Following Land Trust Best Practices
March 27, 2018
All of the properties owned and managed by the Conservancy offer important value for wildlife, habitat, water quality, or benefits for quality of life to the community. Our goal is to manage each for its unique ecological qualities while being mindful of available resources and staff/volunteer time.
Over the next several months, the Lands Committee will be reviewing how each of our properties are managed and maintained. What exactly do we mean by managed and maintained? Take Spangler Grove, for example. The donor requested that the property be restored to a native prairie landscape. In honoring the donor’s wishes, the time, resources, and activities completed at the property support the goal of having a native prairie landscape. We manage the property as a native prairie.
Each property has unique features which will dictate the best use of the property from a management perspective. We will investigate features like hydrology, soils, current plant communities, public access and use, and other factors key to the property to help define how each property should or should not be managed and maintained. For all properties, we want to support local, native plant life and encourage a balance between human use and wildlife activity. If you have ideas or would like more information, please contact our office.