This project begin in 2003 and was funded by Iowa DNR- Bureau of Forestry, Northeast Region of the US Forest Service. The goal of this project was to promote forest and timber related conservation practices in Northeast Iowa. The environmental and economic benefits of timber are a driving force behind promotion of this project. Initially this project started from the Trout Run Reforestation Project, a effort aimed at reducing soil erosion on steep cropped slopes by planting hardwood timber.
The Trout Run Reforestation Project has resulted in the targeting of other timber related programs in Northeast Iowa. The use of GIS and water quality modeling have played a key role in determining where forestry outreach occurs. Along the Upper Iowa River in Winneshiek County, GIS was used to identify land qualifying for NRCS Conservation Program 31, Bottomland Forestry. Qualifying land was then cross-referenced with landowner data and contact lists were created. Being that the program is only 50% cost-share, additional funding was secured through the Iowa Farm Bureau to increase cost-share to 90%.
