Support Current Projects
These current projects need financial support now. Each of them will become public lands with wildlife benefits.
Land Protection
Brenton Slough
In partnership with Polk County Conservation and the Brenton Family, INHF has purchased 1,113 acres located in Polk and Dallas counties commonly called the Brenton Slough. In an area undergoing rapid change and growth, conservation of such a large, established natural area are rare.
Jim Wooley Family Tract — Madison & Clarke counties
INHF is partnering with Pheasants Forever to protect 422 acres of land to the adjacent Heritage Hills Wildlife Management Area. The site includes over 180 acres of woodland and 160 acres of grassland. The grasslands will provide critical habitat for bird species and other wildlife.
Arnolds Park Project
On the edge of Arnolds Park in Dickinson County lies 73 acres of undeveloped land. INHF has secured an option to purchase the property and is working with the City of Arnolds Park and Dickinson County Conservation to realize a vision of a city-owned space, open to the public, with trails, wetlands and prairie.
Bear Creek Project
INHF is working to transfer 21 acres northeast of Decorah in Allamakee County. This unique site offers rare geological formations, a high-quality cold water stream and native plant communities.
Trail Projects
Iowa River's Edge Trail
This 34-mile former rail corridor between Marshalltown and Steamboat Rock follows the beautiful Iowa River Greenbelt and connects with Pine Lake State Park. Through Marshalltown, this new trail will connect with the Highway 330 Trail and Heart of Iowa Trail. (Central Iowa through Hardin and Marshall counties.)
Laurens Trail Connection
This 2.2-mile former railroad corridor will extend the existing 1.9-mile Laurens Trail southeast of the City of Laurens. Both the planned and existing trail are part of the Pocahontas County Trails Plan, which seeks to connect the existing 40-mile Three Rivers Trail in Pocahontas, Humboldt and Wright counties. Once completed, the planned corridors will nearly double the trail’s length.
Dry Run Trail
A mile of former rail corridor runs through 170 acres of woodlands and open space on Dry Run Creek. Besides being an attractive county park, Neste Valley will be a trailhead and a very scenic midway stretch for the envisioned 8-mile connection of Trout Run Trail in Decorah to the Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail (Calmar to Cresco). This would connect a 43-mile trail system in Northeast Iowa.
Coon Rapids to Herndon Trail
This 17-mile connection is the last link to connect the Raccoon River Trail to Whiterock Conservancy, a 5,500-acre outdoor recreation area! The Raccoon River trail is part of the Central Iowa Trail System, a 700 mile network of continuous trail in and around Des Moines that includes the High Trestle Trail.
Admiral Trail
This 4-mile trail will give you another way to enjoy the Wabash Trace. The go-getter people of Farragut (pop. 485) are working hard to connect trail users with their community, and the Admiral Inn Café is eager to host events for trail enthusiasts. (Southwest Iowa in Fremont and Page counties.)
Red Rock Prairie Trail
The development of this trail extension, connecting Monroe, Prairie City and Mitchellville, is part of the long range goal of linking the Des Moines metro with Lake Red Rock and Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.
