Washtenaw-area land trusts protect 1,072 acres in 2008

It’s not like developers are stockpiling land right now, but local land trusts and preservation programs in Washtenaw County are still working hard to sock away more natural rural space.These nine organizations have helped put 1,072 acres out of reach of future development last year. It turns out that 2008 is the third consecutive year that more than 1,000 acres of farms, natural areas and open space have been preserved. So far 10,533 acres total have been marked for preservation.These programs include Ann Arbor’s Greenbelt, the Raisin Valley Land Trust, Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, and Washtenaw Land Trust, among other similar organizations surrounding Ann Arbor. These organizations often buy the land’s development rights so it can remain private property but not turn into another dreaded sub division. Source: Washtenaw Land TrustWriter: Jon Zemke