Local Visionaries are key to
River Bend project

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

Nearly two years ago residents around the River Bend area east of Decorah began seeking alternatives to a proposed housing development on 88 acres along the Upper Iowa River. Today, those 88 acres plus more than 800 additional acres are permanently protected for scenery, wildlife habitat and some farming.

The final piece fell into place with the official transfer of 11 conservation easements from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) on Dec. 20.

The project's successful resolution took many partners, including IDNR, the non-profit INHF organization, dozens of project donors-and especially-12 local families who donated conservation easements on their land so that the project would work.

"These families realized that people have power to shape the future of their watershed-and then they did something about it," said Darrel Mills, INHF's staff coordinator for this project.

The twelve donating families include Jon and Janet Christianson; Irving and Jane Forster; Karl and Claraphan Knudson; Paul and Pat Johnson; Steve McCargar and Heidi Swets; Dale and Sunny Nimrod; Mark and Lana Oyloe; David and Kathy Reed-Maxfield; David and Perry-O Sliwa; James and Nancy Ulring; Mark and Amy Webber; and Ted and Pine Wilson.

"So much of the land in Iowa being privately owned is a blessing and burden both," said Heidi Swets, a conservation easement donor. "We've lost much of the native vegetation and wild character of Iowa, but it's also an opportunity for concerned landowners to regain some of what we've lost."

Based on these landowners' pledges to donate conservation easements for the project, INHF purchased an 88-acre parcel slated to become a housing development plus an adjacent 40 acres from Gertrude Seegmiller of Decorah in March 2000. As planned, INHF later resold the land to the Iowa DNR, which will pay the local property taxes. The DNR has since opened the 128 acres as public wildlife area. Though the easements aren't all contiguous, each is either on the Upper Iowa River, on a tributary or adjacent to previously protected land.

The DNR does not pay for full development rights on property, which INHF had to pay Seegmiller in order to get it. Therefore, INHF packaged the Seegmiller property with the donated conservation easements so that DNR got more total land protection for its money. DNR now owns the former Seegmiller land and holds conservation easements on the private parcels.

A conservation easement is a legal tool that allows private landowners to maintain private ownership while donating selected land rights, such as building rights. Once donated, a conservation easement remains a permanent part of the land deed, transferring to future owners.

A conservation easement's value is determined by an independent appraiser and is the difference between the property's value before vs. after the easement restrictions. For example, the easement donors around River Bend generally donated their rights to construct residential, commercial or industrial building developments; mine; dump trash or alter the landscape. Many chose to donate additional rights, such as timber harvest limits or motor vehicle use, as fit their land and situation.

Donors maintained their rights to private ownership, existing buildings, existing agricultural practices and more. Though the conservation easements are not open for public use, they benefit the public by protecting scenery, water quality and habitat. They can aid the local tourism economy and quality of life. Some donors may be eligible for tax benefits based on their donations.

"The 'cost' to us was a donation of something that we hadn't previously recognized as having any 'stand alone' value," said Mark Webber, one of the conservation easement donors. "Sure, we value the fact that there is no development on our piece of land, but we haven't given that away. To the contrary, we've ensured it!"

"These aren't the first conservation easements along the Upper Iowa River, and they won't be the last," said Mark Ackelson, INHF president. "But it took this combination of easement donors at this time to make the whole package work. We and the people of Iowa owe them a big thank-you."

INHF already holds conservation easements along the Upper Iowa, including Chimney Rock and the palisades near Bluffton (which the private owner later sold to the county). The DNR also held a previous easement in the area.

Meanwhile, conversations continue with other area landowners. "I've talked with several other landowners in this area who are considering future easements but whose land didn't fit the criteria for the River Bend project," said Mills. "There's a lot more than can and will be done here in the future."

In addition to the easement donors, 22 individuals or groups contributed cash donations totaling $24,365 to the River Bend project. Major donors include Alliant Energy. An unknown number of individuals contributed through local project fundraising conducted by the Decorah High School Science Club and Luther College Environmental Concerns.

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

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