Conservancy Partnership Results
in 670-Acre Preserve

Two parcels of Chippewa County land will soon be protected to form a 670-acre nature preserve, the largest protected property held by the Little Traverse Conservancy.

In our fall newsletter, we reported that we had launched a $275,000 fundraising campaign to purchase the property known as Round Island Point. With nearly two miles of undisturbed Lake Superior shoreline, the property provides incredible habitat for thousands of migratory birds. “To find such an ecosystem with the close proximity of civilization as this land has, is truly unique in the present-day world,” said Dr. Bill Scharf who conducted the ecological inventory of the property.

The unique features of the property prompted Conservancy staff to submit the project for a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant, a competitive grant program that evaluates proposals from all over the United States. A $50,000 grant was recently awarded to the Little Traverse Conservancy from NAWCA, bringing a large boost to fundraising efforts to protect these 210 acres and 9,000 feet of frontage along Lake Superior.

In an added bonus, the acquisition of the Round Island Point property comes in conjunction with the transfer of 460 acres of adjacent land near Brimley, formerly held by the Michigan chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The property was donated by the Finlayson Family to TNC, who subsequently transferred it to Little Traverse Conservancy with a deed restriction in place, requiring the property to be held and protected as a nature preserve. With over 670 acres protected in all, the land provides a significant amount of protection to habitat used by wolves, moose, bobcat, bears, and other animals that require large forested tracts for survival. In addition, the property lies within a major flyway for migrating waterfowl and other birds.

The NAWCA grant brings fundraising efforts to a total of nearly $260,000 toward the $275,000 purchase price of the Round Island Point property. Significant contributions have come from Dr. and Mrs. John Woollam and two other anonymous donors. We are still seeking donations to cover the final $15,000. Currently, TNC is holding the property and will transfer it to the Little Traverse Conservancy by the end of the year, once our fundraising efforts are complete.

The Conservancy would like to thank Dr. Bill Scharf for doing the ecological inventory in support of the NAWCA grant at a reduced rate. We also acknowledge Rex Ainsle of the MDNR and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory for their support. And we are especially grateful for our invaluable partnership with the Michigan Chapter of The Nature Conservancy who secured the property while we conducted our fundraising.

For more information about this project, please call our office at (231) 347-0991.