Brandon Burnett

The 2020 Iowa State Forest Action Plan serves as a roadmap for sustainable forest management in Iowa over a ten-year period. It provides a comprehensive statewide assessment of forest conditions and outlines long-term goals and strategies. Key focus areas include maximizing forest health and productivity, strategically growing Iowa's forests, and promoting the diverse benefits of forest resources, encompassing areas such as urban forestry, private land stewardship, fire management, and forest productivity.

The document outlines a series of listening sessions hosted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to review the recently concluded hunting and trapping season and discuss proposed regulation changes for the upcoming year. Key discussion topics included access concerns, technological advances and fair chase, equitable access, sustainable harvest of wildlife resources, and maintaining quality populations. Specific biological updates were provided regarding squirrel populations (noting a decrease in fox squirrels), turkey harvest statistics, and the status of ruff grouse populations, which require early successional habitat. Furbearer program updates covered stable/increasing populations (except for gray fox and muskrats), fur market conditions, and a discrepancy noted between fur buyer reports and trapper/predator hunter harvest surveys for coyotes and raccoons. Details on the gray fox pilot project, a trail camera survey for gray fox and fishers, growth in the beginner trapper program, and the importance of CRP habitat for pheasant populations were also presented.

The meeting addressed several decision items and information points. Key decisions included the approval of a management agreement renewal for Hickory Hills Recreation Area with the Black Hawk County Conservation Board, approval of a contract with Group Creatives for the Little Sioux River Water Trail Plan development, and approval of a contract amendment with Pheasants Forever, Inc. for private lands technical assistance. The Commission also approved several construction projects, such as lagoon liner replacement at Pikes Peak State Park, water control structure replacement at Clear Lake Wildlife Unit, restroom installation at Templar State Recreation Area, stormwater runoff improvements at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, and hazardous tree removal at Lewis and Clark State Park. Furthermore, approvals were granted for shoreline restoration at Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery and HVAC system replacement at Lewis and Clark State Park Visitors Center. Land acquisition approvals included a tract of land adjacent to Jana Rec WMA and a donation near Whitetail Flats WMA. The Commission also approved a contract with Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for forestry programs and a contract with Solitude Lake Management for alum application.

The meeting covered numerous contractual and project approvals. The Commission approved contracts with Iowa State University for research on three snake species and with The Nature Conservancy for habitat management related to the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. A contract with Solitude Lake Management for alum applications at Green Valley Lake, Lake of Three Fires, and Prairie Rose Lake was also approved. Small construction projects were noted for information, while specific parking improvements at Pine Lake State Park and restroom repairs at Clear Lake State Park received approval. Contracts with Endeavor Civil Engineering for flood repair design work at Green Island and Princeton Wildlife Areas were approved, along with Chapter 17 leases for Koch Fertilizer Weaver LLC and Zen-Noh American Holding Corporation. The 2026 meeting dates were approved as amended, and the Commission discussed updates on the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund report, stakeholder support for a license fee increase, and established a subcommittee to pursue license fee adjustments.

The business meeting included consideration of several consent agenda items, such as donations and public land management projects, and contract amendments with Siegel Lawn Care, LLC for bark beetle monitoring and Foth Infrastructure & Environment for spongy moth pheromone traps. Key discussion items involved approval for new contracts, including one with Iowa State University for ambient lake monitoring and another with Bachman Aero, Inc. for aerial surveys of waterfowl and deer. The Commission also addressed several large and small construction projects, including campground upgrades at McIntosh Woods State Park, road maintenance at Wapsipinicon State Park, lodge roof replacement at Bellevue State Park, and lift station rehabilitation at Lake Wapello State Park. Decision items covered public land management agreements and the recommendation to transfer title of the Storm Lake Marina property to Buena Vista County. Additionally, the Commission reviewed and discussed several rulemaking items concerning Chapters 80, 77, and 113, and heard an update regarding a potential 5% increase in license fees.