(Spirit Lake)– The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold a meeting later this month on a proposal to designate Cayler Prairie as a state bird conservation area.
The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. January 27th at the Dickinson County Nature Center.
The Bird Conservation Area program is an outgrowth of the national Partners in Flight program. DNR officials say designating Cayler Prairie as a bird conservation area would give national recognition to the area’s importance for nesting and migratory birds that depend on grassland habitat. If approved, it would be the second bird conservation area in Dickinson county, with the Spring Run Grasslands Bird Conservation Area created in 2002.
Officials add the designation could lead to improved conservation practices that benefit many bird species that are in trouble. They say declining grassland birds such as bobolink, northern Harrier, upland sandpiper and game birds such as ring-necked pheasant and northern pintail, would also benefit.
Officials say in order for the Bird Conservation Area to be effective, it’s important areas around the core land also be managed for good wildlife habitat.
They say establishing the bird conservation area at Cayler Prairie could also enhance recreational activities in Dickinson county, providing an economic boost. They say watching birds is one of the fastest growing pastimes in North America. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study, people in Iowa now spend more money on watching wildlife than on hunting, and just slightly less than what they spend on fishing. Together, they say recreational activities bolster Iowa’s economy to the tune of nearly a billion dollars a year.
