Burlington, IA- Des Moines County Conservation has announced the acquisition of over 19 acres of land along Flint Creek, adjacent to the 250-acre Hickory Bend Conservation Area.
According to a news release, the new land is located at the south boundary of Hickory Bend, lies within the creek’s floodplain, and is completely forested. According to results from ongoing research, the land is known to provide a habitat for endangered species of bats.
The purchase was made using grants and donations from local wildlife organizations.
Those funds leveraged a state Wildlife Habitat Stamp Grant which uses funds from hunting license sales to purchase public hunting land and improve wildlife habitat.
“This is a perfect example of hunters and outdoors people directly investing in conservation,” said Chris Lee, Executive Director at Des Moines County Conservation. “This property was purchased by hunters, for hunters. But the ecological benefits go far beyond that.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, December 1st at Noon at the entrance to Hickory Bend at 15373 145th Ave., Burlington, IA.
For more information, go to the Hickory Bend page on Des Moines County Conservation’s website or call the conservation office at (319) 753-8260.
