Loess Hills State Forest Addition Planned

A planned addition to the Loess Hills State Forest will provide public recreation land, wildlife habitat and a beautiful view along the Loess Hills Scenic Byway.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) purchased the 160-acre property from John and Carole Kress at the request of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). INHF will hold the land until IDNR funds become available.

The site is part of the Soldier Valley Watershed and consists of hills with steep slopes along a tributary of the Missouri River. It includes 111 acres of cropland, 15 acres of prairie remnants and 34 acres of woodland.

The property is also one of the highest points between the Murray Hill Scenic Overlook -- a popular overlook on the Loess Hills Scenic Byway -- and the town of Pisgah.

"This site is important because it borders existing public land in the Loess Hills State Forest," said Mark Ackelson, INHF president. "It's also one of the 12 priority areas identified in a recent National Park Service Study. We get higher conservation benefits by creating this type of complex of protected land rather than scattered parcels."

INHF is using funds from the Blufflands Revolving Loan Fund created by the state of Iowa for the acquisition, with the rest of the funds coming from INHF's Loess Hills discretionary endowment fund.

The Kress family will retain crop rights to the site through the 2005 season. After that point, the IDNR plans to convert about 83 acres of the cropland into prairie and forest over 3 to 15 years. Once the IDNR has purchased the property from INHF, the land will be open to the public for hunting, hiking and nature study.

"This property will become a unique spot in the forest to hunt, hike and study nature - after we give the land some much needed rest from all of its past uses," Area Forester Brent Olson said. "The public will thoroughly enjoy the remnant prairies and forest, as well as the areas that will be planted to local ecotype prairies on the south-facing slopes, and to woodlands on the north-facing slopes."

"This acquisition demonstrates the crucial role INHF plays in working with conservation-minded landowners and agencies," Ackelson said. "The land will be a great addition to the Loess Hills State Forest, especially when the prairie has been reconstructed."

Past INHF projects in Harrison County include Saw Mill Hollow, the Rocking R Farm Conservation Easement and an addition to the Murray Hill Overlook.

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