Jones Co. becomes part of statewide BCAs

     On May 10, Jones County received two prestigious nationwide designations within the Indian Bluffs and Pictured Rocks areas. A ceremony was held at the pavilion at Pictured Rocks Park, with several speakers on hand.

     The first of those designations is the Indian Bluffs-Pictured Rocks BCA (Bird Conservation Area). This is the 23^rd BCA in the State of Iowa. This newest BCA contains 30,680 acres, of which about 3,600 areas are protected by easements or are publically owned.

     Within the wildlife areas there are 243 different bird species that have been identified. Of those, 118 are known to nest in the BCA within its wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, and savannas.

     Some of the named species include: Bobolink, Eastern and Western Meadowlarks, Field Sparrows, Wood Thrush, Whip-poor-will, Red-headed Woodpecker, Kentucky and Prothonotary Warblers, the Baltimore Oriole, and more.

     Bruce Ehresman, bird biologist with the Iowa DNR, pursued the BCA endeavor, working with Jones County Conservation, NRCS (Natural Resources and Conservation Service)/Jones SWCD (Soil & Water Conservation District), as well as private landowners.

     Ehresman said the concept of a BCA started about 45 years ago after documentation began to note that bird populations were declining.

     “Fully, one-third of all bird species in North America are significantly declining,” he said. “In Iowa, we have at least that much declining.

     “With this alarming decline of bird species, one of the concepts that came out was a BCA program, which is a landscape approach to managing birds,” explained Ehresman.

     He added that the goal is to have different kinds of habitat within a BCA, something this new area offers.

     In addition to the recreation opportunities the Indian Bluffs-Pictured Rocks offers in terms of paddling on the Maquoketa River or rock climbing, Ehresman said BCAs also bring in bird watchers.

     “One of the benefits of having a BCA is that it brings quite a bit of money into the community,” he said. People will not only come to the area for bird watching, but they'll spend money in the area, too. Ehresman estimates “watchable wildlife” brings about $318 million a year into the state.

     “That’s actually more revenue than hunting brings into the state. It’s very significant, and it’s growing.”

     Curt Kemmerer, a wildlife biologist with the DNR, also spoke during the special event. He offered a history of both the Indian Bluffs and Pictured Rocks areas.

     He explained that Pictured Rocks’ name stems from the “unusual rock formations that the Maquoketa River has carved through this valley.

     “This is some of the oldest bedrock in the state,” he said, “and dates back half a million years.”

     Kemmerer said the state came on board in the Pictured Rocks area in the early 1950s by acquiring public land. Landowners either gave land over to the state or sold it. Kemmerer said these owners were fed up having to deal with the rough topography of the landscape.

     Of the 794 acres within Pictured Rocks, 68 of it are managed by Conservation.

     He said with the bluffs and river corridor, this is one of the state’s busiest water trails.

     Indian Bluffs was a site visited by Chief Black Hawk, the leader of the Sauk Tribe.

     “He absolutely loved the Jordan Valley,” said Kemmerer. “It became a very treasured and prominent hunting camp for the tribe.”

     Jordan Creek, which empties into the Maquoketa River, was named after Billy Jordan, a white trapper and friend of Chief Black Hawk.

     In 1974, the state acquired the land with 830 acres. The majority of the land is prime woodland timber, which Kemmerer said is one of the state’s “few active forest wildlife stewardship plans.”

     Michele Olson, Jones County naturalist, thanked the DNR for their hard work in bringing a BCA to Jones County. She said in her 20 years with the county, “I was always hoping that a BCA would happen in our area.”

     Doug Harr, president of Iowa Audubon, presented the county (Olson) with an additional plaque, also designating the BCA area as an Important Bird Area (IBA).

     “These are areas designated around the world, in about 120 different countries,” noted Harr.

     He said when he moved to Iowa a number of years ago, he was blown away by the state’s beauty and natural resources, “tucked away in places that a lot of people out side Iowa don’t know a thing about.

     “We have some of the most remarkable natural resources in this state. You just have to look for them a little bit,” added Harr.

     Currently, there are 92 areas across Iowa that have been designated IBAs.

     Todd Bishop, Iowa DNR, offered that in 1935 the Iowa Planning Board actually recommended that the Pictured Rocks-Indian Bluffs area be protected. This request was sent to the Natural Resources Council in Washington, D.C.

     “People said that this place is pretty special,” Bishop said at the time, and true still today. “They wanted to preserve it for wildlife.”

     For more on the Indian Bluffs-Pictured Rocks BCA, visit www.iowadnr.gov.