INHF and REAP

---

INHF

Iowa’s Resource Enhancement and Protection program (REAP) has provided conservation funding to every Iowa county and become a national model for other states.

This article first appeared in INHF's Fall 2007 magazine.

Over the years, INHF has been a partner in numerous land and trail projects competing for REAP grants—through applications submitted by our partners or INHF itself. We have a good record of high rankings (and funding), and 2007 was no exception. The following INHF partner projects received REAP funds this fall.

Upper Iowa River acquisition, Winneshiek County

REAP funds will help the Iowa DNR acquire a 26-acre in-holding within a large public area along the Upper Iowa River. The property includes 12 acres of woodland, eight acres of restored prairie and six acres of open pasture. INHF was involved in landowner negotiations, interim ownership and submitting the grant.

Ankeny to Woodward Trail

Andrea Chase/INHF

The Ankeny to Woodward Trail received several REAP grants this fall, including funds to help complete this segment between Slater and Sheldahl. INHF helped secure this trail corridor, part of the Central Iowa Trails Network, and plays a continuing role in its development.

Thanks to multiple REAP grant awards, three communities (Sheldahl, Slater and Madrid) along the Ankeny to Woodward trail will be able to construct trail segments within their city limits. REAP also helped fund a trail link from Sheldahl to Slater and the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail. INHF helped acquire this 25-mile corridor from Union Pacific Railroad and is part of the multi-jurisdictional committee that guides the implementation of this complex project.

And that’s not all….
INHF was also a partner in the following projects, all funded by new REAP grants. INHF’s roles on these projects include landowner negotiations, temporary ownership, initial restoration efforts and/or fundraising assistance.

• Buchanan County. The county conservation board is purchasing 151 acres located along one mile of the Wapsipinicon River, one of Iowa’s five Protected Water Areas.

• Pottawattamie County. The county conservation board is acquiring a 100-acre addition that will expand the hiking trails within Hitchcock Nature Area. The addition contains quality prairie and oak savanna remnants.

• Dallas County. The Iowa DNR will be able to purchase an addition to the Kuehn Conservation Area, a popular county site.  

• Jasper County. The Jasper County Fen will be owned by the county conservation board. This 31-acre site contains a small but diverse fen, a unique kind of wetland.

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