Outdoor Recreation In Iowa SCORP Plan

DEAR OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST:

Our outdoor spaces are dynamic, vibrant and provide natural, social, economic, health and wellness benefits improving the quality of life for all Iowans. They bring communities together. They provide meeting places for family reunions and weddings, and they are signature spots for community events and celebrations. These spaces are also where children learn new activities, understand what it means to work as a team and learn lessons in victory and defeat.

Our parks, forests, lakes, rivers, recreation and wildlife areas are vitally important as they are critical habitats for Iowa's plants and animals. Exploring the depths of these areas is where we can experience moments of pure quiet while fostering deeper connections to the outdoors. Continued protection comes from the next generation experiencing the resource with their parents, grandparents or friends through birding, hunting, kayaking or hiking through our wild places.

In developing this plan, we listened to Iowans about the outdoor recreation activities they enjoy, as well as the activities they’d like to do in the future. This document is a guide book for moving Iowa toward a balance of outdoor recreation and natural resource protection - not just for today, but for future generations. It's now up to city, county and state agencies to take recommendations introduced in this plan and act.

Kayla Lyon, Director

The 2023-2028 Outdoor Recreation in Iowa, SCORP Plan was developed to be highly interactive. It is a blend of text, images, maps and links in order to help you navigate your way through information on Iowa's outdoor recreation opportunities and where our priorities are for the next five years.

As you come to the maps there are a couple things that can make your experience with this StoryMap better.

• Zoom in - Many of the maps, especially the landcover maps, really come alive with data when you zoom into your region or your county.
• Be Patient - There is a lot of data contained within the maps and other graphics in the StoryMap so some machines may take a bit longer to load especially as you zoom in.
• Expand or Pop Out - All of the maps or charts have options in the upper right corner to expand the image or pop it out into it's own tab on your computer screen. Sometimes this can be helpful to view the data and information.
• Click the Links! - There are a lot of embedded links to other websites or to additional documents that contain more information.

Whether your are just interested in outdoor recreation or maybe you are a recreational planner for your county or community, there are a ton of resources for you as you start your scroll.

For questions about the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan or to see past versions of the plan contact: Michelle.Wilson@dnr.iowa.gov

The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan provides a framework for outdoor recreation priorities and plans that will enhance Iowa’s natural resources while contributing to the well-being and enjoyment of all Iowans.

Environmental benefits: people with a greater connection to the outdoors also support conservation and preservation of natural resources, contributing to a healthier environment through daily choices and actions.

Physical benefits: Walking, hiking, biking and other outdoor recreation activities keep Iowans active and healthy throughout their life.

Emotional benefits: Spending time outdoors, disconnected from technology, work and everyday tasks reduces stress and re-energizes us to take on the tasks of the day.

Social benefits: Natural Resource, parks and outdoor recreation areas are natural draws for people to come together and spend time with family and friends. Many communities rely on these areas for festivals and events as hubs of social structure.

Economic benefits: People who participate in outdoor recreation contribute to their communities through local spending. Potential employees also make job choices based on the availability of close-to-home outdoor opportunities, such as Iowa’s lakes, waterways and trails.

In 1963, President Kennedy proposed legislation that established the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), carrying forward a recommendation made by the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission in 1961. This fund was to assist states in planning, acquisition and development of recreation resources, as well as a guide to purchase new federal recreational areas.

After much debate and two years of discussions, bipartisan support was finally achieved and a Land & Water Conservation Fund bill was signed into law on September 3, 1964. This new act established funding for the creation of parks and open spaces, protection of wilderness, wetlands, and refuges, preservation of habitat, enhancement of recreational opportunities, and for matching grants to state and local governments for recreation planning and development. A condition of the Act for the dissemination of the matching grant funds was the development in each state of a Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). These plans are developed, updated and submitted to the National Park Service every five years.

The funds received from the State and Local Assistance Program Fund are primarily oil and gas lease revenues acquired from leases on federal lands. By putting these revenues back into the hands of states the National Park Service is balancing the impact to the resource while providing additional close-to-home open space and recreational opportunities. States must match the federal grant funds with at least 50% of their own local resources or through donations. The sites must be available to all citizens into perpetuity.

 _{*GOMESA - Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act} 

Iowa is a state of 56,286 square miles (36,022,848 acres) bordered by the Mississippi River on the east and the Missouri River on the west. Iowa has relatively low relief - elevations running from a high of 1,670 feet above mean sea level in Osceola County in northwestern Iowa to 480 feet above mean sea level in Lee County in the southeastern corner of the state.

Iowa's natural communities are as much a result of its recent geologic past as they are a result of climatic conditions. The boundaries of the ecoregions that resulted from this geologic history coincide well with the boundaries of other habitat based classification systems.

• 19,000 Miles of Interior Rivers
• 176 Miles of Trout Streams
• 203,000 Acres of water in our Border Rivers
• 16 Natural Glacial Lakes
• 27 Shallow Natural Glacial Lakes
• 156 Constructed Lakes
• 52 On-Stream Impoundments
• 32 Oxbow Lakes
• 57,385 Acres in State Parks
• 9,825 Acres in State Preserves
• 45,246 Acres in State Forests
• 418,675 Acres in Wildlife Management Areas
• 39,096 Acres in City Parks
• 193,624 Acres in County Parks
• 283,680 Acres in Federal Lands
• 909 Acres in ATV Parks

 Iowa Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP)  is a ten-year, comprehensive conservation strategy for wildlife in all habitat types. The IWAP identifies several rare and sensitive ecological communities as land protection and management priorities. Forests, grasslands, wetlands and lakes and rivers are critical habitats for plants and animals. As you scroll through each habitat type you will find a simplified chart from this plan indicating species of greatest need of conservation.

