Conservation Investment Program Surpassing Expectations

More Than 1,700 Acres Protected in Two Years

Through the Conservation Investment Program, the 354-acre Ellenberger tract (above) was recently purchased, protected with a conservation easement, and sold to a landowner who also protected his adjacent 120 acres.

The Conservancy’s Conservation Investment Program made significant strides in land protection with the completion of two major projects in Cheboygan County during 2001. To date, the program has protected 1,724 acres at an average cost of $144 per acre.

Through this program, the Conservancy purchases land, restricts it with a conservation easement, and re-sells it to a conservation-minded buyer. The land is permanently protected from subdivision, while remaining in private ownership.

The Conservation Investment Program is a cost-effective way for the Conservancy to protect large tracts of land, while keeping properties in private ownership. The organization was frustrated to see large parcels of land come on the market to inevitably be sold, subdivided, and resold, before there was a chance to act. This program enables the Conservancy to protect lands that might not ordinarily be available for protection using traditional methods of conservation easement donations, land donations, land purchases for preserves, or purchase of development rights.

Due to the success of this trial project in its first full year, the Little Traverse Conservancy’s Board of Trustees agreed to extend the program into 2003. The board has budgeted additional funds to absorb the costs associated with the resale of the conservation-easement restricted properties. Along with accepting outright donations, this tool has become one of the most affordable ways for the Conservancy to protect land.

The Conservation Investment Program is another of the many innovative methods we can use to maintain both open spaces and, in some programs, established agricultural activity on key tracts of land,” said John Baker, Conservancy chair.

Recent Success Story

When it came on the real estate market, the 354-acre Ellenberger property had all the characteristics of a property that could be protected through conservation investment. Its size provides a significant block of habitat for wildlife including large species such as bobcat, deer, and bear. In addition, the land is just 1.5 miles from the Conservancy’s 132-acre Wendy O’Neil Memorial Preserve. Cheboygan County was a targeted region for conservation investment because of the available large tracts of land and relatively affordable prices.

The Conservancy board agreed to purchase the land and permanently protect it with a conservation easement. But to be a true conservation investment, the Conservancy needed to find a buyer to recover most of the purchase cost. Fortunately, Loren Jahn, a neighbor to the property, was interested. All told, the project resulted in the protection of 474 acres of contiguous wild land! (see Conservation Buyer in Action article for more on this story)