Forestry Resources

Topics:

Forestry

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Iowa's Forestry
Iowa’s Forests Today
Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Program (LSR)
Big Tree Program

Economic Impact of Iowa's Forests
Forestry Resources
Wildlife Damage

Iowa's Forestry

The Iowa DNR works to help Iowans expand and care for the state's roughly 3 million acres of trees and forests. We use professionally trained foresters and natural resource technicians to provide forestry assistance to private landowners, to sustainably manage our state forests, to operate the State Forest Nursery at costs of production, and to protect, utilize and enhance the state's forest resources for today and tomorrow.

Foresters and forestry staff are happy to assist you with your private, public, urban, forest health, fire-related, and tree-planting needs.

Forestry Staff Contact Information

Iowa’s Forests Today

The 2020 revision of Iowa’s Forest Action Plan is a comprehensive look at trees and forests across the state including in-depth assessments of past and present forest health, urban forestry, fire management, private lands management, forest productivity, and future conditions. The Forest Action Plan contains a set of strategic goals and strategies aimed at maximizing forest health and productivity, strategically growing Iowa’s forests, and promoting the benefits of Iowa’s forest resource.

Iowa’s 2020 Forest Action Plan is formatted as a user-friendly, engaging, and highly detailed webpage which allows users to interact with data, view high-resolution GIS maps on a street level, and look at historical trends of data over the past decade. This Forest Action Plan is best viewed on a computer versus a mobile phone and is optimized for the Google Chrome browser, but can be viewed on any web browser.

This Forest Action Plan also serves as a requirement of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service for states applying for forestry-related federal funding.

Best Management Practice for Forestry in Iowa

Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Program (LSR)

The Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Program (or LSR, formerly known as Competitive Redesign Grant) is delivered by a partnership between the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, and the Iowa DNR. The program is intended to implement watershed level, forest-based projects and activities which address the three State and Private Forestry national themes: conserve and manage working forests, protect forests from threats, and enhance public benefits from private forests. These activities will integrate multiple program areas, including forest stewardship, forest health and protection, wildland fire mitigation and restoration, and urban and community forestry.

The DNR works with partners to develop LSR projects proposals for the nationwide scoring and review process. The development process typically begins in December or January and continues until final national submission in September. Eligible project partners include, but are not limited to, state agencies, non-profit organizations, conservation districts, or county and municipal governments. Funds may only be used on non-federal lands and may not be used to compensate federal staff or expenses.

For more information or to submit a partner idea, please contact Emma Hanigan at emma.hanigan@dnr.iowa.gov or 515-249-1732.

Big Tree Program

Iowa’s trees tell a story of resilience, history, and ecological importance. The Big Trees of Iowa program, coordinated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forestry section, celebrates the largest known specimens of each tree species in the state. These towering giants serve as living landmarks, connecting communities to Iowa’s rich forestry heritage while highlighting the vital role trees play in our environment.

Whether you’re nominating a new champion, exploring past winners, or simply marveling at the diversity of Iowa’s tree canopy, the Big Trees of Iowa program invites you to discover and appreciate these extraordinary trees.

Want to nominate a tree or learn more? Explore our registry and see if there’s a champion in your backyard!

Economic Impact of Iowa's Forests