The work of the Leelanau Conservancy lies at the nexus where people and nature come together. Our mission speaks about land and water, the raw stuff of nature, but it goes on to note the importance of scenic character.

For after all, to most of us who live here or regularly visit this peninsula in Lake Michigan, what would bring us together in this place if not for the incredible beauty that we experience when we are “at home” in Leelanau? The health and integrity of the landscape are central to our mission, but our work is all about people.

We try to approach our work here in a spirit of reverence, knowing that what we can accomplish together is vitally important to the Leelanau community. I like the idea that each of us who loves this little corner of the world can aspire to be a connoisseur of Leelanau County. Connoisseurship implies a combination of knowledge on the one hand, and love on the other. To be a connoisseur of Leelanau County means both to understand and to care deeply about its land and its people.

Conservation has little chance of success in the long term without understanding, something that depends on excellent science but goes on to embrace the range of human values where nature and people meet. But conservation will never become a guiding principle unless people care, and caring is an emotional response.

It is the deep well-springs of that emotional response that has fueled the work of the Leelanau Conservancy for nearly 20 years. This annual report is an attempt to size up the accomplishments of 2007, while pointing the way to what needs to be done to make our third decade as successful as our first two, and how we can cement that relationship – a highly enlightened connoisseurship – of the Leelanau peninsula by all of those drawn to its unique beauty.

Land Protection Report

Land protection is a dynamic field where many elements can combine to bring success. We entered 2007 with a solid track record, a strong board of directors, and a professional staff that was capable of carrying out a carefully designed plan to conserve critical lands in Leelanau. We also entered 2007 armed with two new and, we hoped, very compelling reasons for owners of important conservation land to consider gifts of conservation easements. Federal legislation passed in August of 2006 created a greatly expanded tax incentive for conservation easement donations, while at nearly the same time the state legislature had acted to limit the increase in property taxes on lands subject to conservation easements. With these new tax incentives, along with projects already in the pipeline, 2007 turned out to be by far the best year for land protection ever by the Leelanau Conservancy. The following is a brief summary of projects completed or significantly advanced in 2007.

Cathead Bay Area Conservation Projects

The area near the tip of the Leelanau peninsula, anchored by the Leelanau State Park and the Kehl Lake Natural area, has long been a focus for land protection efforts by the Conservancy, in large part because the entire area is a critical stopover and resting spot for migrating neo-tropical birds. In May we took title to the Lighthouse West property near the tip of the peninsula. This 45-acre parcel includes 640 feet of frontage on Lake Michigan, and its boulder-lag forest is one of the most unique small-forest tracts in the county. This property, together with the expected purchase of the neighboring Smith property, will more than double the protected acreage adjacent to the Lighthouse Unit of Leelanau State Park.

After months of negotiations, we were able to secure a purchase agreement to add 163 acres to the protected area near Kehl Lake Natural Area. The 163-acre Stewart Walker property borders the KLNA, and includes upland hardwood forest and meadows that contribute to the ecological integrity of the preserved land at Kehl Lake. The Conservancy agreed to purchase the property, and by year-end had found a conservation buyer who would own 133 acres of former farmland subject to a conservation easement, while 30 acres to the north were added to our natural area.

Natural Lands Conservation Easements

The new tax incentives for conservation easement gifts helped to spur the biggest single year for giving to protect natural lands in Leelanau County. These lands include some portion of farmland or working forest, but primarily provide wildlife habitat and protect water quality and scenic resources.

In February 21 acres of forest land adjacent to the Whaleback Natural Area were protected by conservation easement. The land was offered for sale, and two conservation buyers were willing to buy the property subject to conservation easements that would allow no future development. The 21-acre former Morris property provides a critical link between the 109 acres of protected land at Whaleback, and the 103-acre Indiana Woods conservation easements. All told, contiguous protected lands at Whaleback adds up to 233 acres.

Another critically important wildlife habitat was preserved through the bargain-sale purchase of a conservation easement on 22 acres that lie between Northwood Drive and the Crystal River near Glen Arbor. The land had at one time been slated for residential development, but recognizing its importance as part of the unique “dune-swale” complex of wetlands that flanks the scenic Crystal River, owner Rich Seward agreed to a bargain sale of a conservation easement that will forever prevent development on all but two home sites located near the road.

