Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) is a statewide non-profit natural conservation organization based in Des Moines, Iowa. The organization has protected more than 100000 acres (404.7 km²) in 94 of Iowa’s 99 counties and worked on hundreds of different project sites since its inception in 1979. INHF is donor-supported and has a membership of roughly 7,000. The current president of INHF is Mark Ackelson.
s throughout the state. Landowners interested in protecting their land either donate or sell property to INHF, who will work to conserve and/or restore its natural features.
In most cases, INHF takes ownership of land temporarily, while public conservation agencies (local, county, state or federal) raise funds to purchase the property. During this time, INHF will lend technical and professional assistance to these agencies, as well as work to restore native ecosystems.
INHF works directly with landowners to make sure that the transaction meets their wishes. INHF staff will meet with landowners to negotiate the sale or donation of their land, as well as the transfer to whatever agency will retain permanent ownership.
In most cases, project sites that INHF assists with will become public land, open for exploration, hunting, fishing, camping and other activities, depending on the site.
INHF also works with landowners to protect their land through conservation easements, in which a landowner relinquishes certain rights to all or part of his or her property (e.g. farming or mining), while still retaining ownership. INHF and the private owners develop a legally binding agreement regarding which property uses will be allowed or restricted. This agreement applies to the current owner and all future owners. INHF has completed 139 conservation easements throughout Iowa.
In very few cases, INHF will retain permanent ownership of a project site. These sites, like Snyder Farm in Polk County, are used to further INHF's goals. Snyder is used as a training ground and example of how a farm can be converted into tall grass prairie and oak savanna
.
Projects
INHF works with partner organizations to preserve and protect natural landscapeNatural landscape
A natural landscape is a landscape that is unaffected by human activity. A natural landscape is intact when all living and nonliving elements are free to move and change. The nonliving elements distinguish a natural landscape from a wilderness. A wilderness includes areas within which natural...
s throughout the state. Landowners interested in protecting their land either donate or sell property to INHF, who will work to conserve and/or restore its natural features.
In most cases, INHF takes ownership of land temporarily, while public conservation agencies (local, county, state or federal) raise funds to purchase the property. During this time, INHF will lend technical and professional assistance to these agencies, as well as work to restore native ecosystems.
INHF works directly with landowners to make sure that the transaction meets their wishes. INHF staff will meet with landowners to negotiate the sale or donation of their land, as well as the transfer to whatever agency will retain permanent ownership.
In most cases, project sites that INHF assists with will become public land, open for exploration, hunting, fishing, camping and other activities, depending on the site.
INHF also works with landowners to protect their land through conservation easements, in which a landowner relinquishes certain rights to all or part of his or her property (e.g. farming or mining), while still retaining ownership. INHF and the private owners develop a legally binding agreement regarding which property uses will be allowed or restricted. This agreement applies to the current owner and all future owners. INHF has completed 139 conservation easements throughout Iowa.
In very few cases, INHF will retain permanent ownership of a project site. These sites, like Snyder Farm in Polk County, are used to further INHF's goals. Snyder is used as a training ground and example of how a farm can be converted into tall grass prairie and oak savanna
Oak savanna
An oak savanna is a type of savanna, or lightly forested grassland, where oaks are the dominant tree species. These savannas were maintained historically through wildfires set by lightning, grazing, low precipitation, poor soil, and/or fires set by Native Americans...
.
Notable land projects
INHF has done more than 700 land projects. Below are a few of the most well-known or most significant of these projects.- Mines of SpainMines of Spain State Recreation Area and E. B. Lyons Nature CenterThe Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E. B. Lyons Nature Center is a state park in Dubuque County, Iowa, USA. It is near Dubuque, the eighth-largest city in the state...
- Heritage addition to Effigy Mounds National MonumentEffigy Mounds National MonumentEffigy Mounds National Monument preserves three prehistoric sites in Allamakee County and Clayton County, Iowa in the midwestern United States.-Mounds:...
- Hitchcock Nature Area (Loess HillsLoess HillsThe Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost part of Iowa and Missouri along the Missouri River.-Geology:The Loess Hills are generally located between 1 and east of the Missouri River channel...
) - Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt
- Iowa River Greenbelt
- Upper Iowa River
- Trout stream rehabilitation and restoration
- Angler's Bay on Big Spirit Lake
- Additions to numerous state and county parks