City Awarded Grant for Eagle Point Park Restoration
Oct. 18, 2017 -- For Immediate Release
CITY OF DUBUQUE CONTACTS:
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
563.589.4210, lcarsten@cityofdubuque.org
Marie Ware, Leisure Services Manager
563.589.4264, mware@cityofdubuque.org
DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has awarded the City of Dubuque a grant of $200,000 from Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP).
The grant money will be used for Phase 2 Implementation of the Environmental Restoration Management Plan at Eagle Point Park, a 164-acre community park that opened in 1909 on Dubuque’s northeast side. Eagle Point Park is owned by the City of Dubuque and managed by the Leisure Services Department’s Park Division. The park overlooks the Mississippi River, providing a spectacular view of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
This project is part of an ongoing environmental restoration effort for Eagle Point Park that contributes to Dubuque’s mission of creating a sustainable future. It involves implementation of the Eagle Point Park Environmental Restoration Management Plan that was completed under a REAP grant awarded in 2015. Adopted by the City Council in 2017, the Management Plan addresses the park’s recreational and natural spaces that suffer the effects of severe erosion, invasive vegetation, and degraded natural habitats on the rolling, rugged terrain. Some implementation of that plan will commence using funds from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund as well as funds from the previous REAP grant. All of this environmental work must be done within the context of the park’s rich cultural history.
Implementation will improve sustainability by restoring and enhancing native plant communities and soil quality to provide new nature-based recreation opportunities for visitors, create habitat for wildlife, and foster sustainability. Phase 2 will enhance 33 acres of existing forest/woodland areas, representing 20 percent of the 164-acre regional park.
REAP invests in projects that enhance and protect the Iowa’s natural and cultural resources. Fifteen percent of REAP is set aside for grants to cities for projects that help establish natural areas, encourage outdoor recreation and resource management.
In its 28 years, REAP has benefited every county in Iowa by supporting over 15,000 projects. REAP has funded these projects with $300 million in state investments, leveraging two to three times the amount in private, local, and federal dollars. Collectively, these projects have improved the quality of life for all Iowans with better soil and water quality; added outdoor recreation opportunities; sustained economic development; enhanced knowledge and understanding of our ecological and environmental assets, and preservation of our cultural and historic treasures.
REAP has benefited the City of Dubuque greatly since 1997, with over $2.7 million from 14 REAP grants invested in building off-road trails throughout the community and expanding the E.B. Lyons Interpretive Area at the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area. A complete list of these 14 City REAP Grant Awards for park and recreation projects is available at http://cityofdubuque.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6781.
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