, said the project planned to apply for a Vision Iowa grant this summer. That program has been used to support projects and attractions across the state.

The project also had hoped to apply for between $25 million and $35 million in grants from Iowa's Community Attraction and Tourism Program.