Pocahontas County acquires
wildlife area

---

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

Both wildlife and people can soon enjoy a new wildlife area in Pocahontas County.

The Pocahontas County Conservation Board (PCCB) recently acquired 160 acres of land from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), a non-profit conservation group dedicated to preserving Iowa's land, water and wildlife. The tract, located one and one-half miles north of Varina, will be known as the Crotty Wildlife Area. It is adjacent to the existing Westmoreland Wildlife Area.

The acquisition complements the corridor of wildlife areas in Pocahontas County that extend from Sunken Grove and Shimon Marsh through Little Clear Lake and Swan Lake onward to many wildlife areas in Palo Alto, Clay, Emmet and Dickinson counties. A large marshy area on the Crotty tract also adjoins a restored marsh on the Westmoreland Wildlife Area. Together, the two tracts will restore the boundaries of the original marsh.

A large portion of the Crotty tract has been wet and marginally productive since the time it was originally plowed. In 2001, Margery Crotty of Pocahontas and the former owner of the land, enrolled it in the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). Mrs. Crotty then sold her land to INHF in March 2002. INHF held the residual rights until Pocahontas County was ready to purchase the land this spring.

"The WRP program was designed help farmers get out of farming poorly-drained ground," said Bruce Mountain, Land Projects Director for INHF. "It saves taxpayer money for crop insurance and drainage efforts, while also adding the benefits of wildlife habitat and public recreation."

"We want to restore the Crotty Wetland Area to its natural state so it can be utilized by the public for outdoor activities," said Brian Reis, director of the Pocahontas County Conservation Board. After restoration is complete, the area will constitute first-class habitat for pheasant and waterfowl production and hunting. It will also support bird-watching and hiking.

The Crotty Wildlife Area is dedicated to the memory of John Desmond "Des" Crotty, a Pocahontas County native and long-time attorney, who died in 1998.

Past INHF projects in Pocahontas County include the Wiegert Prairie Farm, Cooper's Cove Park Addition, Leo Shimon Marsh, the Three Rivers Trail, and the Swan Lake restoration.



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

Back to the news archive