Private landowners
protect blufflands

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This article was written and posted on INHF's website in March 1999.

"I’ve worked all over the United States," says Doug Mullen of Allamakee County. "And I still believe northeast Iowa is the best-kept secret of beauty and natural wonders that I’ve seen."

We agree—and add that the people who live there are pretty special too!

The Foundation’s 1998 efforts in the Mississippi Bluffs were highlighted by the addition of three conservation easements donated by generous landowners, each in a different county. The three donated conservation easements provide wildlife habitat plus a natural view of the Mississippi River bluffs for residents and visitors. Though all three easements restrict development, each is as individual as the donor.

Doug Mullen donated development rights on a 30-acre Mississippi blufftop just south of Lansing. Mullen plans to donate all development and grazing rights on the balance of his 184-acre property in the future, spreading the income tax benefits over several years. His primary motivation is to safeguard the wildlife habitat.

In Dubuque County, the Four Mounds Foundation donated a conservation easement on their 40-acre Bertsch Educational Farm. Their easement allows for Four Mounds’ outdoor educational/work programs for at-risk teens while preserving the land’s natural beauty and environmental integrity.

In Jackson County, St. John Lutheran Church and two sisters (Isabelle Rickert and Mary Weigert) donated a conservation easement on land their family had given to the church. The easement formalized good stewardship practiced by the Rickert family for three generations: no building, a soil-saving crop rotation system, and a limited timber harvest plan.

As these examples illustrate, conservation easements allow willing landowners to sell or donate selected property rights to a conservation agency (in this case, INHF). The easement becomes a permanent part of the deed, and INHF promises to monitor the land to ensure it isn’t violated. Meanwhile, the land remains in private hands and on the tax rolls.

In addition to these easements, Foundation staff provide one-on-one contact with blufflands landowners, presentations to local service groups, and technical assistance for local planning and zoning commissions.

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