‘A legacy for our parents’ – Mann Wetlands Wildlife Management Area officially dedicated Saturday morning | News, Sports, Jobs

TR PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY – Members of the Clarence and Sharon Mann family pose for a photo at the end of a dedication ceremony for the Mann Wetlands Wildlife Management Area just south of Albion on Saturday morning. Due to rain, the event was moved from the wetlands to the Grimes Farm Conservation Center.

Although poor weather conditions put a spanner in the works for the on-site event, a large crowd still gathered on Saturday morning to celebrate the opening of the Mann Wetlands Wildlife Management Area during a short program at the Grimes Farm Conservation Center.

The acquisition of Marshall County’s newest public lands, located just south of Albion, near the Iowa River and across the highway from the northern entrance to Timmons Grove, was made possible by a variety of funding sources, including grants from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP), private donors, and of course the generosity of the Mann family, who previously owned 144 of the 216 total acres. The remaining 72 were acquired from the Mount family.

Emily Herring, executive director of the Marshall County Conservation Board (MCCB), who led the program Saturday morning, joked that the only two things she’s learned she can’t control are “people and the weather,” but she was nonetheless excited to dedicate the wetlands area to an enthusiastic public.

“I want to thank the people who made it possible and also the people who helped with the restoration process. There’s been so much positive that’s come out of it and so many people have supported it,” Herring said. “It’s just been a great experience for me as a director in my first year on the staff. It’s really made me excited for everything that’s to come.”

There were plenty of thank-yous to be had as Herring gave a shout-out to the Manns, who were well represented at the event, for their idea that the area could be a public property for all to enjoy, and they received a long round of applause. As Herring explained, the land was owned by Clarence and Sharon Mann, and after Clarence passed away, his descendants made the decision collectively, partly as a result of how much they enjoyed visiting it in their younger years.

TR PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY – A sign now welcomes visitors to the 216-acre Mann Wetlands Wildlife Management Area, located south of Albion, just across Highway 330 from the north entrance to Timmons Grove.

The INHF assisted in holding the land, while the MCCB raised funds for the purchase. Ultimately, the $1,147,640.53 purchase required no expenditure from the county’s general fund.

“If they weren’t there, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s an important part of helping protect these areas that families want to go to — natural areas. We couldn’t do it without them,” Herring said.

The MCCB also received a REAP grant of more than $900,000, which Herring said had members of her team doing “victory dances” when they received the news. Other major contributors included several Pheasants Forever County chapters, Friends of Marshall County Conservation, Jim Dworzak, the Artis Wansley Memorial, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the National Wild Turkey Federation, Dick and Susan Breed, Garry and Bobbi Brandenburg, the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Dr. William Wessel, the Howard Stegmann Memorial, the Franklin E. Polley Memorial, the Dr. Russell Watt Memorial, the Randy Hartwig Memorial, the Eleanor Handorf Memorial, the Judith Rundall Memorial, the Tom Ford Memorial, the David Roe Memorial and the Marilyn Rhodes Memorial.

In addition to acquiring the land, extensive work was done to restore 159 acres of wetland at a cost of $71,570.72 — again, Herring and her team were able to do this “at a very low cost” through grants and the generosity of other agencies and organizations. She also gave credit to her two most recent predecessors: Mike Stegmann started the process before he retired as conservation director, and the tireless and “encyclopedic” Garry Brandenburg provided aerial photographs and water level data.

“This has truly been an amazing experience and I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me through this,” said Herring.

Ross Baxter of the INHF spoke next, describing this project as the “pinnacle” of the organization’s mission to protect and restore Iowa’s land, water and wildlife. He gave a bit of history on how it all came about and the “curveball” they were thrown when the Mount family offered to sell the adjacent 72 acres after the INHF had already purchased the Manns’ 144 acres.

“With the partners in this room, many of whom Emily mentioned, we were able to take the Iowa River floodplain, increase the prairie diversity, restore wetlands, and protect a remnant wetland on the northeast corner of the property, which is quite rare,” he said. “So we were able to take a floodplain habitat, which I think over 85 percent is in the two-year floodplain, and provide water quality benefits by slowing sedimentation and also providing that floodplain wildlife habitat that many of those species need. And so through the work of many of the people in this room, we were able to achieve that protection for those species that are going out and enjoying and recreating in that area.”

Andrew DiAllesandro of the US Fish and Wildlife Service was the final speaker of the morning and he praised the strong spirit of collaboration that made the project possible.

“Nothing really happens in a vacuum. This is a product of partnership. This is a product of trust, and that’s what my program does,” he said.

He summarized some of the assistance his agency provided, along with cost-sharing to expand the overall scope of the project, and was especially complimentary about the historic aerial photographs of Brandenburg. DiAllesandro added that he was pleased to see that the prairie plants are already blooming and that the wetlands are holding water.

After members of the Mann family and other supporters gathered for a photo in the open-air theater, Clarence Mann’s three sons, Arlis, Lawrence and Merle, considered the decision to convert the area into a wetland.

“It’s a legacy for our parents, and it’s right along the Iowa River. There’s all kinds of birds and trees and everything there,” Arlis said.

There was initial uncertainty about whether the MCCB would receive the funding needed to complete the type of project they envisioned, but all’s well that ends well. Lawrence, who lives in Marshalltown, said he can’t wait to take his grandchildren there. Arlis, who lives on the edge of Albion, near the site, recalled when the land was used for farming and livestock.

“It wasn’t the easiest farm to run, and my dad was a very patient man,” he said. “You either plant two crops or no crops at all, so it’s kind of nice to see it settle down and become a (prairie).”

Although more work remains to be done, a sign can now be found along Highway 330, just south of Albion, near the bridge over the Iowa River, marking the Mann Family Wetlands.

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