REAP invests in projects that enhance and protect 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.
The City of Mapleton is the recipient of a $75,000 REAP grant for
the proposed 18 acre Carhart Conservation area, which is located 100
feet north of the “burn pile” in Mapleton, extending one mile north
along the Maple River.
Rebuild and Recover Mapleton, the long-term
recovery board from the 2011 tornado to strike the community, applied
for this grant for the City of Mapleton, and it will be the first step
in developing a walking and biking trail through a nature-blessed area
of Mapleton.
It will be handicap-accessible and will improve
health and encourage wellness for the citizens of Mapleton while also
becoming an attraction for many visitors.
The grant money will be used for building the
first phase of the proposed trail system in Mapleton. The trail system
was proposed in previous planning processes involving the citizens of
Mapleton.
After the tornado, the Rebuild and Recover
Mapleton Board looked at a means of bringing healing to the community as
it begins a long-term plan for recovery. This project was developed
with assistance from Julia Badenhope, FASLA, Associate Professor of
Landscape Architecture. She has provided vast knowledge of recovery
opportunities.
Through the Community Visioning Grant (Jeffery L
Bruce Landscape Designers from Kansas City) and the involvement of
Julia’s fifth-year Studio Design students, the Rebuild and Recover
Mapleton Board is able to put plans in place for recreation (including
safe walking trails), street improvement (including better lighting),
green space planning, water run-off mitigation, and housing needs.
This fall, REAP is hosting local meetings across
the state. Mapleton was represented in Correctionville on Oct. 15. The
full schedule of the REAP Assemblies and more information about REAP
can be found at www.ioawareap.com.