Special Prairie Area Protected through Easement

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This page was written and posted online in December 2005.

Anyone walking through the 72 acres of Grant Ridge eleven years ago would have easily recognized the crop field, a hayfield and an old cattle pasture.  What may not have been apparent is that the pasture contains one of Iowa’s few never-plowed prairie remnants.  It was this prairie that drew Cindy Hildebrand and her husband Roger Maddux to the property in 1994.

Cathy Engstrom/INHF

Cindy Hildebrand and husband Roger Maddux look over a conservation easement for their 72-acre restored prairie southwest of Nevada.

For the last decade the couple has worked to create what Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation’s Joe McGovern calls “one of the most admirable prairie restoration efforts around Iowa.”  Now they are preserving their land, located southwest of Nevada, for future generations through a voluntary protection agreement also known as a conservation easement.

Easements help protect land for future generations, regardless of changes in ownership.  Though the land is not open to the public the easement offers a number of public benefits including protecting a variety of uncommon plants and animals, providing educational opportunities, sharing seed for public areas and improving water quality.

Since the couple acquired the land, they have restored the prairie remnant and reconstructed prairie on the crop field, using seeds native to the site and surrounding areas.  They plan to convert the hayfield to prairie sometime the future.  Thanks to their efforts, Grant Ridge contains an unusually diverse species mix.

“Grant Ridge is particularly special because of its natural prairie remnant,” said McGovern, land stewardship program director at INHF.  “It’s a window into our state’s past prairie landscape.”           

The land shelters a few species that are on Iowa's endangered, threatened, and special-concern list.  Story County's first documented Henslow's sparrows were found nesting on Grant Ridge a few years ago, and regal fritillary butterflies and bull snakes call it home.  Other uncommon prairie dwellers such as bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows and prairie violets can also be found.

The couple decided to donate the easement to the INHF to protect these species and the entire prairie ecosystem beyond their lifetimes.

"We've seen a lot of rural development in Story County in the past two decades," said Hildebrand.  "We know development will continue, but we want to make sure that Grant Ridge will remain a natural area.  All land ownership is temporary, so we decided a permanent easement was a good choice."

Each easement is individualized for the land and landowner who places it.  Under the terms of their agreement, the couple has chosen unusually restrictive language to protect the land.  No development will be allowed on the property.  This includes all agricultural practices and buildings of any kind.  

“We are happy to help protect such a high quality piece of land.  It is by far one of the best prairie reconstructions I’ve ever seen,” said McGovern. “Cindy and Roger are prairie enthusiasts through and through.  They’ve attempted to do everything right and that is so rare.” 

Hildebrand is a board member of the Iowa Prairie Network and serves on several environmental and land-use committees.  In 1998 Hildebrand received the Hagie Heritage Award, an honor from INHF that recognizes Iowans who have made an outstanding volunteer contribution to the states natural habitat.    More recently she was chosen as the 2004-2005 winner of the Wild Iowa Essay Project sponsored by the Agrestal Fund of INHF. 

McGovern described Hildebrand and Maddux as “leaders in prairie preservation and highly respected among their peers.”

The couple also offers field trips on Grant Ridge, and university scientists have carried out several research projects on the property.   With the help of the Story Conservation Board, prairie seed from Grant Ridge is donated every year to public and private plantings. 

"It's good to know Grant Ridge is helping to expand prairie habitat and also educating Iowans," said Maddux, a mathematics professor at Iowa State University. "We hope it will do so for many years.  Good management is critical for prairies, so we are taking steps to ensure the land will be managed well in perpetuity.  And we are grateful to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for providing a conservation easement option to Iowa landowners."

For more information about this story, see the related magazine article.

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