Iowa

Friends of the Neal Smith NWR
Spurs and Tails: Engaging Hunters at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (IA)
Host a “Spurs and Tails” pheasant hunting contest, construct an informational kiosk, and sponsor a National Hunting and Fishing Day at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. Project will support hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts and increase awareness of the refuge’s conservation value.
$10,152

Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Loess Hills Prairie and Woodland Protection (IA)
Protect an 834 acre tract of untilled prairie and oak woodland in the Loess Hills of western Plymouth County, Iowa. Project will connect existing protected lands, prevent fragmentation from development, and ensure wildlife populations and their habitat are properly managed.
$270,000

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Increasing Native Prairie Habitat Abundance and Quality to Benefit Pollinators (IA)
Purchase seeds and plant new native prairie habitat to  increase the amount of quality native prairie on public land to benefit monarchs, pollinators, birds, wildlife, water and soil and to improve management on remnant and previously restored prairie and savanna habitat throughout Iowa. Project will bring 2,000 acres under improved management and restore 415 acres of habitat through new prairie plantings.
$75,000

Iowa Soybean Association
Increasing Adoption of Conservation Agriculture Practices through Technical Assistance (IA)
Leverage a network of agronomists to increase conservation capacity to accelerate producer conservation practice adoption throughout Ohio. Project will develop cover crop, edge of field, and strip till best management practice recommendations, improve management on 65,500 acres and prevent 131 tons of nutrient runoff annually.
$250,000

Prairie Enthusiasts
Increasing Technical Assistance to Engage Landowners in Pollinator Conservation (IA, IL, MN, WI)
Create two landowner-focused staff positions and develop an outreach and technical assistance program in the upper Midwest to implement recovery plans for the monarch butterfly, Karner blue butterfly, and rusty patched bumble bee. Project will identify and engage private working landowners to carry out pollinator habitat restoration and management projects, bringing 3,000 acres under improved management and restoring 2,000 acres of habitat.
$245,508

Sustainable Environmental Consultants
NRCS-CIG On-Farm Trials Danone Soil Health 2019 (IA)
Accelerate implementation of innovative soil health practices on farms within Danone’s dairy supply chain and evaluate the ecological and economic benefits of this effort. Project will: 1) provide the pool of pre-identified participating farmers with the technical assistance needed to design and implement new practices; 2) verify practice eligibility and on-the-ground implementation prior to NFWF providing incentive payments to participating farmers; and 3) gather and analyze data on farm condition and profitability and make comparisons to pre-project baseline conditions.
$183,220

Trout Unlimited
Engaging Landowners in Water Quality and Wildlife Habitat Farm Bill Programs (IA, IL, MN, WI)
Restore cold-water streams and watersheds in the Driftless Area, creating habitat practices for fish, shorebirds, amphibians, reptiles and other aquatic biota. Project will improve management on 525 acres, restore 30 miles of stream, prevent 9,000 tons of sediment and 4 tons of nutrient pollution from entering the system annually.
$199,961