Johnson County Conservation Bond helps expand trails and more

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Johnson County voters have overwhelmingly approved a $30 million bond referendum for conservation.

The money will continue projects the county started in 2008 because of a bond proposal voters passed at the time. This funding will extend over twenty years to connect trails, restore corridors along rivers and streams, and create more natural areas for people to explore.

Wayne Fett of Iowa City spends a lot of time on the trails of Johnson County.

“With my wife, probably every other week,” Fett said.

Hoover Nature Trail in Solon is a trail that Johnson County Conservation planned to expand last week with a new $30 million bond vote. Fett said the expansion is better for three reasons: it’s safer than riding on a road with other vehicles, other cyclists pay more attention to other cyclists, and it’s just being out in nature.

“Maybe you can get ice cream at number 4,” he said, laughing.

Brad Freidhof, interim director of the Johnson County Conservation Board, said they plan to eventually connect the trails from West Branch through Johnson County and into Linn County.

“We have a vision within the Johnson County Conservation Board to make Eastern Iowa a destination area for cyclists,” Freidhof said.

But he said this goes beyond just expanding trails.

“Corridors of rivers and springs, unique natural areas that people can explore without development, just natural areas, and then follow the connectivity between our communities,” he said.

These projects are a continuation of those started after voters approved a $20 million bond in 2008. Freidhof said nearly 77% of voters’ support for this bond shows how overwhelmingly people want these projects to continue.

“I drive so much, it’s an extra nice feature to go to the Cedar Rapids area,” Fett said.

This increases property owners’ taxes by $2.09 per $100,000 of taxable appreciation. That’s in addition to the $5 voters approved during the bond’s passage in 2008.