Cedar Valley, Iowa: Special Resource Study

In 1991 a group of seven community, volunteers met to propose an ecqnomic revitalization program for downtown Waterloo, Iowa. What the group discovered was a rich - variety of stories and resources that stretched beyond local city boundaries and encompassed a broad vision - the connections between agriculture and industry that help feed the world. An urban-centered effort expanded to encompass a wide geographic area that includes small towns, family farms, and urban centers. Togeth,er"they p~esent a , dynamic chapter in the history and development of American agriculture. In 1992, the volunteer group formally established themselves as Silos & Smokestacks, a privately financed, nonprofit community advocacy organization. The National Park Service identified the Cedar Valley area as a high priority for study, and Congress provided funds to initiate the project in January 1994. This Cedar Valley Special Resource Study presents a broad overview of 17 counties in Iowa's Cedar Valley, documents the significance of the area's resources, and identifies general threats to those resources. The study also presents three alternative concepts and five management options that begin to identify and evaluate possible approaches for use, protection, and management of the region's' resources. Many important elements of the nationally significant story of American agriculture can be seen across the study area's 17 counties. Waterloo and northeast Iowa's resources speak to that nationally significant story, and northeast Iowa is an ideal place to tell that story. In addition, if directed by Congress, there may be partnership opportunities for the National Park Service in telling that story. This -Cedar Valley Special Resource Study presents three conceptual alternatives for the conservation, development, and interpretation of agriculture-related resources. The study team emphasizes that these alternatives are conceptual in nature and that additional planning would need to be completed to determine the feasibility of implementing any or all of them. They are briefly described below.

Cedar Valley, Iowa: Special Resource Study

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