The Livingston Land Conservancy, a volunteer-run nonprofit, has protected roughly 800 acres across 19 properties since the organization’s inception — and hopes to reach 1,000 acres by 2027.
The nonprofit protects land through nature preserves and conservation easements. The nature preserves are owned by the organization and open to the public. The easements, meanwhile, are legal agreements between the conservancy and private landowners that permanently limit development while keeping the land in private ownership.
“Natural areas are disappearing pretty rapidly,” Board President Sara Thomas told The Daily. “So (are) all the things that nature can provide; the ecosystem services like flood control, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, carbon storage within the ground and the biomass of trees and plants. Those are all things that we, as people, rely on and we really don’t think about it.”
Thomas said the conservancy has seen an increase in inquiries about land conservation in recent years, largely due to concerns over development in Livingston County. She added many of the organization’s easements protect farmland.
“If you don’t protect the right to farm and the land, then it will eventually be consumed by something else,” Thomas told The Daily.
The conservancy’s nature preserves are open to foot traffic and don’t allow hunting. Thomas said some of the properties have been used by researchers to gather data.
The organization is currently seeking volunteers to maintain trails and help manage invasive species. An annual fundraiser will mark a quarter-century of service in October.
Learn more or support the nonprofit by visiting livingstonlandconservancy.org.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: The Livingston Land Conservancy is protecting long-term farmland. How?
Reporting by Tess Ware, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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By Tess Ware, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
