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02/06/2007
Property is 'beautiful, unique'Leelanau's tip would be shielded under proposals
Ice covers the shore of 51-acres that will be added to Leelanau State Park, if the state Natural Resources Commission approves its purchase this week by the state in partnership with the Leelanau Conservancy. NORTHPORT — Future developments will never be seen jutting off the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula under a pair of pending land preservation proposals. The state is set to buy two conservation and public access easements that surround Leelanau State Park in a partnership with the Leelanau Conservancy in Leland. "This is protecting the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula between these two projects,” said Matt Heiman, land protection specialist with the conservancy. State officials are considering payment of $930,000 from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund in an initial deal for 42 acres, which boasts 640 feet of the peninsula's western Lake Michigan shoreline. The conservancy bought the land for $1.8 million in 2004 and the easement was recently appraised at $1.6 million. Rebecca Humphries, director of the state Department of Natural Resources, will announce her decision on Thursday at the Michigan Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing. "It's a wonderful, beautiful and unique area of the state and it's great that we can protect it for all the people of Michigan,” said David Freed, DNR chief of land and facilities. The property is made up of critical dunes covered in a mixture of forest, old fields and open grassland. It's prime migratory bird habitat, with more than 100 species of songbirds, raptors and waterfowl that frequent the area. "Birds collect in great numbers here each spring and fall as migrating songbirds and raptors follow shorelines and coastlines, taking advantage of updrafts and thermal winds created along the coastal terrain,” Heiman said. Meanwhile, the conservancy learned in December that a second conservation and access easement was approved by state officials. More than $2 million in MNRTF grant funds was awarded for an additional 51 acres that has 1,400 feet of shoreline to the east of the existing state park boundary at Lighthouse Point. That deal will likely take a couple of years to finalize, just as the first easement did, Heiman said. That project will allow the state park to expand eastward, he said. "The Leelanau State Park expansion will draw visitors to Northport and enhance efforts to boost the local economy there. We've provided an invaluable service to the Leelanau Peninsula community by working creatively with willing landowners to protect this special natural feature,” said Brian Price, executive director of the conservancy.
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