Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy

Michigan's Forest-to-MiFaucet Initiative

Does your drinking water come from a well, river or lake? Find out at MiDrinkingWater.org

Forests are the best land use to provide clean drinking water.

• Permanent vegetation slows water velocity from the sky and along ground
• Undisturbed soils and leaf layer reduce runoff and erosion
• Forests regulate timing and magnitude of stream flow
• Minimal infrastructure and impermeable surfaces
• Infrequent and small chemical spills
• Soil and vegetation filter pollutants

SMLC is one of 12 grant recipients of the DNR’s Forest-to-MiFaucet Initiative funded by the USDA Forest Service / National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

SMLC’s grant work will:

• empower landowners to manage/conserve their woodlands
• contribute our share of the DNR goal to plant 60,000 trees in forest riparian zones, and
• educate the public about how forests contribute to their drinking water quality.

Learn more at Michigan.gov/ForestToMiFaucet

Conservancy Farm Restoration Project

The 2022 Conservancy Farm Restoration Project was successfully completed this past September. The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program project leverages almost $31,000 in federal funding.

Project partners are Ducks Unlimited and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Results are an enhanced 12.5 acres of emergent wetland and newly restored 30.2 acres of native upland prairie that are located at the site of former agricultural fields.

Conservancy Farm Prairie Wildflowers
Photo by Joel Geffen.

The project benefits as determined by SMLC’s Stewardship Committee include:

• Buffering 69 acres of existing woodlands – local wildlife habitat will increase from 109 acres to 138 contiguous acres

• Increasing grassland birds nesting and migration habitat

• Providing resources for pollinators and other insects

• Increased water quality in the area due to perennial native vegetation (reduces erosion, chemical runoff and sedimentation of nearby waterways) Desired outcomes include:

• A thriving local population of native insects, amphibians, birds and other wildlife that rely on grasslands and wetlands as part of their life cycle

• An increase in migrating birds using the site

• A more pleasant experience for the Farm’s trail users

SMLC’s 2022 Award Recipients

At SMLC’s recent Summer Celebration event, we honored the following organization and individuals for their outstanding support of SMLC and local land conservation during 2022 and the past few years. Due to the pandemic we were unable to award some of these before now — we are pleased to present them now:

Peter Blank accepting the Organizational Award on behalf of The Nature Conservancy-Ohio
Photo by Joel Geffen.

The Nature Conservancy-Ohio: Organizational Award (for ongoing Sibley Prairie project funding and support)

Mary Ericson: Board Award—Outgoing President (Term: 2017-2020)

Bryan Collett: Board Award—Outgoing Director (for 6 or more years of continuous service)

Shawn Severance: Volunteer of the Year 2022 (Stewardship Committee Chairperson, Stewardship Support)

Cathy Bach: Volunteer of the Year 2021 (Superior Township Chapter Member, Project Leader)

Robert Moll: Volunteer of the Year 2020 (Nature Preserve Watcher, Photographer)

Local Chapter News:

Superior Township Chapter

The Superior Township Chapter is dedicated to supporting SMLC's conservation efforts in Superior Township.

Click here to read the 2022 Superior Township Chapter Update Newsletter(color PDF).

See the Calendar of Events below for Superior Township Chapter and SMLC events, posted as they are scheduled.

For more information about the Superior Township Chapter, click here or contact Brenda Baker at bakerpartin@aol.com or Bill Secrest at (734) 482-5957