Reconnecting Iowa’s Wild Spaces
Iowa once teemed with native prairie, wetlands, and a remarkable diversity of wildlife. That vibrant ecosystem exists only in fragments. In just under two centuries, the landscape has changed dramatically. More than 99% of native prairie and 98% of wetlands have disappeared, replaced by vast fields of corn and soybeans. Today, Iowa is the most biologically altered state in the U.S., and the remaining fragments of natural habitat are too small and too disconnected to support healthy ecosystems.
Last week, the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter released the Protecting Biological Diversity In Iowa Through Connectivity report during a press conference with scientists, a legal expert, and an environmental advocate. The message was clear: Iowa must act now to reconnect its fragmented habitats, for wildlife, for clean water, for climate resilience, and for future generations.
Why Connectivity Matters
When natural areas become isolated, wildlife populations suffer. Animals can’t move freely to find food, mates, or shelter. Gene flow is restricted, which weakens genetic diversity and resilience. Habitats become islands, and entire ecosystems begin to break down.
As Dr. Tom Rosburg, a biology professor at Drake University, said during the press conference, “We’re asking small, scattered patches of land to support entire ecosystems, and it’s simply not sustainable.”
The solution lies in wildlife corridors, strategic connections between habitats that allow animals to move safely across the landscape and ecosystems to function as a whole. Other states, like Florida and California, have already made major strides by designating official wildlife corridors through legislation. It’s time for Iowa to do the same.
Policy Solutions
The report outlines several practical, science-based strategies to help restore Iowa’s natural heritage:
Renew and fully fund the REAP Act (set to expire in 2028), preserving its original commitment to protecting open space.
Activate the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, which voters approved over a decade ago but lawmakers have yet to fund.
Pass legislation directing conservation agencies to collect ecological data and identify key wildlife corridors.
Propose an amendment to the Iowa Constitution guaranteeing the right to a healthy environment for all Iowans.
These actions wouldn’t just benefit wildlife, they’d improve water quality, reduce flood risk, create outdoor recreation opportunities, and strengthen Iowa’s climate resilience.
As Dr. David Hoferer emphasized during the press conference that investments in conservation offer long-term economic returns. Like installing solar panels, the upfront cost of habitat restoration can seem high, but the long-term savings, from avoided costs like deer-vehicle collisions to boosted outdoor recreation, far exceed it. “These projects pay for themselves in relatively short order,” he said, “and the benefits, from more wildlife to better hunting and recreation, last for generations.”
Public Awareness Is Key
Many Iowans have never experienced a truly wild prairie or intact woodland, making education a critical part of any conservation strategy. When natural ecosystems have largely disappeared from the landscape, and from public memory, it becomes even more important to raise awareness of what’s been lost and what’s still possible to restore.
Protecting and restoring Iowa’s ecosystems isn't just a job for state agencies or conservation groups, it depends on the people who live and work on the land. That’s why engaging farmers, landowners, and local communities is absolutely essential to building wildlife connectivity in Iowa.
More than 85% of Iowa’s land is used for agriculture, and over 30 million of Iowa’s 36 million acres are listed as farmland. At the same time, Iowa ranks 49th in the nation for the amount of public land owned by federal, state, and local governments. Only 2.8% of Iowa is public land, and nearly half of that is made up of road right-of-ways, not wild spaces. To put it in perspective, all of Iowa’s public lands would fit into a square just 40 miles wide.
This means that the vast majority of Iowa’s remaining natural resources, and the potential to rebuild habitat connectivity, lies in privately owned land. During the press conference, Pam Mackey Taylor, Director of the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, emphasized this point, “Conservation isn’t something that only happens in parks. It can happen on farms, along roadsides, in backyards, and it starts with understanding what’s at stake.”
To make real progress, we must move beyond traditional top-down conservation models and bring landowners into the conversation. The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter is committed to hosting community events, listening sessions, and educational programs across the state to raise awareness and build grassroots support for conservation. Whether it’s through voluntary conservation easements, participation in USDA programs, or local land stewardship, farmers and rural communities can play a leading role in reconnecting Iowa’s landscapes.
Each week, the Iowa Chapter hosts a Friday “Lunch & Learn” series that explores different environmental topics, from wildlife habitat and clean water to sustainable agriculture and climate action. These conversations are open to the public and designed to help Iowans connect with nature, understand the challenges we face, and take meaningful action.
Moving Forward
Reconnecting Iowa’s landscapes is not a distant dream, it’s a necessary and achievable goal. The science is clear, the solutions are available, and the urgency is real. By investing in habitat connectivity, engaging landowners and communities, and holding policymakers accountable, Iowa has the chance to restore balance to its ecosystems and reimagine a future where both people and wildlife can thrive. The choices we make now will determine whether Iowa remains a patchwork of isolated remnants or becomes a vibrant, connected landscape once again. Let’s choose to reconnect.
Link to Full Report: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/wildlifeconnectivityreport.pdf
Link to the Press Conference: https://youtu.be/sTB8NAZ4kqw
Join us Fridays at noon on Facebook for our Live Lunch & Learn’s! https://www.facebook.com/IowaSierraClub/
