Mahaska 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
Zach Nie
Cell:
515-805-6276
Chariton, 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?

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
C&L Dirtworks LLC
Dustin Clark
Office:
641-680-4601
7521 56th Ave
Agency, IA 52530
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Cody's Tree Service
Cody Hamburg
Cell:
641-680-2833
27025 Gold Avenue
Cantril, IA 52542
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, Forest Stand Improvement (FSI)
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
Complete Forestry Service
Phil Simmons
Office:
641-233-7400
1482 Pleasant Plain Rd
Fairfield, IA 52556
United States
Services Provided
Tree planting by hand and machine, planting maintenance (e.g., chemical, mechanical), Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), timber sales and marketing, timber appraisal
Professional Forester on Staff:
No
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
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
Hibbs Land Management
Nate Hibbs
Cell:
515-422-4197
603 North Main Street
603 North Main Street
Stuart, IA 50250
United States
Services Provided
Site preparation, brush management/invasive species management, heavy machinery/forestry mowing/clearing, Forest Stand Improvement (FSI), forest management plan creation
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
John Byrd Consulting
John Byrd
Cell:
641-208-1990
409 N. Davis St.
Bloomfield, IA 52537
United States
Services Provided
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
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
Midwest Habitat Company
Rob Lange
Cell:
641-362-3453
St Charles, IA
United States
Services Provided
Forest stand improvement, brush management, mulching, mowing, prescribed fire
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
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
Ray Lehn
Cell:
641-233-7461
1347 Mahogany Ave.
Fairfield, IA 52556
United States
Services Provided
Forest stand improvement (FSI), timber sales and marketing, mid-contract management on CRP tree plantings.
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.
Conservation Districts of Iowa and Iowa DNR
Jason Gritsch
Office:
641-622-3380
Cell:
641-751-1432
United States
Iowa DNR
Kevin Andersen
Office:
641-472-8411
Cell:
641-895-2862
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.
Oskaloosa Service Center
Office:
641-673-3476
2503 Todd Street
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
United States

Wood Processors

Wood processors are a resource for people who have timber to sell, who want logs sawn, or who want to buy logs, lumber, or other wood products. Note: Iowa wood processors range greatly in capacity and services provided. For example, larger wood processors may not accept small volumes of timber to be processed for hobby purposes. Information for additional wood processors can be found in our directory of wood processors. Loggers who buy timber and are not listed on Iowa's Bonded Timber Buyer list are breaking the law.

Hammes Brothers Sawmill Inc.
Jeff Sieren
Office:
641-622-3551
27254 282nd Ave
Ollie, IA 52576
United States
Services Provided
Grade lumber, pallet lumber, veneer. Will process all tree species.
Services Not Provided
Does not provide custom milling. Does not have a kiln drying service or portable mill.

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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.