Efforts by a partnership of private conservation groups and local, state and government agencies helped acquire more than 500 acres for wildlife management and public recreation in two Iowa counties. The two properties in Harrison and Woodbury counties were acquired to replace wetlands contaminated by pollution at a site in Woodbury County.
The partnership includes the Boyer Valley Pheasants Forever chapter, Ducks Unlimited, the Iowa Habitat Stamp Program, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Harrison County Conservation Board, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Two parcels of land totaling about 576 acres were acquired through the partnership from willing sellers to replace wetlands that were affected by release of contaminants at the Mid America Tanning hazardous waste site near Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. Funds to acquire the sites were provided through the Natural Resources Damage Assessment program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The NRDA program assesses damage to natural resources from release of contaminants and then seeks compensation from responsible parties.
About 241 acres of wetlands were acquired in Harrison County, to be managed by the Harrison County Conservation Board as part of its public lands program. In Woodbury County, 335 wetland acres will come under management of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Wetlands on the newly acquired acreage were restored under the NRCS Wetland Reserve Program.
Acquisition of the wetlands is the final step in the process to replace natural resources lost to contamination at the Mid America Tanning site. Contaminants included heavy metals such as chromium, used in tanning leather hides.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
