HARBOR SPRINGS — Little Traverse Conservancy has announced a new program, the Wild Shores Initiative, aimed at protecting the undeveloped Great Lakes shoreline in the organization’s five-county service area.
The Wild Shores Initiative focuses on the Great Lakes shoreline in the five-county service area which includes Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan.
Undeveloped Great Lakes shoreline continues to be harder to find beyond those special places already protected as state or federal land or by non-profit conservation organizations.
A historic example is the protection of Emmet County’s beloved Sturgeon Bay Dunes by the Department of Natural Resources in 1991, a charge led by then Little Traverse Conservancy Executive Director Kathy Bricker.
Great Lakes coasts are desired landscapes for people to enjoy, and they provide irreplaceable habitat for numerous shoreline-dependent species. Natural shorelines is also imperative for coastal resilience in times of weather events or fluctuating water levels.
“This program is different from most because instead of focusing on a single property, it pools resources together to fund a growing portfolio of properties,” said Kieran Fleming, the Conservancy’s executive director. “This approach creates a sense of community among those who are interested in the direct protection of land along Great Lakes.”
four properties have been protected through the Wild Shores Initiative that totals 172 acres and includes the following frontages:
- 1,600 feet of shoreline on Lake Huron
- 1,300 feet of shoreline on the St. Mary’s River
- 2,331 feet of shoreline on Whitney Bay
- 1,250 feet of shoreline on Moscoe Channel
To watch this initiative grow or to make a donation toward future Great Lakes protection, visit www.landtrust.org/wildshores or contact Chief Development Officer Emily Hughes at 231-347-0991 or emily@landtrust.org.