Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: Iowa's Wildlife Action Plan

Imagine an Iowa with crystal-clear lakes and streams, abundant leafy woodlands, restored prairies spangled with multi-colored wildflowers and expanses of bulrush-fringed prairie pothole wetlands.

Picture forests teeming with scarlet tanagers and strutting tom turkeys, grasslands filled with pheasants and boblinks bursting into flight, rivers rich with smallmouth bass and soft-shelled turtles, prairie marshes where widow skimmer dragonflies cruise below the yellow-headed blackbirds.

Then consider rich opportunities for healthy outdoor recreation by hunters, birdwatchers, anglers, hikers, bikers and nature photographers.

It’s a grand picture indeed, but one that can be realized if this generation of Iowans commits to making it happen. The Iowa Wildlife Action Plan is a place to start.

The Plan

Since 2001 every state has received State Wildlife Grants. These federal appropriations support conservation practices and research to benefit a wide variety of lesser-known or rare wildlife. Though the annual grants are relatively small (averaging about $760,000 for Iowa), they support conservation actions and studies that are already yielding benefits for Iowa’s wildlife diversity. To remain eligible for these funds, each state was required to develop a comprehensive state wildlife action plan. After a two-year planning process, Iowa submitted its final plan for federal approval in late 2005.

Although created under the auspices of the Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa Wildlife Action Plan (referred to in this article as “The Plan”) is not just a DNR program. The Plan was developed with input from many people and organizations: the Iowa DNR, INHF, other public and private conservation groups, educators, farmers and even a series of public hearings. It is intended for use by every single citizen, business, organization or agency with a stake in Iowa’s fish and wildlife resources—as a living, working blueprint for all conservation partners. In brief, the Plan…

identifies “species of greatest conservation need,”
enumerates stresses or challenges to all wildlife,
determines visions for the future of Iowa’s wildlife,
and lays out goals and strategies toward achieving those visions by 2030.

Wildlife in need

The Plan identified 999 species of Iowa wildlife, selected from eight taxonomic classes: birds (subdivided into breeding or migratory), mammals, fish, herptiles (reptiles and amphibians), butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, freshwater mussels and land snails.

Of these 999 species, a startling 296 (almost 30 percent) were determined to be species of greatest conservation need (SCGN), defined as species with low or declining populations that need immediate conservation to reverse the declining trends (Figures 1 and 2). Needless to say, protecting at-risk species is a top priority. However, the Plan also aims to “keep common species common.” Only by providing for common species now can we keep additional species from joining Iowa’s SGCN list.

Stresses on Iowa’s wildlife

Why are so many Iowa species at risk? To answer that question, the Plan’s developers evaluated and ranked the major stresses facing our wildlife. Nearly all of these stresses—18 for terrestrial habitats and 17 for aquatic habitats—stem from human decisions about land use.

Some stresses—such as conversion of native habitats to row crops or housing, fragmentation, loss of connectivity and detrimental grazing—affect all taxonomic classes. Other stresses are particularly hard on specific groups—such as the effects of stream channelization on fish and mussels or the chemical pollution of sinkholes on select snail species.

Want to know even more?

View an executive summary or the entire Iowa Wildlife Action Plan online. The 344-page plan is packed with interesting information. Historical contexts, maps and other details provide a fascinating glimpse into the natural world through the eyes of biologists and planners—while reinforcing the reader’s conservation commitment.

The plan for Iowa's wildlife and people