Archived News Release: August 25, 2016 - The City of Ann Arbor Open Space and Parkland Preservation Program, also known as the Greenbelt Program, is happy to announce it just closed on its 50th land protection project with Legacy Land Conservancy (LLC) and Washtenaw County. The collaborative project was the acquisition of an 81.83-acre tract in Webster Township that was owned by the Carol Landsberg Trust. The county now owns the property, and it will be open to the public. The LLC was the lead partner in the transaction and now owns a conservation easement on the tract. The Greenbelt Program contributed funding in the amount of $157,140.
"Considering that the Greenbelt Program celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first project in March, it is exciting that we have now been able to complete 50 projects, protecting more than 4,700 acres of natural areas and agricultural lands around Ann Arbor," said Ruth Thornton, Ann Arbor Greenbelt program manager. "This would not have been possible without the help of our partners, the many landowners who have contributed to this program over the years and the residents of Ann Arbor who voted for the millage that provides the funding for this program."
The landowner, Carol Landsberg, also contributed funding and sold the land at a reduced price. This project would not have happened without Washtenaw County, LLC and the City of Ann Arbor all contributing funding and partnering in the acquisition of the parcel, and the generosity of the landowner in donating a portion of the tract to enable its protection.
The property is a mixture of prairies, old field, woods and wetlands, and is located in the Arms Creek (a state-designated Natural River Zone) and Huron River watersheds.
The City of Ann Arbor Greenbelt Program is an innovative land preservation program that, since the Open Space and Parkland Preservation Millage passed in 2003, has also added 72 acres to the city's park system. Collectively, these parcels have helped to provide linkages between existing parks, added to existing parks and protected some of the remaining critical urban natural areas. To date, the Greenbelt Program has protected over 4,725 acres of farmland and open space surrounding the city of Ann Arbor, and has leveraged the city's funds with an additional $21 million from grants, landowner donations and other locally funded programs.
In addition to LLC, other Greenbelt partners have included Ann Arbor Township, Lodi Township, Scio Township, Pittsfield Township, Webster Township, Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation.
For more information, contact Ruth Thornton at 734.794.6210, [email protected], or visit www.a2gov.org/greenbelt.
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