Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The commission addressed a broad range of regulatory updates, including final rules for hunting, fishing, and trapping license fees, dock structure regulations, and the management of state preserves. Key discussions included the rescission of unprotected nongame species rules and updates to the endangered and threatened plant and animal species lists. Additionally, the commission reviewed grant recommendations for the Iowa Forest Resiliency Partnership Program, evaluated several construction projects for state parks and wildlife units, and received various reports from the director and division administrator.

The commission addressed several key agenda items, including the election of officers, director and administrator remarks, and the presentation of the Brass Bluegill Award. Multiple construction and restoration projects were reviewed and approved, such as wetland enhancements at the Spring Run Wildlife Complex, draw-down structure installation at Swan Lake State Park, and office and shop building construction at George Wyth State Park. Contracts and amendments were authorized for services with Insight Public Sector, Inc., Shive-Hattery, Inc., and the Lyon County Conservation Board regarding Lake Pahoja. Additionally, the commission reviewed the 2025-2026 Deer Management Annual Report for Iowa City and discussed recommendations for the Chapter 30 Waters Cost-Share and Grants Program.

The Commission addressed several items including approval of the agenda and consent agenda, donations to various state parks and wildlife funds, and updates on public land management and watershed eligibility programs. Key discussions involved construction projects such as accessibility improvements at Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, wetland restoration at Silver Lake Wildlife Management Area, and bridge redecking at Volga River Recreation Area. Additionally, the Commission considered the Notice of Intended Action for Chapter 51 regarding trail camera use on game management areas, proposed county antlerless quota changes, and the Deer Management Zone Hunts for the 2026-2027 season. Various contracts and public land acquisition projects in Boone, Jones, Warren, and Louisa counties were also reviewed.

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.