Clay County earns Natural Resources Award

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Clay County Conservation Director Dan Heissel was proud to accept the Natural Resources Award at the 2008 Iowa Tourism Conference in Sioux City recently. [Order this photo]

The Clay County Conservation Board received the Natural Resources award recently during a ceremony at the 2008 Iowa Tourism Conference in Sioux City.

Clay County Conservation Director Dan Heissel, who was taking part in the conference, was on hand to receive the award and admitted that he found himself in a rare position - tongue tied. "We knew we were nominated for it, but I had no idea. There are 20 different awards in the program. We were up against some good projects. It was about the second or third line that I recognized the bio. 'Hey, that's us,' I thought. Sometimes you wonder if it was good enough."

Heissel accepted the award and offered a few comments. "It was hard. For the first time, I was at a loss for words."

Judging was largely based on outstanding contributions and efforts for a tourism-related activity or attraction that focused on the state's natural beauty or outdoor recreation.

"Clay County really knows how to cater to outdoor recreation fans," said Iowa Tourism Office Manager, Nancy Landess. "The conservation board manages nearly 1,200 acres which includes trails, fishing, equestrian trails, bird watching, cross country skiing and camping. The campground hosts at Scharnberg Park hold several special events including Christmas in July, a Garage Sale Weekend and the Halloween Walk."

For the longest time, according to the county conservation director, Clay was the only county to offer cable and wireless Internet at its camping sites - another example of the progressive thinking at the time.

Heissel said that receiving of the award serves as positive feedback for those who have put forth the effort and backing of the county conservation projects in Clay County. ""It means that our county and county conservation board are doing the right things. We're moving ahead, being innovative, thinking outside the box. Doing things that maybe other counties aren't doing."

Additionally, Heissel said that the county's focus on tourism also serves as a tool for area growth, noting that the offerings lend themselves to a greater "quality of life.

"We raise the bar on the quality of life. That's an attraction to people. The outdoor recreation that we provide, when you look at economic development and new busiensses coming into the area, they look at what they can do and what's available. I think we do a good job of providing those types of things."

Heissel credited the county team for its work. "You can have all the great ideas you want, but without a good staff, things don't get done. We've got a forward thinking board, and the support of the supervisors. They've been progressive thinkers. It makes for good chemistry."

Landess, along with Travel Federation of Iowa President Kathy Dirks, presented a total of 20 awards at the conference. Professionals representing several facets of the Iowa tourism industry judged the nominations.

Receiving the award will press Heissel and those working with him to continue looking for new ways to better county offerings. "We want to at least maintain what we're doing and look for new ways to expand on what we're offering. Once you set that bar, you want to strive to maintain and make things better."

The annual three-day conference, sponsored by the Iowa Tourism Office and Travel Federation of Iowa, brings together more than 300 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends. The 2009 Conference will be held Oct. 21-23, 2009 in Tama.

* Tourism is a $6.3 billion industry in Iowa, employing more than 63,400 people statewide and generating more than $290 million in state taxes. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. For more information about Iowa tourism, visit www.traveliowa.com, call 800.345.IOWA or stop at any Iowa Welcome Center.

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Winter Games named Event/Festival of the Year

The University of Okoboji Winter Games was named Tourism Event/Festival of the Year during the 2008 Iowa Tourism Conference.

The Winter Games were chosen from entries for communities with a population up to 10,000. The winning event/festival was based on several criteria including outstanding performance in 2007-2008, outstanding economic impact and effective marketing.

"Okoboji has done a tremendous job in developing a wide mix of activities -- both on and off the ice -- to draw visitors to town in January," said Iowa Tourism Office Manager Nancy Landess. "This year an estimated 30,000 visitors came to watch or take part in more than 55 games."