Easement protects 312 acres along Upper Iowa River

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This article was written and posted on INHF's website in March, 2005.

A voluntary land use agreement now permanently protects more than half a mile of scenic shoreline along both sides of the Upper Iowa River. The site is located along the most canoed section of the river, about two miles downstream of Kendallville.

The agreement was made between Coldwater Creek Farms, LLC (CCF), the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). It preserves 312 acres along both banks of the river in Winneshiek County.

"We have to temper the pace of development by making strong efforts to protect important natural areas like the Upper Iowa River Corridor," said CCF President Bill Heine, who purchased the property in 2002 intending to protect it. "The sight of a dozen bald eagles soaring on an updraft over the limestone bluffs along this river is something everyone should have a chance to witness, and we owe it to future generations to protect as much of this area as we can."

Under the terms of the agreement, CCF retains ownership of the property. They relinquish all future rights for development, mining or other incompatible activities while retaining rights to use the land for conservation-minded agriculture. INHF is responsible for ensuring that CCF and all future owners of the property follow the terms of the agreement, which is also known as a conservation easement.

The NRCS Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP), a federal program designed to protect agricultural lands threatened by development, compensated CCF for half of the easement's appraised value. FRPP helps fund conservation easements by partially reimbursing landowners for decreased real estate value on lands permanently protected from development.

CFF donated 25 percent of the easement's value, and the DK Prediger Upper Iowa River Fund and INHF members provided additional funding.

"It's not often you have the opportunity to protect both sides of the river like this, especially in an area with such great natural resources," said Joe McGovern, Director of Land Stewardship at INHF. "This site will also be enjoyed by thousands of canoeists who pass along that stretch of the river each year."

The property is notable for its native oak and hickory woodlands, reconstructed prairie and limestone outcroppings, as well as its shared boundary with a wildlife management area operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. According to McGovern the land protected by the easement also provides especially good wildlife habitat because it protects both shores of the river.

INHF has designated the Upper Iowa River as one of its target protection areas and is committed to helping landowners who want to permanently protect their land. Known for its scenic beauty and towering limestone bluffs, the river is the only waterway in Iowa to qualify for federal designation as a Wild and Scenic River.

The CFF agreement is the fifth FRPP conservation easement INHF has completed, following two others along the Upper Iowa River and two in the Loess Hills in Western Iowa. The use of FRPP funds is fairly new in Iowa, and was first used by INHF and The Nature Conservancy to preserve land in the Loess Hills.

"The FRPP program has limitations that make it inappropriate for most easements," McGovern said. "However, on an exceptional piece of land such as this, it can be a terrific option."

This is the second land preservation agreement that Bill Heine has made with INHF. In 2001 he and his brother David Heine donated a 105-acre easement next to the Chimney Rocks along the Upper Iowa River. To date, the INHF has helped protect more than 80,000 acres of wild places throughout the state of Iowa.

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