By Carol Thompson
ckthompson@detroitnews.com
A Livonia real estate investment company donated two properties to a southeast Michigan land conservancy, protecting nearly 175 acres from development in highly urbanized Downriver.
Ashley Capital donated an almost 82-acre property in Van Buren Township and a 93-acre property in Woodhaven to Six Rivers Land Conservancy, the Rochester land conservancy announced Wednesday.
“While we often think of Southeast Michigan as the economic center of the state, our region is home to rich natural landscapes,” Six Rivers Executive Director Chris Bunch said in a press release. “This generous contribution by Ashley Capital will allow Six Rivers to protect even more of those critical natural lands.”
Conserving land is hard in southeast Michigan, where a competitive real estate market means developers are likely to swoop in with offers for land before conservation groups or the Michigan Department of Natural Resources can put together financing to protect it from the bulldozer.
At the same time, moneyed Metro Detroiters tend to donate to northern Michigan land conservancies that conserve grand, sweeping properties because of a long-held belief that “nature belongs up north,” Bunch previously told The News.
Preserving smaller areas in southeast Michigan has its own benefits, including increasing access to outdoor space for residents, preventing flooding and cooling pavement-heavy areas during hot summer days, conservation workers said.
“To me, wetlands are the most precious things that you can save in Wayne County because they protect our downstream communities from getting flooded,” said Connie Boris, Wayne County Conservation District executive director.
Wetlands also are “prime nursery grounds for fish and wildlife and rare species,” she said.
The Van Buren Township property donated by Ashley Capital is on Van Born Road and Morton Taylor Road. It includes restored and created wetlands and upland habitats that were part of Ashley Capital’s permit to develop its Crossroads Distribution Center North site on Ecorse Road, according to a press release from Six Rivers.
Six Rivers will restore the property and do stewardship work there. Once the nonprofit is done with restoration, the property will be available for community recreation. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has a conservation easement on that land.
The Woodhaven Property is a 93-acre forested parcel near King Road on the east side of Interstate 75. It was a direct donation from Ashley Capital and not part of any development permits, Six Rivers said. The company determined it was “best suited to remain a natural area and support the quality and character of the community and region,” the press release states.
Six Rivers will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Woodhaven property this spring to dedicate it and celebrate its conservation.
