Cherokee County easement
protects unique land

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A new conservation easement will protect a rare and lovely Cherokee County site for future generations.

Ruth Alliband donated a conservation easement on her land along the Little Sioux River valley near Cherokee to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), a nonprofit conservation organization that protects Iowa's land, water and wildlife.

Though only 46 acres, the protected land has a wealth of natural features including dry native prairies, large bur oaks and upland wildlife species. Many of the land's steeply sloping portions have never been plowed. The tallgrass prairie remnant includes native species such as prairie dropseed, Indian grass, big and little bluestem, junegrass and side oats gramma. Other plants located on the land include wild hops, buffalo bean, hog peanut, two kinds of New Jersey tea (americanus and ovatus) and Indian turnip.

"The area within the conservation easement boundaries is so unique because of the stands of tallgrass prairie on the south-facing bluffs overlooking a creek system that meanders toward the Little Sioux River," said Alliband. "There are also many forbs (flowers) on the hillsides, as well as numerous plants."

Conservation easement donors voluntarily restrict certain land uses for themselves and future owners. Although the land is still privately owned, it remains protected in perpetuity. The value of the donated rights may become a tax-deductible contribution for the donor.

Alliband chose to prohibit development, mining, grazing and other non-compatible uses and to allow ecological restoration, including controlled prairie burns. As easement holder, INHF will monitor the site annually to make sure easement conditions are still being met.

The land has been in Alliband's family since the late 1920s. After the easement was completed, Alliband sold the land to Ron Vos. "I decided to sell the land because I felt it needed more hands-on management than I was able to provide from my home in Minnesota," Alliband said, "but I very much wanted to have some assurances of conservation that would exist beyond the duration of one carefully selected successor."

Joe McGovern, INHF land stewardship program director, worked with Alliband and Vos to draft the easement. "This is a wonderful native prairie and oak savanna with a lot of potential. Through permanent protection and future stewardship it will become even better," said McGovern.

Vos said he plans to maintain and enhance the land, perhaps by expanding the existing prairies. He would also like to allow college students to study the diverse species on the land.

"We all worked closely on the easement. I believe that we had the same goal in the mind: to preserve the present state of the land," said Vos.

INHF has protected more than 75,000 acres of land throughout the state. This is INHF's first completed project in Cherokee County.


Photo: Ron Vos and Ruth Alliband on the donated land (by Joe McGovern).