What is the Iowa Natural Heritage Federation?
The Cedar Valley Nature Trail isn’t the only area in Iowa where residents can get closer to nature (although it’s certainly one of the best). To protect these places, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation was formed. However, it doesn’t do it aloneINHF depends on the generous donations of concerned individuals and organizations to accomplish its goals.INHF protects area in a variety of ways, differentiated by who maintains ownership of the land. Sometimes, the organization will take ownership of the land, although this is rarely permanent and is more often a placeholder while public agencies raise money in order to purchase the land. INHF will help these agencies in their fundraising goals while also helping to protect the environmental resources in the area. In other instances, the Foundation works with private landowners create conservation easements. These contracts allow a landowner to retain ownership of his or her property, while restricting certain uses of the land.The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has adapted many unused railway tracks into trails, providing recreation to Iowa residents. Greenbeltsstrips of undeveloped land that are protected as habitats for plant and animal speciesare also at the heart of the organization’s work. Besides the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, the INHF has been involved in creating the Heritage Trail, the High Trestle Trail, the Raccoon River Valley Trail, and the Wabash Trace Nature Trail. Trail networks in which the INHF played a role include the Central Iowa Trail Network and the Mississippi River Trail.