Landowners protect Iowa’s forest legacy

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

Three northeast Iowa families have protected Iowa’s “forest legacy” through a federal program being used in Iowa for the first time.

The families enrolled their land in the Forest Legacy Program. This federal program is designed to prohibit housing or business developments that could fragment the natural forested areas into parcels that are not compatible with sustainable forestry.

The program is federally funded by the U.S. Forest Service, a unit of USDA. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Forestry Bureau administers the program within the state. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), a nonprofit conservation group, provided technical assistance.

“Though many people don’t generally associate this state with forests, Iowa’s northeast corner has thousands of contiguous acres of woodland,” said John Walkowiak, IDNR Forestry Bureau Chief. “By permanently protecting forested sites where landowners may practice sustainable forestry, these private working forests can continue to serve both the local agricultural economy and the natural resources.”

 The sites remain in private ownership, are not open for public use and can always be utilized for sustainable timber harvest if they follow an approved state forestry forest stewardship plan. The protection of these private forests provides a variety of public benefits including scenery, water quality protection and wildlife habitat. Moreover, because all three sites border existing public areas, those public resources are stabilized and enhanced.

 Mike and Randi Kluesner protected 191 acres bordering Effigy Mounds National Monument and Yellow River State Forest near the Great River Road outside Marquette. Ed and Vickie Staheli protected 35 acres near Lansing that border the national Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and overlook the river itself. Floyd and MaryLou Sollien protected 165 acres bordering the Upper Iowa River Wildlife Area overlooking the Upper Iowa River near Decorah.

“The Forest Legacy Program is complex, time-consuming and requires an owner in-kind donation of a portion of the value to help match the federal funding, so it’s not for every landowner or forested tract,” said Darrel Mills of INHF. “However, for high quality sites like these—sites that border public natural areas—this private forestland protection provides a valuable buffer.”

Each family received between 65-75 percent of the value of permanent conservations easements based upon a fair market appraisal that met federal standards. The conservation easement is a legal agreement which attaches to the land title and permanently prohibits development and other activities that are incompatible with sustainable forestry. The landowners each donated the other 25 to 35 percent of their easement’s value to help meet federal funding requirements. The IDNR Foresters will permanently monitor the easements with annual field visits with the landowners.

“Bringing the Forest Legacy Program to Iowa required many players up front and behind the scenes,” said Dennis Michel of IDNR Bureau of Forestry. “In addition to the landowners and the program partners already mentioned, we had significant support from Iowa’s congressional delegation, including Senators Harkin and Grassley and Representatives Latham and Nussle.”

Two other properties—60 acres in Clarke county and 255 acres in Harrison county—were also recently protected through the Forest Legacy Program, said Walkowiak. With these additions, Iowa has now protected 706 acres under the Forest Legacy Program.

The partner agencies are now working with landowners on three other sites in northeast Iowa’s Mississippi River blufflands, hoping to complete more Forest Legacy Program easements by 2006. Meanwhile, applications for 2007 have been evaluated and are eligible for possible future federal funding.

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