Loess Hills property
permanently protected

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This article was written and posted on INHF's website in March 2000.

A prime piece of land in the Loess Hills that was once targeted for development has been permanently protected.

Donna and Clifford Rahel of Crescent have permanently protected a 17-acre parcel of their land with a voluntary conservation easement to be held by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF).

The Rahels own approximately 200 acres of land about three miles northwest of Crescent in Pottawattamie County. The land is adjacent to the Hitchcock Nature Area, a previous INHF project that is now owned and operated by the Pottawattamie County Conservation Board.

The decision to protect the 17-acre, subdivided lot came after offers to purchase the land for development purposes. The parcel being protected contains degraded prairie remnants and cropground.

By protecting their land with a conservation easement, the Rahels will retain full ownership, responsibilities and rights of the property while permanently protecting its natural values. The Rahels chose easement language that prohibits any building on the land, allows current agricultural uses to continue and encourages prairie restoration.

As with most other private conservation easements, the Rahel's land will not be open to the public. However, the public does gain open space in the fragile Loess Hills and protected views from Hitchcock Nature Area and elsewhere.

"We wanted to protect the natural character of the property as much as possible," Cliff Rahel said.

As holders of this conservation easement, INHF commits to making sure that the wishes of the Rahels will be carried out permanently. INHF is a statewide, member-supported non-profit group, which builds partnerships and educates Iowans to protect, preserve and enhance Iowa's natural resources "for those who follow". The group has helped with over 50 easements across Iowa and wrote a free book on voluntary land protection.

This conservation easement is just the beginning of plans the Rahel's have for their land. Eventually the couple will protect all of their land, but they are placing easements in increments to spread out their tax advantages.

Because the Rahel's voluntarily restricted their land's potential uses, its potential sale value is reduced. Therefore, the Rahel's and most other conservation easement donors are eligible for significant income tax deductions.

While tax advantages were a part of the reason to donate the value of the easement to INHF, the main reason the Rahel's made their decision was land protection. "We wanted to be sure the land was protected, preserved and restored; however, we did not want to give up title or personal enjoyment of the property during our lifetime. Thus, the conservation easement seemed the best route to take," Cliff Rahel said.

The Rahel conservation easement is part of an ongoing effort to protect land in the Loess Hills by INHF as a partner in the Loess Hills Alliance, a coalition of public and private organizations and landowners committed to protecting Iowa's Loess Hills. The Nature Conservancy, another Alliance partner, recently completed a conservation easement on land near Broken Kettle Grassland, in Plymouth County.

"It is especially important to provide protection buffers around public lands and to protect special resource areas," Mark Ackelson, INHF president said. "Conservation easements give us permanent protection while keeping land in private ownership."

"The Rahel's have shown a commitment to preserving the Loess Hills by placing a conservation easement on their land. Many other landowners are considering this conservation tool as well," Ackelson said. "They want others to be able to share and appreciate the natural beauty of the hills; and make sure they will be able to enjoy the hills forever. We look forward to working with Cliff and Donna and others in the future to help us accomplish our mutual goals."

For more information about conservation easements or a free copy of The Landowner's Options, contact your local county conservation board or INHF.

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

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