The driftless area of northeastern iowa contains the highest proportion of the state s native woodlands but has undergone significant habitat degradation due to lack of active woodland land, and…

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 awarded the Iowa Department of Natural Resources $340,312 under the State Wildlife Grants Program (CFDA 15.634) on January 1, 2026, to establish a standardized monitoring program for species of greatest conservation need in the Driftless Area of northeastern Iowa and restore early-successional and open-woodland habitat on public and private lands.

The project will deploy acoustic recording devices and trail cameras to monitor bird and mammal populations across public and private lands, collecting data to inform future conservation actions and establish population status and distribution baselines for uncommon woodland species including ruffed grouse, prairie gray fox, golden-winged warbler, and eastern whip-poor-will. The award will fund restoration of 600 acres of early-successional and open-woodland habitat through timber stand improvement, invasive species removal, edge feathering, and native tree and shrub plantings. Pre- and post-restoration monitoring using acoustic recording units and trail cameras will assess the impact of these management practices on target species. The project includes three outreach events to educate landowners on woodland management practices and encourage private landowner participation in conservation efforts.

Performance extends from January 1, 2026, through December 30, 2028, with all work performed in Iowa. Upper Iowa University receives a sub-award to conduct habitat management and monitoring for woodland species of greatest conservation need in the Driftless Area.

The driftless area of northeastern iowa contains the highest proportion of the state s native woodlands but has undergone significant habitat degradation due to lack of active woodland land, and invasive species. This has resulted in declining populations species of greatest conservation need (sgcn), including ruffed grouse, prairie gray FOX, golden-winged warbler, eastern whip-poor-will among others. There is also a lack of early-successional woodland habitat, which is critical for many of these species. Additionally, most of the driftless area is privately owned, making landowner engagement essential for effective conservation. This project will establish a standardized monitoring program for sgcn bird and mammal populations across public and private lands in the driftless area using acoustic recording devices and trail cameras. Data collected through this monitoring effort will inform future conservation actions and will help determine the population status and distribution of uncommon woodland sgcn birds and mammals in this region. This project will also restore 600 acres of early-successional and open-woodland habitat on public and private lands using woodland management practices including timber stand improvement, invasive species removal, edge feathering, and native tree and shrub plantings. We will also conduct pre- and post- habitat management monitoring using acoustic recording units and trail cameras to assess the impact of restoration efforts on sgcn birds and mammals. Finally, we will conduct three outreach events to educate landowners on woodland management and encourage participation in conservation efforts. If funded, this project will improve habitat conditions for multiple sgcn in an area of high conservation opportunity in northeastern iowa, increase the availability of early-successional and open-canopy woodland habitat and restore active woodland management, both benefitting wildlife and increasing forest resilience to changing weather patterns, provide critical information on species distributions, including the potential reestablishment of the fisher in iowa, strengthen partnerships with private landowners to expand conservation efforts beyond public lands, and support adaptive management strategies aligned with iowa s wildlife action plan to ensure continued benefits for wildlife and forest resilience.