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Sustainability director: tree-planting grant, climate plan and Resilient Iowa recognition for Linn County

Linn County Board of Supervisors · December 9, 2025

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Summary

Sustainability Director Kara Matson said the county will pursue a tree-planting grant to fund 68 trees at county facilities, participate in ECCOG's climate action plan with county-specific greenhouse-gas inventories, and noted the county's improved Resilient Iowa score and expected recognition at the state capitol.

Kara Matson, Linn County sustainability director, told supervisors the county is pursuing several sustainability initiatives. She said an Iowa tree-planting grant — currently paused due to federal funding delays —, if finalized, would fund planting of 68 trees at county facilities including the mental health access center, juvenile detention and community service center. "So as that agreement comes in ... we will be having it go through legal and bring it to the supervisors for formal approval," Matson said.

Matson reported that the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECCOG) is finalizing a comprehensive climate action plan, Pathway to a Resilient Future, and will submit deliverables to the EPA by Dec. 19. She said the county will receive a county-specific greenhouse-gas inventory as part of the regional work and that ECCOG has invited Linn County to be a Brownfields coalition member; Matson said coalition membership requires no local matching funds and could guarantee two projects for the county.

Matson also described work with the Iowa Geological Survey on three projects (aquifer vulnerability map, groundwater contamination plume mapping, and surface-water sampling and recommendations) and confirmed the county intends to recommend Stantec to perform the county’s water-balance study once scope and contracts are finalized.

On resilience metrics, Matson said Linn County's Resilient Iowa ranking improved from 252 to 299 this year, moving the county from "somewhat resilient" to "very resilient." She said a recognition event is planned at the state capitol in January and that she will notify supervisors when the date is confirmed.

Next steps: Matson said she will bring grant and coalition documents to the board for approval when they are finalized and continue partner outreach and design work for pilot projects such as the proposed road-structure flood-mitigation pilot on Coggin Road.