Protecting Natural Land
We secure ownership, through gift or purchase, of important, natural land in order to protect scenic beauty, endangered plants and animals, and to provide recreation areas for residents and visitors. All Conservancy-owned land is open to the public.
Conservation easements are agreements with landowners that limit the type or amount of development on their property. Conservation easements allow the Conservancy to work with private land owners to prevent overdevelopment of fragile resources and to preserve scenic beauty and ecological integrity. Land protected by conservation easments is privately owned and not open to the public.
Little Traverse Conservancy has a comprehensive stewardship program which involves the management, monitoring, and maintenance of all the Conservancy's nature preserves and conservation easements. Various plans, projects, and activities are carried out continuously to ensure that the land entrusted to us remains protected.
Government plays a crucial role in providing recreation land and resource management. the Conservancy assists local units with parkland acquisition, helps to consolidate state ownership for more efficient resource management, and provides information and technical assistance to all levels of government.