CASE STUDY: Vincent Bluff Nature preserve

photo by Anita O'Gara/INHF

Vincent Bluff Nature preserve is
now owned by the City of Council
Bluffs and managed as a natural
park. It’s a popular destination for
prairie hikes and other educational
programs.

The city of Council Bluffs is set among Iowa’s beautiful Loess Hills.

Mildred Vincent and family owned and loved a 31-acre bluff and its native prairie for more than 50 years. Over time, their property was annexed by the city and surrounded by development.

Widowed, no longer able to live on her property, and concerned about financing long-term care for herself and a disabled adult son, Mildred needed to sell her main asset—her land. Over the years, many potential buyers had offered to purchase the bluff for development, but she wanted it to remain natural.

Though she couldn’t reduce her price, Mildred worked with the Loess Hills Preservation Society, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and City of Council Bluffs to arrange flexible sale terms. She sold the land on contract with 6-month installment payments. Her flexibility allowed the partners to launch an extensive fundraising campaign that eventually drew nearly 300 public and private donations to protect Vincent Bluff Nature preserve.

While it’s highly unusual for a project sold at fair market value to carry the seller’s name, Mildred Vincent went out of her way to arrange flexible sale terms for her conservation partners.