ITC Midwest - Sac and Fox Trail Park

About the Program
The Sac and Fox Indian Trail Park follows the Cedar River and the popular Indian Creek on the southeast side of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is a seven-mile-long trail that is relatively level and broad with a pressed limestone surface. It is the oldest National Recreation Trail in Iowa and is used for hiking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding and bicycling. ITC Holding's corridor runs along the length of the trail and consists of approximately thirty-six acres of grasslands for the benefit of wildlife. ITC Midwest partnered with the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department in 2011 as part of a coordinated effort to expand and manage native prairie species under the 1,000 Acres Pollinator Initiative. These organizations continue to manage the functional prairie habitats by combatting invasive species and encouraging the establishment of native species via Integrated Vegetative Management (IVM).

Practices and Impacts

• The project has successfully increased native diversity and enhanced grassland habitat through the effective management and removal of non-native plant species and seeding of native species. 
• These and other management techniques, such as mowing and removing woody overgrowth, have helped the project increase native plant species diversity since 2015 by 75% and 12% depending on location.