Dave Van Waus

Dave Van Waus was raised on a diversified farm near Victor, Iowa. He received a B.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University in 1977 and worked for the Iowa Conservation Commission for 9 years. In 1985 he and his family moved to Colo where he joined in a farming operation with his wife's family until 2000. Since then, Dave has been employed as one of three wildlife biologists for Pheasants Forever in Iowa. His region includes Story County and most of the northwest one-third of the state.

Dave is a charter member of Story County Pheasants Forever, serving as president for several years and heading the habitat committee since 1986. Numerous acres of native grass cover in CRP fields, food plots, and shelterbelts have been established in Story County as a direct response to Dave's leadership efforts. He has also served the Story County chapter as a representative to the Iowa Pheasants Forever Council and was president of that organization in 1995-96. Dave was appointed to the Story County Conservation Board, serving from 1988-1995, and received the Olav Smedal Conservation Award in 1993. He and his wife are the 1998 Iowa Pheasants Forever conservation landowner award winners. Dave has also served as a farm advisor to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Agroecology Interdisciplinary Issue Team.

As a farmer with a strong conservation background, Dave has been able to communicate with other farmers about conservation issues. In his own farming practice, he has planted native grasses and winter cover on CRP and filter strips, provided food plots for wildlife, and built over 14 miles of terraces to prevent soil erosion.

In addition to his love of the outdoors, including hobbies of hunting, fishing, and golf, Dave is active in community and church activities. Dave started his four-year term as a Story Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner in January 2005.

Dave Van Waus
72408 270th Street
Colo, IA 50056
(641) 377-2390
davwpf@netins.net