True Conservation Happens at the Nexus of ‘Protection’ and ‘Management’
Remy Long, Manager of the City of Ann Arbor Greenbelt Program
Since 1935, Washtenaw County has lost 223,785 acres of farmland. Since 2007, Michigan averaged losses of 2 acres every hour or 2 farms each day. Within 10 years, approximately 35% of all Michigan farmers will retire. While these impacts to the region’s farming landscape and culture have been significant, Washtenaw County is fortunate to have several land conservation groups working to address these challenges. One example if the City of Ann Arbor’s Greenbelt Program.
In 2003, City of Ann Arbor residents passed the Open Space and Parkland Preservation Millage, also known as the Greenbelt Program. The Greenbelt Program has a simple, yet powerful, mission: To protect, in perpetuity, rural lands and habitats in and around Ann Arbor, including farms and natural areas. Once protected, these lands support future biodiversity, local food production, and ultimately, a healthier community.
Over the past 17 years, the majority of the Greenbelt’s work has been accomplished through the purchase of development rights. Purchasing development rights is a cost-effective approach that keeps land in private ownership, and on the tax rolls, while also ensuring the land is preserved in perpetuity. By purchasing the development rights the City can accomplish land preservation goals at a fraction of the market costs. For instance, the total fair market value of the land preserved by the Greenbelt Program is over $60 million. However, the development rights associated with that same land is valued at only $42 million, and through strategic partnership and grants, the City taxpayers have only paid $21 million to preserve that $64 million worth of land.
As a result, the Greenbelt has protected over 6,100 acres, including 56 working farms. This represents over 15% of the farmland in the Greenbelt, and over 28 miles of river, stream and waterway frontage protected forever. The Greenbelt’s success is only one piece of a larger success story: over the last 20 years, nonprofit and government land conservation efforts in Washtenaw County protected over 18,000 acres of land.
Despite these great efforts across Washtenaw County, our conservation challenges are much larger than what has been protected. True conservation success requires continued stewardship of our County’s precious natural resources, and our greatest chance for accelerating and enhancing conservation practices on the ground is to have a robust Conservation District serving its residents. This is one of the many reasons why the passage of the Conservation District’s millage is so exciting. Much of the land that has been permanently conserved in Washtenaw County has been targeted because of its prime agricultural soils, high quality ecosystems, and green infrastructure benefits. The long-term maintenance and enhancement of those natural resources requires the expertise and support of the Conservation District, and – with overwhelming voter support – the District will now have increased capacity to amplify conservation outcomes across the landscape.
In 2003, City of Ann Arbor residents passed the Open Space and Parkland Preservation Millage, also known as the Greenbelt Program. The Greenbelt Program has a simple, yet powerful, mission: To protect, in perpetuity, rural lands and habitats in and around Ann Arbor, including farms and natural areas. Once protected, these lands support future biodiversity, local food production, and ultimately, a healthier community.
Over the past 17 years, the majority of the Greenbelt’s work has been accomplished through the purchase of development rights. Purchasing development rights is a cost-effective approach that keeps land in private ownership, and on the tax rolls, while also ensuring the land is preserved in perpetuity. By purchasing the development rights the City can accomplish land preservation goals at a fraction of the market costs. For instance, the total fair market value of the land preserved by the Greenbelt Program is over $60 million. However, the development rights associated with that same land is valued at only $42 million, and through strategic partnership and grants, the City taxpayers have only paid $21 million to preserve that $64 million worth of land.
As a result, the Greenbelt has protected over 6,100 acres, including 56 working farms. This represents over 15% of the farmland in the Greenbelt, and over 28 miles of river, stream and waterway frontage protected forever. The Greenbelt’s success is only one piece of a larger success story: over the last 20 years, nonprofit and government land conservation efforts in Washtenaw County protected over 18,000 acres of land.
Despite these great efforts across Washtenaw County, our conservation challenges are much larger than what has been protected. True conservation success requires continued stewardship of our County’s precious natural resources, and our greatest chance for accelerating and enhancing conservation practices on the ground is to have a robust Conservation District serving its residents. This is one of the many reasons why the passage of the Conservation District’s millage is so exciting. Much of the land that has been permanently conserved in Washtenaw County has been targeted because of its prime agricultural soils, high quality ecosystems, and green infrastructure benefits. The long-term maintenance and enhancement of those natural resources requires the expertise and support of the Conservation District, and – with overwhelming voter support – the District will now have increased capacity to amplify conservation outcomes across the landscape.
