Where
the wild things are
By Cathy Engstrom
 Bob de Neui stands
by one of the giant cottonwoods protected by his conservation
easement. "I call these big trees my 'Monarchs of the Glen.'"
For a map
and more information about the de Neui easement read the story
below and/or see the related news release.
Not long after Bob
de Neui bought his Hardin County farm in 1974, he began pruning
his trees to improve their future timber value. One year he trimmed
1,200 walnut trees-a valuable future harvest.
But as the years passed and the trees grew, Bob's views about
his land's value changed. Last month-and also in 1996-he and his
wife Joell donated a conservation easement on parts of their farm
to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Both easements prohibit,
among other things, all timber harvesting.
"I'm not against people cutting trees," notes Bob (repeatedly).
"We need selective logging-for houses, pianos, baseball bats-all
kinds of things. But I also think some places need to be left
wild."
A wild place
When growing up on the family farm near Steamboat Rock, Bob
and his father sometimes dropped their chores on pleasant afternoons
to hunt for mushrooms or fish on a nearby farm. Years later, while
working for the Navy in Washington, D.C., Bob learned that the
same farmer who permitted access for those boyhood adventures
was selling the property. Bob bought the 500-acre farm and soon
settled there with his family. Over the years, they purchased
another 200 adjoining acres. Bob and Joell raised their four children
(now adults) on this land. They named it ForestWilde Farm.
ForestWilde offers a visual feast from top to bottom. Crop fields
scattered on the relatively flat hilltops contrast with surrounding
rings of buffer strip grasses. Steep, wooded ravines fall to tiny
streams that feed the Iowa River. Prairie grasses wave on the
lowest fields. Bald eagles swoop along nearly a mile of Iowa River
frontage-including Bob's favorite fishing spot. Towering trees
overlook a healthy understory that promises spring wildflowers
and morels.
Conservation priorities
Over the years, the de Neuis have taken many steps to protect
their land's conservation values. They kept cattle out of the
timber. They planted wildflowers and prairie grasses to improve
wildlife habitat. They enrolled 100 acres of cropland into the
Conservation Reserve Program and planted more than 100,000 trees
and shrubs. They became active in the Iowa River Greenbelt Resource
Trust (IRGRT), a group of local citizens committed to preserving,
protecting and enhancing the region's special natural resources.
"The de Neuis are models for good conservation," says
Lisa Hein, INHF's Program and Planning Director. "They understand
how all the pieces fit together. They and other members of IRGRT
realize that protecting their area is not just the county's responsibility
but everyone's responsibility."
Adjoining the headquarters of the Hardin County Conservation Board
to its west and Mann Wilderness Area to its east, ForestWilde
Farm was identified in IRGRT's longterm plan as a priority area
for natural resource protection.
The de Neui's 1996 conservation easement donation to INHF appraised
at nearly $240,000. It protected 200 acres of ForestWilde, including
its river frontage. Their second conservation easement protected
another 98 acres and is appraised at about $335,000. Each time
they also contributed to INHF's conservation easement monitoring
fund.
Conservation easements allow landowners to retain private ownership
and selected land uses while permanently restricting other uses.
The heart of any conservation easement document is the section
on permitted and prohibited uses. These are developed mutually
by the easement donor (de Neuis) and easement holder (INHF). Their
easement's permitted uses include farming on existing fields,
hunting and possible construction of a building in a designated
building envelope in a low-impact area. Prohibited uses include
all logging, animal confinements, mining and construction outside
the designated envelope.
"Logging and grazing in woods can be o.k. in moderation,
but we need to be careful," notes Bob. "Balance is the
key. Society used to think we had to exploit everything to improve
our quality of life, but now we realize that too much exploitation
actually lowers our quality of life. I want these woods to be
here for my kids and beyond-not sold off for a Ferrari or a house
on Clear Lake."
Cathy Engstrom
is INHF's Director of Communications.
For
more information
1. How
do conservation easements work?
2. Related news release on de
Neui easement
3. Other INHF projects in the Iowa River Greenbelt.
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has worked with Hardin County
residents to protect the scenic Iowa River in their county for
more than 15 years. INHF helped create the Iowa River Greenbelt
Resource Trust and then provided assistance as they developed
a comprehensive plan for the greenbelt, outlining a mix of wilderness
areas, recreation areas, trails and scenic drives. INHF has helped
protect many special sites along the Iowa River, including Sand
Springs Wildlife Area, Sandstone Palisades, Wildcat Cave Access,
and--last year--a 68-acre addition to Pine
Lake State Park.
For more information,
e-mail Cathy Engstrom,
Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.
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