PRAIRIE CITY, Iowa – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) recently announced its collaboration to integrate conservation practices with agriculture, aiming to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.

Officials said this partnership will focus on restoring wetlands and prairies, implementing practices like saturated buffers and oxbow (crescent-shaped lake or wetland that forms when a curve of a river is cut off from the main channel, often due to erosion and deposition) restorations, and promoting sustainable farming.

“This innovative agriculture collaborative showcases the effectiveness of voluntary conservation practices on working lands, yielding tangible benefits for wildlife, water resources, and agricultural producers,” said Drew Diallesandro, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program’s Iowa Private Lands coordinator.

“By leveraging funding made available through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the (USFWS) Partners Program and Iowa Soybean Association are uniting farmers, conservation professionals and local stakeholders to voluntarily adapt scientifically supported, economically feasible, and environmentally beneficial practices,” he added.

Through initiatives such as the Conservation Infrastructure Initiative and the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, he said the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has encouraged practices like wetland restoration, prairie strips, and cover crops to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus runoff.

“Now, with targeted investments in strategic partnerships, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is further supporting projects aimed at enhancing these outcomes by restoring native habitats that provide essential resources for pollinators and other wildlife,” he said.

He added, “The (USFWS) Partners Program and Iowa Soybean Association are building on this vision by emphasizing multi-benefit conservation. Wetlands restored through this partnership are not only filtering runoff, recharging groundwater and mitigating flood risk, but also serving as habitat for species like the federally endangered Topeka shiner (a small minnow), migratory waterfowl, and butterflies.

“Similarly, prairie restorations, implemented in buffers, marginal lands and land retirement, are offering crucial resources for pollinators and monarchs, while simultaneously stabilizing soils and reducing erosion,” he said.

Brandon Iddings, ISA senior conservation services manager, told Farm World, “Iowa farmers are interested in conservation and habitat restoration in unproductive, and non-farmed areas.

“The Iowa Soybean Association is collaborating with USFWS to provide technical expertise on habitat restorations, and now has our own staff, being trusted leaders, to provide that technical experience, which has allowed for these practices to grow,” he said. “The Iowa Soybean Association and USFWS, along with other partners, will be implementing these practices on farms across the state.”

Diallesandro said the strength of this partnership with the ISA lies in its focus on the practical needs of Iowa farmers.

“Through voluntary, incentive-based programs, farmers are integrating habitat considerations into their operations with technical support from the (USFWS) Partners Program and the Iowa Soybean Association,” he said.

“The approach creates a win-win scenario for agriculture productivity and working lands,” he added. “Many of the enrolled acres consist of non-productive or challenging areas where restoration can provide greater value for landowners. By restoring or enhancing these areas with prairie or wetlands, farmers can reduce the nutrient and sediment runoff from their farms, and contribute to broader conservation goals.”

Iddings said, “Conservation on working lands in Iowa will benefit farmers by providing more resilient farms. Improving soil quality, water quality, and flood mitigation, while also showing the voluntary aspect of these restorations highlights how agricultural productivity and conservation can work together.”

Diallesandro said the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the ISA are also partnering with Iowa farmers to restore prairie habitat for pollinators.

“This partnership embodies the future of conservation in agricultural states like Iowa, emphasizing local leadership, federal backing, private landowner engagement, and achieving outcomes that address multiple priorities,” he said. “Whether the objectives are improving water quality, restoring pollinator populations, or ensuring agricultural sustainability, these initiatives demonstrate that we don’t have to choose between them; we can achieve these goals together.

“Looking forward, the model developed by the Iowa Soybean Association, the (USFWS) Partners Program and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has the potential to expand into additional states and farm operations across the nation,” he added. “As interest in regenerative agriculture and nature-based solutions continues to rise, these partnerships illustrate what can be accomplished when conservation is central to working lands.”