In December 2007, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy acquired its largest single conservation easement to date. A Clean Michigan Initiative grant administered by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, coupled with a bargain sale made it possible for the Conservancy to purchase a conservation easement on a 1000-acre tract on Willow Creek in the upper Manistee watershed.
The property has over 9,000 feet of undeveloped frontage on Willow Creek, which is a State designated Wild and Scenic River and a tributary of the Upper Manistee River, it also provides important natural land within the watershed of the Manistee River. With extensive wetlands and riparian corridors, protection of the property in its natural and open space condition helps to ensure the quality and quantity of water resources for the Upper Manistee River watershed, according to Matt McDonough, the Conservancy’s Senior Land Protection Specialist who worked with the landowners to secure the conservation easement.
The property is a haven for wildlife and regularly visited by bald eagles and red-shouldered hawks – two species currently listed as threatened in Michigan. Nearly one-half of the parcel is designated as Winter Deer Yard by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Winter deer yard areas are critical to provide thermal cover for deer during northern Michigan's harsh winters.
Click here to see a map showing the location of the property in Kalkaska County. Click here to see a detailed map of the property.
The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy’s mission is to protect significant natural, scenic, and farm lands in Grand Traverse, Benzie, Antrim, Kalkaska and Manistee counties. Since 1991, the Regional Land Conservancy has protected over 30,000 acres of land and 74 miles of irreplaceable shoreline in the region. In addition to working with private landowners to protect land, the Conservancy also owns and manages 32 nature preserves which are open to the public.
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