Conservation easement
placed on Otis Road property

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This article was written and posted on INHF's website in June 2001. 

A Cedar Rapids woman is protecting her property in the Otis Road and Indian Creek area as permanent open space.

Marilynn Keller placed a conservation easement on her property to guard the 56-acre tract against urban sprawl and to protect the Cedar River and Indian Creek watersheds from erosion caused by development along the bluffs.

"When a person owns a piece of land, they feel close to it and they feel a certain responsibility for its care," said Keller, who has owned and lived on the property since the early 1970s. "Since I'm only going to be on the earth for a few short years, I'd like to make sure it will be maintained or preserved in a healthy state."

Under the terms of the conservation easement, which was donated to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), the land will no longer be available for residential subdivision, commercial agriculture, mining or construction of new buildings. Keller will continue living there, and the property will still be used for horse pasture, limited timber harvest and low-impact recreational and residential purposes. The conservation easement will remain attached to the property title forever, even if the land changes owners.

The Keller property contains timber, reconstructed prairie, and a wet marsh.

"It seems relatively simple to take a few steps to control the erosion," she said. "I would like to see that continued and the existing ecosystems maintained."

INHF, which helped Keller work out the details of the agreement, is a non-profit, member-supported organization that protects land, water, and wildlife in Iowa "for those who follow." INHF will monitor the property to ensure that the terms of the easement are met.

INHF has preserved about 65,000 acres of land in Iowa since 1979, including the Cedar River Greenbelt, Faulkes Heritage Woods, and the Cedar Valley and Hoover Nature Trails in Linn County.

Lisa Hein, Program and Planning Director for INHF, said, "Easements help protect land for future generations, regardless of ownership. Marilynn's land remains private property, and she will continue to manage, maintain and improve it. This easement is unique because the goal is to keep the open space and rural character of the land. Each conservation easement we do is different and is based on the needs of the land and the landowner. Marilynn's easement will help maintain the rural character along Otis Road."

INHF is helping other landowners in the Otis Road neighborhood to protect their property's natural values. The Indian Creek Nature Center recently placed a conservation easement on the Bena Farm, which is owned by the center.

The Bena Farm easement was funded in part by a grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation. Money from the grant was also used to host a series of workshops on land protection and conservation easements for area landowners.

Rich Patterson of the Indian Creek Nature Center said of Keller, who attended the workshops, "I'm delighted that a citizen has taken such a visionary step as protecting the beauty of her property."

For more information about Foundation news, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.

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