The Conservancy believes in working together to find solutions and operates with this overreaching goal: A good conservation transaction must be good for both the land and the people involved.

The Conservancy works with private landowners, farmers, communities, businesses and all levels of government to preserve Leelanau’s environmentally sensitive areas in an economically sustainable fashion. In addition, we conduct a full schedule of educational programs and advance our mission by researching Leelanau County’s water quality and land-use trends. Our most common land-protection methods are listed below. The approach we take towards a property depends on the character of the land and individual donor’s wishes.

Land Acquisition

Generous landowners who agree with our mission may present land to the Conservancy as a gift. Sometimes, though, the Conservancy pulls together the money to buy land of particular ecological importance, usually with fundraising help from dedicated citizens.

Purchase of Development Rights (PDR)

This technique is often used to protect working farms and forest land. The Conservancy purchases the development rights to these environmentally or culturally significant lands, conserving them in their natural state in perpetuity. PDR uses multiple funding sources including matching gifts from landowners.

Transfer and Assist

When a government agency wants to acquire and protect certain threatened property but can’t obtain immediate funding, the Conservancy pre-acquires the land. We hold the property until our project partner obtains funding from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund or other sources of acquisition dollars.

Conservation Easements

The Conservancy works with private landowners to permanently protect the natural features of their land for future generations by creating individualized legal agreements that place certain development restrictions on the property. Often conservation easements may result in significant tax benefits for donors.