USDA program blends
farming and conservation

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This article was written and posted on INHF's website in March 2003.

A collaboration between conservation organizations and private landowners recently protected two Loess Hills sites under the USDA's Farmland Protection Program (FPP).

The federal FPP program compensates farmers who want to maintain their land's agricultural uses-while permanently protecting it from development, mining and other threats.

Mark and Kay Crowl of Woodbury County and Steve and Denise Bartel of Monona County finalized FPP conservation easements on sections of their farms in late February. Crowls' property is located along a particularly scenic stretch of the Loess Hills Scenic Byway. Bartels' property adjoins the Sylvan Runkel State Preserve.

"It's a win-win situation between landowners, conservation organizations and the federal government, if done properly," said Steve and Denise Bartel.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and the Iowa chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) worked with the landowners and applied to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to bring FPP to Iowa for the first time. INHF and TNC are both private, nonprofit conservation groups. NRCS is a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administers the FPP program.

Their Iowa pilot project included five, privately-owned farms in Iowa's Loess Hills. INHF negotiated and fundraised for the Crowl and Bartel easements. TNC completed a conservation easement near the Broken Kettle Grasslands in Plymouth County last fall and is working on two more.

"Some of Iowa's most threatened farmland is near natural areas and parks," said Mark Ackelson, INHF president. "The Crowl and Bartel farms both contain native prairie pastures, but these FPP easements also help protect adjoining conservation areas, wildlife habitat, open space, scenery-and family farms in highly developable areas."

"We wanted to protect our property from future development, and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation made it possible for us to do this," said Mark and Kay Crowl.

In exchange for their easements, the landowners were partially compensated by FPP payments, along with contributions from the Iowa Department of Transportation, Loess Hills Alliance, INHF and other private sources. Both families also donated part of the easement value, which can be considered a charitable gift for tax purposes. A conservation easement's monetary value is determined by appraising the value of the restricted uses (in this case, primarily development and mining).

"Placing FPP easements requires commitment from all involved, so it may not be for everyone," said Ackelson. "The FPP program paid 50 percent of the cost to purchase conservation restrictions. The other funds had to be raised from the landowners and outside sources. While FPP is a great opportunity for local agencies and farmers to protect important natural resources, raising the match money and covering the related project costs is a challenge."

INHF's Ackelson hopes FPP will help supplement the statewide and local efforts to protect the Loess Hills. In fact, INHF is now working with the NRCS and other private landowners to place FPP easements in northeast Iowa and hopes to do more in the Loess Hills as additional funds become available.

"It is time Iowa's conservation efforts, such as the Loess Hills Alliance and REAP [Resource Enhancement and Protection], be funded at adequate levels to help local communities and the state protect our important natural, cultural and recreational resources," Ackelson notes.

"There is a daily threat of land conversion to non-agricultural use," Ackelson adds. "I'd like to see such farmland protection programs become a model for future land protection not only in the Loess Hills, but elsewhere in the state. FPP is another tool that cities, counties and other groups can use to protect land."

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

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