Challenges...for those who follow

---

"We—all of us—must think bigger and demand more…and then do more."
- Mark C. Ackelson

By Mark C. Ackelson, INHF president

I've always felt that conservation is really a people business. Every Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation project involves personal relationships—with landowners, donors, partners, communities and the environment—and we've worked hard to build those relationships over the last 25 years. Motivating and engaging people to do what is best for Iowa's land, water and wildlife—not to mention our citizens—may well be the most important part of our work.

This magazine highlights some of our past accomplishments and the people stories behind them. We're proud of our reputation as an action-oriented, can-do organization—and we're humbled by all the people who helped us get there. But we cannot celebrate our Silver Anniversary without also looking ahead to next year, to our Golden Anniversary and beyond. How will we continue to engage people in the important business of conserving Iowa's resources?

Recently, much public attention has been focused on Iowa's impaired waters, damaged natural systems and vanishing open spaces. Some see this as a new awareness, but it's actually a renewed awareness. Sadly many of these issues were studied, monitored and documented 70 years ago in the 1933 Iowa Twenty-Five Year Plan for Conservation and the 1935 Iowa State Planning Board, 2nd Report.

In some ways it is frightening how little progress has been made. Water is a reflection of our land use—and of ourselves—and the current situation does not reflect well on us. Though we're pointed in the right direction again, many Iowans don't seem fully committed to restoring balance to our lands and waters. We're too content with short-term, feel-good solutions rather than the permanent landscape changes that need to occur. We seem to lack the political will as a state, and most of our leaders seem reluctant to take the bold actions necessary to create adequately funded programs.

Meanwhile, communities in nearby states have recognized the importance of a healthy environment, recreation opportunities and natural areas to their quality of life—and thus their economy.

Former Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, said it best when he reminded us "the economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment."
We—all of us—must think bigger and demand more…and then do more. According to Iowa's 1933 conservation plan, "Not for too visionary, but for too meager-minded planning shall we be held to account." We invite you to join us as we look beyond INHF's first 25 years. We're striving toward these goals:

develop larger complexes of protected public and private lands to provide important habitat and recreation areas, restore entire watersheds and link trails into trail systems;

continue to lead by example on our own lands and challenge other public and private landowners to achieve higher standards of land management, stewardship and restoration;

educate our citizens, elected officials and colleagues of the economic impacts of conservation, recreation and environmental protection;

help develop new programs and policies to reward landowners for conservation while providing disincentives for land and water abuse;

create new conservation funding initiatives and support from Iowa's citizens while pushing to re-deploy existing public funds;

more fully engage communities where we do projects with expanded education and outreach to increase the impact, understanding, support and meaning of our work;

broaden our base of members, volunteers and other partners to include more ethnic diversity, youth, educators, and broader coalitions; and then

convert education into action to restore balance to Iowa's landscape and make Iowa an even better place to live.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to our visionary founders. We also are thankful to our dedicated board, advisors, staff and interns—plus our incredible partners and supporters.

During my 25 years at INHF, my greatest privilege has been getting to work with people who care: people who love land, love Iowa, love the people, love the communities in this state and love our mission of preserving Iowa's natural heritage "for those who follow."
Conservation is a people business, and these people give me hope for the future.

"One project at a time, year after year, the Foundation has created partnerships, listened, collaborated, educated and patiently worked to find new and original solutions to challenging problems. It is this amazing aptitude to bring many voices together and to create a new way of thinking about and solving problems that makes me most proud to be associated with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation."

-Barbara MacGregor, former INHF board chair

updated May, 2004

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, director of communications, or call (515) 288-1846.