What makes the Mississippi River Blufflands special

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Just fifteen years ago, northeast Iowa was mainly small farms. The valleys and fields were used for crops and grazing. The large oak/hickory forests produced railroad ties and firewood. Most of the bluff overlooks and goat prairies were left untouched. Recreational cabins and homes were clustered along the river. Land could be purchased for less than $200 per acre.

All this has changed! Today, nearly all the valleys adjacent to the Mississippi River are subdivided. Unplanned development marches on, with woodlands and prairies destroyed forever. Each gouge in a hillside is another blow to the wildlife and the future.

This paradise is being lost, piece by piece. Meanwhile land prices skyrocket, making conservation much more challenging even as it becomes more urgent.

There's no time to lose - not just for our sakes, but for the wildlife.

The Blufflands are at the heart of a major international flyway! This area is critical for hundreds of species especially for the songbirds that migrate from Central and South America.

Warblers and orioles, scarlet tanagers and hummingbirds...without woodland and river habitat in the Mississippi Blufflands, these birds will not survive for long. Many need large blocks of unbroken timber. Protecting a few acres here and there is just not enough.

Mississippi River Blufflands protection

Private, voluntary action is the key     

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