Benton County Contacts for Forestry

District Forester

District Foresters are professional foresters that work with private landowners in regions throughout the state. They provide consultation and planning services related to timber sales, tree planting, and improving wildlife habitat or timber quality. They also provide guidance on cost share assistance programs and tax incentive programs. Professional foresters such as Iowa DNR district foresters and private forestry consultants should be the first point of contact for forestry projects.

Iowa DNR
Mark Vitosh
Cell:
563-260-0319
Iowa City, IA
United States

Iowa State University Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic

The Iowa State University Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic provides diagnosis of plant problems (plant diseases, insect damage, and assessment of herbicide damage) and the identification of insects from the field, forest, garden, and homes.

Office:
515-294-0581
2445 Advanced Teaching and Research Building (ATRB)
2213 Pammel Dr.
Ames, IA 50011
United States

Private Forestry Consultants/Contractors

Private forestry consultants and contractors provide landowners with a wide range of forestry services, ranging from general consultation, forest management planning, and timber sale administration, to site preparation, invasive species management, and tree planting and maintenance.

Note: professional foresters (i.e., private forestry consultants and Iowa DNR District Foresters) should be your first point of contact for any forestry project. The contact list that follows indicates whether a business has a professional forester on staff. How do we define a professional forester?

Blackwell Creek Forestry
Philip Sneed
Cell:
660-973-2714
14435 LIV 251
CHILLICOTHE, MO 64601
United States
Services Provided
Brush management/invasive species management, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Additional Notes
Additional services offered include: prescribed burning, prescribed fire burn planning, timber trespass and expert witness services, wildlife management planning
Buffalo Creek Land Management
Ryan Mullins
Cell:
515-779-2026
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting – hand, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI)
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Country Landscapes inc.
Scott Thompson
Cell:
319-269-0076
East 3801 Lincoln highway
Ames, IA 50010
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance, Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), prescribed fire, trail construction, erosion control, surface restoration, large clearing and excavation work
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Forest Legacy LLC
Cody Widner
Cell:
574-581-0090
104 Main St
Ollie, IA 52576
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), forest stand improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal, prescribed fire
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Forestry Consulting Services LLC
Steve Hamilton
Office:
319-929-3094
Cell:
319-551-2775
1153 Highway 965 NW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
United States
Services Provided
Tree planting by hand and machine, Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Four Seasons Conservation
Kaleb Ebeling
Office:
319-371-0931
Cell:
319-931-9530
1567 Old Highway 34
Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal, prescribed fire, forestry mulching, and CRP planting
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Geode Forestry, Inc.
Robert Petrzelka
Office:
319-254-2232
1923 140th St.
PO Box 86
Swedesburg, IA 52652
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), forest stand improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal, certified as a Tree Farm Inspector with the American Tree Farm System (ATFS).
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Grau Logs & Lumber Inc.
Patrick Grau
Office:
563-245-1147
116 Gunder Rd.
Elkader, IA 52043
United States
Services Provided
Forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, and timber appraisal
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Greenbelt Restoration, LLC
Blake Harris
Cell:
319-243-8124
4275 Turkey Creek Road NE
Iowa City, IA 52240
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance, Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), prescribed fire, broadcast native seeding, no-till drill native seeding
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Hunters Management Group
Brady Bloomquist
Cell:
641-895-2305
2803 Newton Rd
Promise City, IA 52583
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance, Forest Stand Improvement (FSI)
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Jake's Woods LLC
Jason Jacobson
Cell:
573-248-4468
Jake's Woods LLC
458 College Street
Kahoka, MO 63445
United States
Services Provided
Tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal, prescribed burn
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Larkspur Ecological Restoration
Kate Reilly
Cell:
319-899-9753
PO Box 2521
Iowa City, IA 52244
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI)
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
North Missouri Forestry
Andrew Helton
Cell:
660-988-4151
28769 Hwy T30
Exline, IA 52555
United States
Services Provided
Timber Stand Improvement(TSI), Invasive Species Management(ISM), edge feathering, tree plantings, and CRP/native grass seedings.
Paradigm Land Management
Michael Martens
Cell:
319-530-2583
Wellman, IA 52356
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand, planting maintenance, Forest Stand Improvement (FSI)
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Precision Land Management
Chad Johnson
Cell:
309-462-5355
3291 200th St
Muscatine, IA 52761
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Prudenterra
Luke Gran
Office:
(515) 382-1239
65584 260th Street
Nevada, IA 50201
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand and by machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), forest stand improvement (FSI), crop tree release thinning actions, forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes
Additional Notes
Other services provided include: commercial pesticide applicator to inject urban trees for protection from EAB, bur oak blight, oak wilt, provide small number of native tree seedlings for sale, prescribed burns of oak woodlands and tallgrass prairie, stream restoration design and build, stormwater erosion management with natural stream design methodologies, agroforestry, keyline design and swales, wildlife habitat assessment, prairie reconstruction, seed mix selection and sourcing assistance, prairie seeding by broadcast method, prairie establishment mowing and woody plant removal, management by herbicide and mechanical means, tree sheltering by hand, shrub planting by hand and machine and protecting shrub seedlings with bamboo stakes and mesh plastic shelters, botanical identification of prairie, wetland, and forest native species to assess remnant high-quality restoration opportunities
River Forks Land Clearing
Seth Todd
Cell:
319-850-0746
105 Stephens Street
Columbus Junction, IA 52738
United States
Services Provided
Forestry mulching, site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, and heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Smith Landworx
Connor Smith
Cell:
515-240-4006
New Virginia, IA 50210
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, forestry mulching, tree pulling and shearing, and fence line removal.
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Kevin Oetken
Office:
563-673-2146
Cell:
563-357-7843
10571 18TH AVE
Monmouth, IA 52309
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation, timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal
Professional Forester on Staff:
Yes