Iowa's population has remained stable for a long time while the overall population of the United States has grown significantly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Iowa's estimated population in 2022 was 3,200,517 an increase of 54,806 since the last plan. Iowa has a land area of 56,286 square miles which is about 58 people per square mile.

Underserved or disadvantaged refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, who have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. This  Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool  provides information on census tracts that are overburdened or underserved and thus designated as a disadvantaged community. With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, increased funding for LWCF allowed for the faster pace with which to improve conservation and outdoor recreation access and well as expansion of access and participation in underserved communities. LWCF Grants as well as other federally funded grant opportunities have scoring criteria that takes into consideration these opportunities.

As part of the planning process for the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, a survey of Iowans is conducted every 5 years to assess participation in and attitude towards outdoor recreation. According to the 2022 survey:

• 88% of Iowans are satisfied with outdoor experiences
• 83% rated the availability as excellent or good
• 78% rated the state's efforts to provide opportunities as excellent or good
• 60% of residents say Iowa has just the right amount of recreation opportunities while 26% say there are not enough
• The most negative ratings for existing opportunity and the state's efforts to provide for the opportunity were in horseback riding and ATVing.

The following interactive dashboards focus on the top 10 activities that Iowans are actively participating in or are interested in pursuing as well as engagement in the outdoors during the 2020 Pandemic. The full report, linked at the bottom of each dashboard and prepared by Responsive Management, contains detailed information on 34 different outdoor activities as well as additional questions on Iowans' perspective on the outdoor resource and amenities.

Outdoor Recreation in Iowa must support the needs of Iowans in outdoor recreation participation and conservation of natural resources. The 2 priorities of this plan align with the goals and performance measures of the Land & Water Conservation Fund as well as bolster state plans from the Departments of Natural Resources, Health and Human Services, Transportation and Economic Development Authority and local planning through city and county agencies.

Priorities of this plan are in no particular order of importance. To move in a positive direction during the next five years, equal focus has to be on all areas of this plan.

Park and recreation areas are natural gathering areas for people who like to spend time with family or enjoy the outdoors. Open spaces, provide room for outdoor recreational pursuits, but primarily offer protection for Iowa's plant and animal species through conservation, preservation or restoration of critical habitats. All areas contribute to environmental, physical, emotional and social well being while bolstering local economies.

Iowa's landscape has a lot to offer. From the rolling hills and rock outcroppings, lakes, rivers and streams, wild areas and places of peace and beauty, there is something for everyone to experience.

In order to connect users to experiences, there is value building upon existing platforms, like  Travel Iowa , to create the one-stop platform where anyone can easily search by activity or county to find outdoor recreation opportunities and experiences they want to engage in.

Our public areas showcase best practices for habitat management that private landowners can emulate, but with so few public acres, they are some of the only places where many types of outdoor recreation can take place. Natural resource, parks and outdoor recreation agency's responsibility is to maintain high quality resources that support a diverse ecosystem while also trying to navigate increasing recreational users and new recreational pursuits.

There has been a philosophical shift in how agencies approach engagement of people interested in outdoor recreation. It starts with an organizational commitment to planning and development of strong partnerships which are foundational to overall success. This will foster consistent messaging and public relations strategies will help resource managers find a balance between the resource and the user and ultimately result in strategic approaches that are also sustainable.

Data below, from the 2021 Report from the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, show trends in Iowa over time.

Recommendation: Provide a diverse range of quality outdoor experiences through improved coordination and planning at the local level to meet outdoor recreation, public health and tourism demands, using data to drive decisions while continuing to protect and enhance the resource.

Natural resource, parks and outdoor recreation agencies have a responsibility to maintain high quality resources that support diverse ecosystems while trying to navigate increasing recreational use and new recreational pursuits.

Routine natural resource, parks and outdoor recreation planning ensures that recreation opportunities and the associated natural resources are safe, well-constructed and maintained, provide easy and sufficient access, and relevant to the current demands and within the limitations of the resource.

Cities, County Conservation Boards, the DNR and federal agencies continue to increase the quantity and quality of recreational opportunities throughout the state. Through the assistance of grant funding, mostly from state or federal funding sources, these agencies have developed small and large projects across the state. Projects range from playground upgrades, development of new shelters, upgrade of large campground electrical systems or land acquisitions and habitat improvements. Most projects are not accomplished by a single entity alone, they usually involve working with partner groups such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and local organized clubs or foundations.

The Department and its other agency partners are committed to providing better assistance to local governments for the preparation of grant applications. Hover over the images below to see what grant opportunities in Iowa exist for the different types of outdoor recreation.

All 99 counties have received some level of grant funding for outdoor protection and recreation. Grants are awarded primarily to city and county agencies putting funding directly into their communities to improve, expand or add new open spaces and outdoor recreation amenities. Below is an interactive map to see where Department of Natural Resource grant funds have been allocated across the state.

The interactive map below provides examples of great outdoor recreation projects some that have received funding from programs listed above. Where applicable, links to videos or websites for the projects tagged below. For open Department of Natural Resource Grants please check out our  DNR Grant Portal  or the links to the grants above.