EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Iowa State Chapter recently invested in the future of wildlife habitat and public hunting opportunities through its support of a critical equipment lease in southern Iowa.
With the help of a $4,000 contribution from the Iowa NWTF Super Fund, the Grand River Wildlife Unit successfully leased a 150-horsepower tractor for the 2024–2025 management year — essential equipment that enabled the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to carry out large-scale habitat enhancement efforts across 20,000 acres of public lands in seven counties.
“Iowa has the dubious honor of having the least amount of public land in the country, and our primary role over the last 20 plus years has been to help the DNR acquire more [land] and improve it once acquired,” said John Burk, NWTF district biologist for Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. “With limited budgets and increasing costs, leasing the necessary equipment to conduct necessary management, in some cases, makes more sense than purchasing the equipment, and that was the case with the Grand River Wildlife Unit.”
The tractor was used to conduct a variety of conservation practices that will have numerous benefits for wild turkeys and a host of other game and non-game species. During the lease period, it supported:
- Spraying 150 acres of invasive fescue to release native forbs and create ideal brood habitat.
- Disking 60 acres to maintain early successional cover near woodlands.
- Planting 200 acres of wildlife food plots.
- Mowing thousands of acres of firebreaks, enabling prescribed burns on over 6,000 acres of grassland and timber.
These practices directly impacted up to 1,000 acres and indirectly enhanced all 20,000 acres managed by the Grand River Wildlife Unit in Madison, Adair, Adams, Union, Ringgold, Decatur and Taylor counties.
The project also embraced more sustainable practices, such as eliminating insecticide use on food plots to support insect populations that serve as critical forage for turkey poults. Additionally, new clover plots planted in timbered areas helped enhance strut zones and brood habitat.
The NWTF Iowa Super Fund’s 50% contribution, matched by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ operations budget, ensured the tractor lease could be fully funded and executed for the season.
“We are glad that the DNR came to us with this request because we are very pleased with the work that was enabled as a result,” Burk said. “[With] a thousand acres of direct impact and over 20,000 of indirect from fire breaks that got installed and maintained, we are putting the right kind of habitat in place to make a difference.”
To recognize the NWTF’s role in the project, signage was affixed to the leased tractor throughout its use, promoting the organization’s commitment to Iowa’s public lands and wild turkey conservation.
For more information on NWTF’s Super Fund program and how it supports local habitat work across the country, visit nwtf.org.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.
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