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Conservation

Irvine Prairie to triple in size

Thanks to a generous gift, a local tallgrass prairie restoration project managed by the University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center (TPC) will more than triple in size. Cathy Irvine of Dysart has donated more land from her late husband David Irvine’s family farm in northwest ...

Tama Co. Conservation ‘dinged’ by annual audit

For the first time in recent memory, the Tama Co. Conservation Board received a ‘ding’ on its annual audit due to granting a board member preferential treatment as it relates to camping fees. During the Thursday, Jan. 5 regular board meeting – rescheduled by a day due to both weather ...

DNR cites rural Traer man for illegal burning, disposal of tires

A rural Traer man has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,300 for improper open burning and disposal of tires following a September 2022 burn of a pole shed. Jeff Hoeg – who resides roughly 2.5 miles east of Traer – was ordered on Nov. 7 by the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources to pay the ...

Otter Creek Lake restoration project takes off

The November meeting of the Tama County Board of Conservation featured more good news in regard to the ongoing Otter Creek Lake Restoration project – a project that began over a year ago and is finally full steam ahead. “As you can see, a lot happened since the last time you all were ...

Dysart’s urban forest preserve takes shape

Progress continues on Dysart’s Viola Irvine Nature Preserve – a thickly wooded, 2-acre parcel of land on the southeast side donated to the City last April by local conservationist Cathy Irvine – with new pathways, concrete pads, and tree plantings sprouting up recently. While the planned ...

North Tama eighth graders visit Irvine Prairie

Students from Jean Matzen’s North Tama Schools eighth grade science classes visited the Irvine Prairie located in rural Dysart on a blustery Friday afternoon earlier this month. Members of the University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center (TPC) – including Plant Materials Program ...

Contractor back on site for Otter Creek Lake Restoration project

While the matter of the Otter Creek Lake Restoration project has been ‘old business’ for the Tama County Board of Conservation for some time now, with contactor Rachel Construction finally back on-site in the park as of last week, that old business has become welcome news. “As you saw ...

Otter Creek Lake restoration set to restart in November

It was a moment of long-awaited good news for members of the Tama Co. Board of Conservation this past Wednesday, Sept. 21 during the board’s regular meeting as director Stephen Mayne was at last able to put a date to the official restart of the 70-acre Otter Creek Lake Restoration ...

Tama Co. Conservation wraps up several projects, looks ahead

With several projects nearing completion and the lake restoration’s final phase finally on the horizon, Tama County Conservation discussed several possible future projects during the August 17 board meeting held at Otter Creek Lake & Park Nature Center. During the meeting, Director ...