Wild raspberries grow along a path in the Guy Grover Timber and Tree Plantings on Friday, June 22, 2012, in Buchanan County's Liberty Township. The Buchanan County Conservation Board manages the 186 acres along the Wapsipinicon River, which were donated by Guy and Shirley Grover. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

More than 3,100 acres of Iowa land with an estimated value of $6 million was permanently protected through donations for conservation in 2012.

Twenty-nine individuals, families, businesses or other organizations worked with conservation entities, such as the Department of Natural Resources and county conservation boards, to protect the land, according to Stacey Sipe-Smith of the DNR Lands and Waters Bureau.

The land is in 20 counties.

The number of acres and value of the land is typical, Sipe-Smith said. Most years the land value ranges from $5 million to $7 million.

While some land is donated to conservation entities, other land is protected through conservation easements and bargain sales – the sale of land to the DNR at a price below market value, Sipe-Smith said.

The first Monday in April is designated as the Gift to Iowa’s Future Recognition Day to recognize, celebrate and honor individuals and corporations who have donated land or a conservation easement to benefit Iowa’s parks, trails, fish and wildlife habitat, natural areas, open spaces and public recreation areas for other public uses and benefits.

The donors associated with the 21 donations of land or land value will be recognized at a ceremony at 11 a.m. April 1 in the Supreme Court Room at the State Capitol, Des Moines.

Landowners who are in attendance will be honored individually for their donation.

Conservation Land Donations by GazetteOnline