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32 Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) has a robust agricultural land lease program. This chapter provides an overview of the scope of the program, including administration, program management, and special conditions. Tools including a sample lease agreement and bid documents are located in the appendices. CID is a small hub airport serving the Cedar RapidsâIowa City region. The airport supports airline operations, general aviation, and cargo operations and reported 672,468 passenger enplanements in 2019. The airport is surrounded by adjacent agricultural uses on three sides of the facility and manages two agricultural land leases on airport property (see Figure 11). This land lease program has been active since 1987. Approximately 2,000 acres of land are available through a public bid process for this purpose, making the airport one of the largest farmland owners in the area. According to the airport, its location has the ideal combination of seasonal rainfall patterns and growing season length to produce high-yielding crops in most years. Soils are located near two river watersheds and are above average in productivity based on the state of Iowaâs Corn Suitability Rating (CSR2) index used to determine property taxes on Iowa farmland. The types of crops planted at the airport are typically corn and soybeans, as predominately found in the area. The motivation for development of the agricultural land lease program was revenue diversi- fication; however, the airport also prioritizes land stewardship and considered environmental land management as an internal factor in program implementation. The airport describes the primary benefit of the program to be increased revenues and com- patible land use with aviation. In addition, improving soil health to help retain carbon and mitigating water runoff to improve water quality in the local watershed are highly valued. Lease Administration The finance department at CID is responsible for managing the two agricultural land leases at the airport. These parcels are periodically available through a public bid process, with current lease terms of 1 year with short-term renewable options. The bid process ensures the land is available for public use as well as assuring a fair market price for use of airport property. Of note, the airport contracts with a farm management company to assist with the agricultural land lease program. This arrangement provides for outside expertise in determining terms of the lease, responsibilities, effective lease conditions including farming best practices, and coordination with local agencies. C H A P T E R  6 Case Example: Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Case Example: Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 33  The farm tenants are responsible for all agricultural operations to perform the terms under the lease and to plant, spray herbicides, and harvest their crops. Access to farmland is via city and county roads and all farmland is located outside of the airfield security fence. One operator lives within a mile of the airport farmland he rents and parks equipment at his farm shop. The other operator is from outside of the county and schedules most operations to be completed during a normal day and/or will park equipment overnight at a former National Guard parking lot. Provisions of the lease allow the airport to take back control of the land if needed for other airport purposes. A significant amount of revenue is generated on a cash per acre basis, which is currently $350/acre, while also reducing the cost of maintaining the land. Program Management There appear to be relatively few issues associated with the agricultural land lease program at CID. The airport does not require any special field access procedures, as all leased crop land is outside of the airport perimeter fence. Given the adjacent land use for farming operations, the airport does not report any unusually high problems with wildlife. Corn and soybean crops are typically harvested in late October/early November (see Figure 12), and field losses are low most years. Wildlife hazards increase at harvest due to migrating birds; however, this is mitigated by controlling or removing habitat such as standing crops, trees, and tall grasses. Operators are to mow waterways, field edges, and roadsides as terms in the lease. The airport manages wildlife hazard concerns through an approved WHMP. Airport Public Safety can dispatch bird cannons as necessary to deter wildlife hazards. Additionally, crops are planted outside of all navigational aid (NAVAID)-critical areas and clear of the runway safety area and object-free areas. All crops have been moved off the AOA. The airport coordinates with the FAA as necessary and also with the USDAâs FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Linn County Soil and Water Conservation District, and city of Cedar Rapids Public Works stormwater program. Source: Eastern Iowa Airport. Figure 11. Image depicting parcels available for farming on airport property.
34 Agricultural Operations on Airport Grounds Special and Innovative Conditions As part of the overall prioritization of the airportâs proactive environmental stewardship stance, in 2019, the airport formally adopted a policy requiring no-till, cover crop farming practices (see Figure 13). This requires that the tenants wait to till their fields in the fall after the crop is harvested. The leases stipulate that all crops be no-till planted with a cover crop seeded prior to October 1. The cover crop, such as oats, is then grown to reduce erosion, suppress weed growth, and control the runoff of soil fertilizers and nutrients. The desired benefits for the airport are better erosion control and improved water quality for the area, in keeping with one of the airportâs core values of environmental stewardship. The airport has taken a leadership role in this practice and would like to share their experiences with other airports, including information on its effectiveness for yields and water quality. Summary CID has a robust agricultural land lease program that results in increased airport revenues while meeting progressive internal environmental stewardship goals. A public bid process ensures land use compliance is maintained with FAA coordination as required. Risk factors are mitigated Source: Eastern Iowa Airport. Figure 12. Farming airport property. Source: Eastern Iowa Airport. Figure 13. Example of cover crop at CID.
Case Example: Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 35Â Â through the adoption of a WHMP, and outside expertise is leveraged through the use of a con- tracted farm management company. Airport access, safety, and security concerns are also reduced because all farming operations occur outside of any AOAs or protected RSAs. Many airports will not allow for no-till farming, but it works well for CID. The airportâs environmentally friendly land practices and emphasis on land management conservation may set an example for other airports to follow.
