As a boy, Rod Bakken climbed Chimney Rock and roamed the bluffs near his hometown of Ridgeway, playing explorer and falling in love with the land.

Although Bakken grew up and left home, he never forgot northeast Iowa.

Rod Bakken and his wife, Nancy Bakken, both of Ames, recently ensured their 278 acres in Winneshiek and Howard Counties would be protected forever. They donated a conservation easement to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, a non-profit conservation group.

Conservation easement donors voluntarily restrict certain land uses for themselves and for all 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.

The Bakkens chose to prohibit logging, commercial or industrial activities, development, mining and other non-compatible uses. As the easement holder, INHF will monitor the site to make certain easement conditions are still being met.

“The opportunity for people to be in wild places is getting scarcer. As that happens, it becomes even more important to preserve wild places,” Rod Bakken said. “I don’t think wild places are an extra in life. I think they’re a necessity in life.”

The Bakken land is seven miles north and two miles east of Cresco, about two miles south of the Minnesota border. The property includes diverse woodlands and oak savanna: black walnut, red oak, white oak and shagbark hickory trees are all found there.

The Upper Iowa River and Bigalk Creek, a coldwater trout stream, both cut through the Bakken property.

“This unique easement will protect the viewshed and water quality of the Upper Iowa River, protect Bigalk Creek, and provide quality wildlife habitat,” said Joe McGovern, INHF’s land stewardship program director. “The easement protects approximately one-half mile on both sides of the Upper Iowa River and another one-half mile on one side of the river.”

The remainder of the land is in agriculture. The Bakkens’ easement also protects this agricultural ground from development.

“One of Rod’s values was keeping some ag ground as ag ground and wandering spaces as wandering spaces. Both of those seem to be in decline,” Nancy Bakken said.

The couple plans to build a home on the property where a barn and a few small outbuildings currently exist, so they don’t disturb the rest of the land. The Bakkens spend about 40 weekends of the year on their property and plan to move there in the future.

“We’re just going to utilize the structure that is already there,” Nancy Bakken said. “There have been a couple new houses that overlook the river built in the last four or five years. We want to do our part to protect the ridges.”

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