Establishment of a CWC Preserve – A preserve is land that the conservancy owns. It may be purchased or it may be donated, but we are the actual owners of the land in our preserves. When land is transferred to us the conservancy pays associated transfer taxes and the property taxes due for the remainder of the year in which the transfer occurred. After that, due to the conservancy’s status as a nonprofit conservation organization, the land is removed from the tax rolls. (It should be noted that the land must be held and used for conservation purposes in order to be removed from the tax rolls. If it is not being held for conservation purposes, e.g., if we receive a donation of land and intend to sell it with no use restrictions, it remains on the tax rolls).

Preserve lands are generally open to the public so long as public use does not conflict with the conservation purposes of the preserve. Of the five preserves currently owned by the CWC, only Sylvan Solace, our 78-acre parcel off West Pickard Road, near Littlefield Road, has been developed. This “development” consists of a small parking area and series of foot trails through the preserve. Some 300 yards south of the parking area is the Memorial Grove consisting of a pedestal holding plaques in memory of people and events as provided by special memorial donations.

We may manage the preserves for the benefit of wildlife. At Sylvan Solace we created a butterfly garden with native plants to support caterpillars and adult butterflies. At both Sylvan Solace and the Coldwater Preserve we have installed nest boxes for bluebirds, Tree Swallows, House Wrens, Wood Ducks, and Screech-owls. Occasionally we have volunteer opportunities to eliminate invasive plant species. There has been no other development of our preserves to date.

Chippewa Watershed Conservancy - P.O. Box 896 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - 48804-0896  Ph.989-644-5045   Federal Tax ID #38-381796. MICS #18767