Two other projects in the Glen Lake and Empire area helped to protect identified conservation lands in the area. Chip and Shirley Hoagland donated a conservation easement which protects 47 acres of forested land off Bow Road. The land includes diverse upland hardwood forests on steep slopes that rise above Glen Lake. Importantly, the provisions of the conservation easement will prevent any building in the forested hillsides along 1,500 feet of the ridgeline. Bronwyn Jones and Joe VanderMeulen donated an easement that protects 26 acres adjacent to the northern border of the Conservancy’s 111-acre Chippewa Run Natural Area in Empire. The land has significant upland forest habitat, and is located below the scenic turnout on M-22 at Empire. In addition, access will be granted to extend the existing trail system at Chippewa Run.

John and Ardis Herrold donated a conservation easement that protects a diverse 160 acres of land in Centerville Township. Among its features: upland hardwood forest, conifer swamp, and small farm parcels. Two groundwater tributaries tumble across the property to join Victoria Creek, the largest tributary to South Lake Leelanau. Protection of this land provides a wildlife corridor and protects headwaters that feed Lake Leelanau.

A similar conservation easement, donated by Bob and Ellen Pisor, protects 80 acres of primarily agricultural land with mixed woodland and conifer swamp. Named Stone House Farm, this land is 1.5 miles from the north end of North Lake Leelanau. The Pisor property protects 2,000 feet of an unnamed stream and part of Houdek Creek, a major tributary of Lake Leelanau. The creek is underlain by a “raised hooked sand spit, a very unusual relict geological feature related to ancient Lake Algonquin.

Working Lands Projects

Two donated conservation easements, coupled with the culmination of two purchase of development rights projects that had received a commitment of federal matching funds, made the last month of 2007 the most rewarding time ever for devotees of farmland preservation in Leelanau County.

The two donated conservation easements were both located along the important M-204 Scenic Heritage Route between Lake Leelanau and Suttons Bay. Steve Grossnickle bought the 100-acre former Dean Robb farm, which happens to be adjacent to the new county seat in Suttons Bay Township. The Grossnickles have established a new winery and already planted 15 acres of grapes on the property. Deeply committed to preserving the land for its scenic value, and for its productive use, the conservation easement will allow continued agricultural use and protect the scenic landscape adjacent to the Heritage Route.

Roger and Coco Newton donated a conservation easement over 120 acres of mixed orchard land, upland forest, and meadow along M-204 to the south and east of the Grossnickle donation. The former Spinniken property is known as one of the best agricultural sites in the central part of the county, and its consistent productivity will now be protected forever. Forested steep slopes in view of the scenic highway corridor are protected in perpetuity.

In December brothers Gary and Jim Bardenhagen and their families completed the sale of development rights on a combined 260 acres of property in the highly productive agricultural zone known as East Leland. Both farms have been in family hands for several generations. Both farms supply a variety of fruits in season for the local markets, and the sale of development rights was used as a means to pass along each farm to the next generation of Bardenhagen family members who will continue to work the land. Each PDR project included federal dollars from the Federal Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, with the required local match provided by the Bardenhagen families and the Leelanau Conservancy. These projects point the way to increasing efforts to bring permanent protection to the core agricultural areas in Leelanau.

Finally, Bob and Gerry Krumwiede completed a gift to the Conservancy of 108 acres of working forestland along Wheeler Road in Cleveland Township. The Krumwiedes had previously protected the land with a conservation easement. The provisions of the easement will stay in effect, while the Conservancy will be able to manage the land for traditional uses, such as hunting and demonstration forestry projects.

