Parks in Partnership: Six Rivers Land Conservancy

November 27, 2024

Guest Written By: Ian Ableson, Six Rivers Land Conservancy Conservation and Stewardship Director

Land conservancies, such as Six Rivers Land Conservancy, partner to protect and conserve green spaces- including historical, cultural, and rural green spaces such as Wolcott Mill Metropark

When you think about the five-county region that surrounds Detroit, what comes to mind first? Maybe the variety of cultural amenities and restaurants. Perhaps you think about the many professional sports teams? Or the proximity to freshwater and green spaces? Or maybe you think of all the people, over 4 million, that live in this not-quite-4000-square-mile-region.

To maintain a high quality of life and preserve green space, water access and quality, and even historical and cultural practices is a big task in this region. Demands on land and other resources is high, between the population and the infrastructure required to support the population. This is one of the many reasons that partnerships to support, expand, and maintain shared natural resources are so critical.

Land conservation

At Six Rivers Land Conservancy, we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Nature Near You. Operating in a five-county service region, we work to conserve and protect natural and agricultural lands in Oakland, Macomb, Lapeer, Genesee, and St. Clair counties. While we have a handful of nature preserves that we own and manage for healthy ecosystems—including Sutherland Nature Sanctuary in Metamora, Golden Preserve in Springfield Township, and Anchor Bay Woods Preserve in New Baltimore—the bulk of the lands we protect are the ones we don’t own ourselves. Conservation easements on private and public lands are legal agreements between Six Rivers and the landowner that ensure that no matter what happens to their land in the future—whether it’s sold, inherited, or donated—it will forever stay in a natural state for the sake of the wonderful plants and animals of Southeast Michigan. Any landowner is welcome to talk to us about protecting their land with a conservation easement.

We also protect lands by assisting municipalities and park organizations in acquiring new parkland. These projects have included Belle River Park in Casco Township, a new kayak launch for Marine City, and the 200+ acre Fox Nature Preserve in Oakland Township, as well as working with the Metroparks to help expand two currently existing properties.

Assisting with land acquisitions, such as those in the Black Creek Marsh adjacent to Lake St. Clair Metropark, provides water quality improvements and habitat for wetland animals such as this green heron (and the green frog it is consuming) for both the park and for the region

In 2013-2015, Six Rivers Land Conservancy assisted the Metroparks with acquiring three parcels of land in a large wetland complex known as Black Creek Marsh adjacent to Lake St. Clair Metropark. The partnership added over fifty acres of diverse wetland to the sections of the marsh that the park already owned, allowing for unified management to enhance biodiversity and ecological functionality with the park’s boundaries. Working together allowed both organizations to play to their strengths—while the Metroparks focused on the science, public funding, and determining future management, Six Rivers focused on landowner cultivation, real estate procedures, and the steps required to close the acquisition. A few years ago, we again joined the Metroparks to discuss acquiring an addition to Wolcott Mills Metropark.

Stormwater Management

Addressing stormwater concerns, from pollution to flooding, in our highly urbanized region is a collaborative effort

Just this past year, in early 2024, we worked with the Metroparks to determine a list of the top twenty privately owned parcels in Wayne County for stormwater management. Using preexisting GIS models that Six Rivers developed in partnership with engineering

consultant HRC Inc, we developed a list of priority parcels that should be conserved or restored to help mitigate damage from future flooding in the county. In such a highly urbanized region, where flooding during precipitation events is becoming more common, locating the best places to absorb and retain stormwater is critical. Six Rivers staff then conducted windshield surveys of all sites to ensure that the data in the model reflected the truth on the ground.

We are so grateful to partner with the Metroparks. At Six Rivers, we have a mission to conserve the natural lands and waters that make the place we live special, and without dedicated partners like HCMA the task would be much more difficult.

Resources:

Sixriversrlc.org

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