Private Lands Biologist

There is a network of Private Lands Biologists in Iowa that serve similar roles and often work together to help landowners find the right help and programs. Here’s a list of the entities involved in private lands programs in the state indexed in this section. 

  • The Iowa DNR has a Private Lands Program with wildlife biologists and specialists that cover every county in Iowa and work with private landowners for wildlife habitat restoration projects. These biologists work closely with NRCS offices and other private lands programs in the state to make sure you find the right help.
  • Pheasants Forever has a network of wildlife biologists that cover multi-county regions in most areas in the state. These biologists are partnership positions with NRCS, IDALS, SWCDs and work in county USDA offices to help landowners with technical assistance, conservation planning and help to enroll in conservation practices that are favorable to pheasants and quail and many other wildlife in Iowa.
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program that employs biologists to work with private landowners on wildlife habitat projects on their land that benefit species like bats and migratory birds that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a mandate to help protect. 
  • This section also includes a grab-bag of other professionals, employed by non-profit organizations, municipalities, or other governmental organizations that work with private landowners on strategic projects throughout the state, primarily within focus watersheds.
Iowa DNR
Greg Schmitt
Office:
563-422-6201
Cell:
563-380-0373
United States
Pheasants Forever
Allie Barth
Office:
319-330-6015
United States
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ron Knopik
Office:
319-523-6982 x5
Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge
10728 County Road X61
Wapello, IA 52653
United States

USDA Service Center

Your local USDA service center houses staff from multiple agencies that can help with a variety of projects on private land.

  1. The Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) has staff who work exclusively with private landowners to improve soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat through federal land conservation programs. They administer the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides financial assistance and technical service for many activities including weed control, prescribed burning, forest management plans, and forest stand improvement. The NRCS is also a good source of information regarding pond construction.
  2. The Farm Service Agency administers several conservation-focused programs including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in addition to many loan and financial programs for farmers and landowners. Examples of practices eligible for federal cost-share and rental payments through CRP include grassland habitat establishment, hardwood tree planting, riparian forest buffer establishment, and many others.
  3. Soil and Water Conservation District staff provide assessment, planning, design, and cost share assistance to reduce soil loss, improve soil health, reduce runoff and protect water quality on private land.
Vinton Service Center
Office:
319-472-5274
1705 West D Street
Vinton, IA 52349
United States

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The information contained on the Natural Resources Stewardship Directory on this website is an amalgamation of publicly-available information. Inclusion of entities in the application does not imply endorsement by Iowa State University or affiliates. Please contact us with any questions about the application.