Supervisors back Nature Conservancy’s $3M NAWCA grant application to add county-managed prairie and wetland tracts

The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved May 4 a county endorsement for a $3 million North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant application submitted by The Nature Conservancy.

County conservation staff (Katie Hammond, county conservation director) told the board the Conservancy’s proposal includes a 2:1 match and would transfer two parcels to county ownership if the grant succeeds: the Russell Tract, about 34 acres adjacent to Pike Run (with a small parking area excluded from habitat), and the Holiday Tract, about 63.54 acres adjacent to the Salisbury Bridge Recreation Area. Both tracts would be managed by the county conservation department and opened for public hunting and habitat restoration if the grant is awarded.

Hammond said the partners have completed much of the rehabilitation work on the Russell Tract and that transferring management to the county would not create significant upfront maintenance obligations; minimal mowing, prescribed burning and periodic native-grass restoration would be required as part of normal conservation operations. The grant timeline in the county memo anticipates transfers by December 2028 if the application is successful.

Board action and context: A motion to approve the county's participation and authorize the chair to sign a letter of support passed 5–0. Conservation staff noted the grant would fund wetland restoration and prairie reestablishment in the Lower Cedar Watershed area, with several partner organizations contributing to the project. The county’s acceptance of the tracts would include standard easement language and routine management activities; staff said appraisals and other grant costs are included in the proposal.

What to watch for: The transfer is contingent on the Conservancy receiving NAWCA funding. If successful, the county will receive project appraisals and a timeline for stewardship responsibilities; staff said any additional conservation or access amenities beyond minimal parking would be determined later and are not included in the current proposal.