DeYoung Natural Area

The DeYoung Natural Area (DYNA), which includes a 145- acre historic farm complex with over 4,500 feet on Cedar Lake in Elmwood Township, is an enormously ambitious project in the heart of populous Elmwood Township. The DYNA is bisected by the Leelanau Trail and includes a wonderful diversity of terrain for use by local people for nature study and quiet recreation. The DeYoung Natural Area has enjoyed tremendous local support, with over 522 gifts and pledges totaling $657,910 to help create the natural area in 2006. Working closely with our partner, Elmwood Township, the Conservancy opened a very popular hiking trail that accesses the shoreline of Cedar Lake. We also put in a parking area for use by visitors of both the DYNA and the Leelanau Trail, and installed an all-season, universally accessible fishing pier with grant support from the Oleson Foundation.

But much remained to be done in fundraising, as the Conservancy still owed $1.3 million on the loan which allowed purchase of the property. An all-important grant of $910,000 from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund was awarded in December to remove much of the remaining debt, and by year end only $250,000 of the original $2 million fundraising goal for the project remained to be raised.

A Partnership Project

The Conservancy pitched in to help complete Suttons Bay Township’s new 45th Parallel Park. We stepped in to bridge a funding shortfall to the tune of about $75,000. The new park will be jointly owned by the township and MDOT, and takes in 435 feet of frontage on the bay. The township’s 46 acres will one day be a park with hiking trails and scenic overlooks.

Taken as a whole, 2007 was by far the most successful year in Land Protection in the history of the Leelanau Conservancy. Fifteen projects, totaling 1065 acres were closed in 2007. These projects represent some of the finest and most strategically important natural lands and working landscapes in Leelanau County.

Looking to the Future

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and it looks like work.” Thomas A. Edison

As stated earlier, I think the future of land conservation in Leelanau County depends on our ability to foster a sense of connoisseurship – melding the science of conservation biology with community values, while fostering a deeply caring attitude about this unique peninsula. But as Edison suggested all of that caring and understanding needs to be harnessed and shown how to get things done. That is the real work of conservation.

With nearly 20 years of experience, we’ll get things done by doing what we’ve always done well. But we’ll also have to stretch ourselves to bring greater organization, discipline, and financial resources to do meaningful conservation work in the 21st century. Here are some of the key elements of a bold plan for Leelanau, and the steps that are being taken to get us there.

Better Science

The Leelanau Conservancy has always been “strategic” about conservation. From the earliest days we wanted to be proactive – seeking out the lands that were most critical to accomplishing our mission. We identified what we called “anchor sites” like the Cathead Bay area and the Solon Swamp at the south end of Lake Leelanau, as places to do large-scale land conservation work involving multiple parcels with a great diversity of terrain. But we also recognized that places like Whaleback, the Lake Leelanau Narrows, and the DeYoung Farm were smaller but just as important in providing access to recreation and to nature nearby where people live and work.

Today we embark on producing a new Strategic Land Conservation Plan by engaging in a comprehensive “conservation areas assessment” to help identify and connect the best natural lands in Leelanau County. But that is only the beginning. We’ll then have to add in what the community values most: scenic corridors, lands that play an important role in protecting water quality, and community recreational lands. Since much of this land is owned by private individuals, we will engage landowners in the process. Altogether, the new plan will help guide our effort over the next decade.

Extending Partnerships and Collaboration

Throughout its history the Leelanau Conservancy has worked closely with local governments to create new recreational opportunities for local residents. One such collaboration, in 1990, allowed Bingham Township to purchase, with Conservancy help and match, 140 acres and 4,000 feet of Lake Leelanau shoreline. The price was $100,000. More recently, the Conservancy and Elmwood Township have teamed up to protect nearly a mile of shoreline on Cedar Lake. The value of this property is over $1 million.

But moving forward will require new kinds of collaborations and partnerships. We currently work closely with the Glen Lake Association (GLA) and with the Lake Leelanau Lake Association (LLLA) to jointly craft and then execute watershed management plans. Such plans protect the lands that safeguard these precious waters, especially wetlands, riparian corridors and steep forested slopes. Our close contacts and joint efforts extend to working closely with committees such as the Glen Lake Assn. and the Lake Leelanau Lake Assn. long-range planning committees.

Protecting farmland and forestland in the county has required close collaboration with the local organizations that have represented the interests of owners of working lands for many decades, especially the Leelanau Conservation District. As we move forward to design and implement new and unique strategies to ensure that farming is as important to Leelanau’s future as it has been to our past, the Conservation District and other local partners will play a key role, as they always have, in making sure that local farmers can have access to the latest information and innovative strategies.

