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The Hickory Ridge Wilderness Camp on Lake Red Rock has received a large donation. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, a leading statewide, non-profit conservation organization has donated $100,000 to help protect and restore the 47 acre woodland area. With this gift, Hickory Ridge has now obtained 80 percent of the funding needed for the $405,000 project, with only $80,000 left to raise.

Project volunteer Eunice Folkers says that receiving the gift is very exciting and brings them very close to realizing a vision to save Hickory Ridge and turn it into a destination for those who love the outdoors, and now it’s just a question of when.

The donation is in honor of LaVonne and Jim Rippentrop from Runnels, who gave a large donation to the INHF before they passed away in 2007 and 2008. The Rippentrops directed that the foundation use half their gift for conservation purposes in Central Iowa.

A public input meeting was held last night at the Lake Red Rock visitors center. The Corps will now review the input received from the public and prepare a formal plan for the property.