Articles Tagged: conservation

The use of cover crops in Iowa has expanded significantly in recent years. The conservation practice is promoted by the state through cost share incentives — an effort by the Iowa Department of Agriculture to reduce nutrients that contribute to the Gulf dead zone. But new research suggests that while the number of acres being planted with cover crops has grown, not all farmers are sticking with the practice.

The Nature Conservancy has studied this form of virtual fencing with cattle at its preserve in Muscatine County for the past three years.

Photos from a seed harvesting outing with Johnson County Conservation at Ciha Fen Preserve in Lisbon, Iowa on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

Also in today’s Capitol Notebook, Iowa AG Brenna Bird joins a bipartisan coalition urging artificial intelligence firms to protect children from harmful chatbots.

The Iowa Soybean Association and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have completed about 50 oxbows across the state through a partnership. That’s important because oxbows can prevent flooding, improve water quality and provide habitat for animals.

A report from the Center for Rural Affairs found that funding from the Inflation Reduction Act had a “significant impact” on the adoption of conservation practices in Iowa.

Pheasant harvest data for the fall season released by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources shows an estimated 460,000 roosters were bagged in the 2024 season, making it the second-best pheasant season in nearly two decades. Populations have struggled since 1995, due to weather and fewer acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.

This year, Iowa is seeing an increase in fireflies, but the species’ future remains uncertain. There are more than 200 firefly — or lightning bug — species across North America and over 2,000 worldwide, but scientists say the firefly population has been declining for decades due to factors such as habitat loss, pesticides and droughts.

The chicks — which have grown into small, squawking balls of feathers — are well on their way to adolescence in a survival story that is not only a remarkable example of individual resilience, but also that of the species at large.

The population of each Iowa furbearer species — coyotes, foxes, bears, beavers, raccoons, minks and bobcats — is different and nuanced, but expert say some — like bocats — are in “expansion mode.”

Iowa’s Forest Reserve Program, which provides a tax incentive for property owners to maintain woodlands, remains intact after this year’s legislative session, but the Iowa Woodland Owners Association anticipates the fight to keep the program to continue.

Today’s Jens Jensen is stewarding the relatively new Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park, named for his ancestor. It’s nestled into the grounds of the Museum of Danish America. Located in the tiny town of Elk Horn, about 200 miles west of Cedar Rapids, the museum is emerging as a fascinating place for people of all ethnic backgrounds to visit.

A misunderstanding purportedly led a farmland owner to sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture to overturn protections for millions of acres of ag wetlands. A judge is considering requests to dismiss the case before it goes to trial.

The event in Cedar Rapids serves up pancakes and sausage with real maple syrup, and offers visitors a look at the process that produces maple syrup. The event concludes Sunday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Wildcat Bluff Recreation Area in Benton County, a park known for its camping, hiking and renowned disc golf course, is doubling in size after two years of collaborative work by Benton County Conservation and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.