One Iowa landowner fights to farm a designated wetland. Others could face consequences downstream

One Iowa landowner fights to farm a designated wetland. Others could face consequences downstream

Reading Time: 8 minutes(Graphic by Michael Crowe / Ag & Water Desk with images by Jeff Wheeler and Anthony Soufflé / Minnesota Star Tribune)In northeast Iowa, a wispy stand of trees looks out of place.It is surrounded by crop fields on the north side of a four-lane highway, an oasis of nature that is uncommon in rural Iowa, where farming every inch of land is paramount.Its owner hopes to cut and till it for cropland.But he can’t do it without ri…

One Iowa landowner fights to farm a designated wetland. Others could face consequences downstream. - Investigate Midwest

DELAWARE, Iowa — In northeast Iowa, a wispy stand of trees looks out of place.It is surrounded by crop fields on the north side of a four-lane highway, an oasis of nature that is uncommon in rural Iowa, where farming every inch of land is paramount.Its owner hopes to cut and till it for cropland.But he can’t do it without risking his business. For now.Jim Conlan, an out-of-state investor in Iowa farmland, knew the federal government considered t…