|
WERE YOU CONCERNED
ABOUT WILDLIFE THIS WINTER?
IDNR Shelterbelt Program
Provides Habitat that can
make the Difference in
the Future
by
Bob Dolan, Iowa DNR Wildlife
Biologist
Independence, Iowa
Photos by Bob Dolan and
Dave White
The winter of 2000-2001 was colder and had more snow days than normal,
and as a result generated more phone calls to the Wildlife Bureau about
helping animals make it through the winter. Our response was not for individuals
to begin feeding wildlife but to encourage landowners to restore habitat
on their properties that would provide critical winter cover needed by
wildlife during severe winters. Our response was not a popular one
in February, because there wasn't much a person could do to create habitat
at that time; however, our response was the prudent one that addressed
the long-term needs of Iowa's wildlife populations.
As is normally the case, the calls about wildlife starving and freezing
to death ceased with the melting of the snow and the return of warm weather.
Now in June, it is a rare individual that has winter at the forefront of
their mind. That is unless you are a wildlife biologist whose job
it is to provide year-round habitat for wildlife. At this time of
year, in addition to maintaining habitat on DNR managed properties, our
wildlife biologists are trying to bring other landowners into the fold
of providing nesting and winter cover for wildlife. To do this, the
Wildlife Bureau developed the Shelterbelt Program to assist landowners
in providing critical habitat for wildlife.
In 1985, the Iowa DNR began offering the Shelterbelt Cost-Share Program
to private landowners as a tool to restore a portion of these vital cover
types. Shelterbelts are areas that have been planted to rows of trees
and shrubs to provide protection from chilling winds and snows.
Since its inception, the Shelterbelt Program has been a tremendous success.
To date, the DNR has provided about $750,000 in incentive payments toward
the establishment of nearly 800 shelterbelts across the State. It’s
estimated that the program has helped restore nearly 1,400 acres of winter
cover to the Iowa landscape.
Funds for the Shelterbelt program are derived from the Chickadee Checkoff,
a voluntary contribution for wildlife from Iowa income taxpayers and from
the sale of wildlife habitat stamps to Iowa’s hunters and trappers.
Government agencies and private conservation groups have also contributed
to the program.
Benefiting Wildlife and People
-- The Shelterbelt Program has been successful because it benefits both
wildlife and people. A shelterbelt adds beauty to a farmstead or
acreage and enhances a property’s value. Shelterbelts help people
live and work more comfortably by modifying the environment. They
act as natural air conditioners in the summer and buffer bitter winds in
the winter. They can save property owners money by reducing both
winter heating and summer cooling requirements. A shelterbelt can
reduce your home energy consumption by up to 36%. Feed conversion
in livestock protected by a shelterbelt is greatly improved because of
the reduction of wind chill. A well-designed shelterbelt can prevent
snow from drifting onto driveways and work areas and can act as an effective
visual and noise barrier. In addition, shelterbelts provide countless
forms of wildlife with critical winter shelter and breeding habitat.
Local Support Makes the Difference -- The Shelterbelt Program is available
across the state, but some counties in Iowa have benefited more from the
program than others. That is because the success of the program is
dependent on local support. The shelterbelt program has been particularly
successful where the DNR has partnered with local USDA offices, County
Conservation Boards and groups such as Pheasants Forever to promote the
program. These local conservation groups and agencies often provide
the technical, material and/or logistical support the program needs to
be attractive to local property owners. Counties like Ida and
Greene in western Iowa, and Bremer and Buchanan in eastern Iowa lead the
state each year in the establishment of new shelterbelts. Partnerships
have developed in each of those counties to promote the program.
Bremer County has been establishing about 5 to 10 new shelterbelts annually.
This success is largely due to the efforts of local partners. The
local NRCS office promotes and plans shelterbelts as an important soil
and water conservation practice. The Bremer County Conservation Board
provides tree planting equipment, tree and shrub storage facilities and,
in many cases, the labor and equipment to plant the shelterbelt for the
property owner. The local Chapter of Pheasants Forever provides a
source of low cost trees and shrubs and often provides voluntary labor
for those who need help to plant a shelterbelt. In addition,
Chapter funds have been used to purchase tree planting equipment for the
County Conservation Board. They have also provided additional cost-share
incentives directly to property owners for establishing a shelterbelt.
These efforts are all designed to make it easier for property owners to
establish their shelterbelt.
New Shelterbelts and Upgrades Welcome -- Landowners planting new shelterbelts
can receive cost-share under the DNR program, provided the shelterbelt
contains at least 8 rows of trees and shrubs or up to as many as 14 rows.
Not only will the DNR Shelterbelt Program share the cost of establishing
a new qualifying shelterbelt, but a landowner can also upgrade an existing
shelterbelt and receive DNR cost-share under the program. For example,
if an existing shelterbelt is short on rows or lacks an evengreen component,
the DNR Shelterbelt Program can share the cost of upgrading the quality
of the shelterbelt up to the 8 row minimum or 14 row maximum allowed under
the program.
There has never been a better time to plant or upgrade a shelterbelt on
your property. Cost-share incentives are excellent and if you are
planting in an area that has been cropped in the past, you may even qualify
for up to 15 years of annual Conservation Reserve Program payments.
Applications are available from DNR wildlife biologists and NRCS district
offices. The application period is from October 1 through February
15 each year, or until all available funds are obligated. For a detailed
list of program specifications and a typical shelterbelt layout, visit
the Private Lands Section of this web site
and examine the page detailing the Shelterbelt
Program. For more information regarding the DNR’s Shelterbelt
Program contact your local wildlife management biologist.
In the last two years, the Wildlife Bureau has added additional
privatelands personnel to assist interested landowners in partaking
in state and federal programs that provide cover for wildlife. The
DNR's shelterbelt cost-share program is only one of the programs that can
make the difference for stressed wildlife next winter and for years come.
|
DON'T
WAIT UNTIL NEXT WINTER, CALL TODAY!
|
For additional information regarding
the Wildlife Bureau's Shelterbelt Program and other private lands initiatives
that can benefit wildlife and landowners contact your local
wildlife
management biologist , private lands biologist.
Back to
top |