Working Lands

The working farms and forestlands of the Leelanau County, as much as our dunes and beaches and forested wetlands, spell out the essential character of the peninsula. They are every bit as important as natural lands to the fabric of life in Leelanau, and to our economy going forward. The Leelanau Conservancy has long been willing to step up to match available federal and state dollars to protect farmland permanently. The problem is that there aren’t enough state and federal dollars, and raising the required local match through private fundraising is a continuing challenge.

That is largely why the Conservancy supported a millage from local funds to help protect farmland. When the voters rejected this proposal in November of 2006, they sent a message that we should lead the way with private initiative. Since that time we have been assembling a blueprint for protecting critical farmland in Leelanau County. This blueprint will be innovative in its approach, in part because we will work to mobilize private resources first, as a means of matching available public funds. It will also go beyond the traditional reliance on purchase of development rights as the sole tool to protect farmland.

Success in this endeavor is critical right now because the average farmer in Leelanau County is 57 years old and approaching retirement. We are determined to offer an alternative to selling the farm for development, and an avenue for the next generation of farmers to get started without a crushing burden of debt.

Organizational Excellence

The strength of the Leelanau Conservancy does not lie in the acres of land protected (although that is important!), but rather it lies in our strong membership, our informed supporters, our diverse and dedicated board, and our talented and hard-working staff.

And as this is an increasingly complex business, it lies in a continuing commitment to the best practices of non-profit management.

The Leelanau Conservancy was among a handful of the 1,600 land trusts nationwide who applied for and were accepted to participate in the pilot phase of the accreditation program for land conservancies run by the Land Trust Alliance. The rigorous process of accreditation forces an organization to demonstrate that it not only adheres to, but practices on a daily basis, the Standards and Practices for Land Trusts as published by LTA. This process forces organizational self-assessment, policy development, and the highest ethical standards to all aspects of our activities. At the end, it forces continuous improvement and we are proud to be one of only 16 organizations nationwide that are expected to be accredited in this pilot phase.

Vision of Success

As we look to the future of the Leelanau peninsula, we see a landscape of working farms and forests, protected natural areas and recreational open space, and well-defined villages and hamlets.

A broad expanse of protected land in both public and private ownership ensures the future of the county’s finest natural assets. Prime wildlife habitat is permanently preserved along with wetlands and sensitive watershed areas, protecting the high quality of lakes and streams. Sand dunes, coastal bluffs and beaches, riparian wetlands, scenic road corridors, and the county’s finest public views are protected from over-development.

Lands which provide opportunities for sustainable agriculture and forestry and a rural way of life for county residents are preserved through public and private programs which compensate landowners for voluntarily relinquishing development rights. These programs, along with successful efforts to diversify and strengthen the markets for local agriculture and forest products, give Leelanau County a long-term business environment favorable to traditional rural industries.

As we look to the future of Leelanau County we also see:

●The Leelanau Conservancy as a leader, a respected problem solver, and a community institution which acts to protect land, help communities achieve goals, and provide advice and options for landowners.

●The Conservancy is financially stable, its legacy secured with operations and stewardship fully funded through endowment.

●The Conservancy is an educator keeping the community informed, a community institution in the fabric of people’s lives, with a newsletter on every coffee table in the county.

●The Conservancy is a trusted technical resource to government agencies, and maintains strong working partnerships with other community organizations which work to safeguard the environment and heritage of the county.

●Leaders at every governmental level recognize the unique character of Leelanau County, and employ creative strategies to control growth and protect resources, while increasing housing and recreational opportunities.

●A maturing land ethic amongst landowners throughout the county creates a social climate in which care for the environment and stewardship of natural and human resources are the norm. Carefully managed Conservancy-owned land provides a shining example of the benefits and satisfaction which can be achieved through restoration and nurturing of the landscape. In Leelanau County nature flourishes in interaction with the people who live and visit the area. The protection and stewardship of this peninsula inspire each of us to be involved in caring for the land.