Environmental groups are looking to raise $6 million to protect a key Michigan prairie from being developed.
The Sibley Prairie, located in southeast Michigan, is a rare lakeplain prairie of 440 acres with a robust wetland ecosystem. Recently, the land was put up for auction to be developed. But now, the owner of the prairie, Fritz Enterprises Inc., is giving the Michigan Land Conservancy the chance to buy the land instead.
Jack Smiley is the president of the Michigan Land Conservancy. He said that Sibley is “one of the last, best examples of lakeplain prairies in Michigan.”
The Michigan Natural Features Inventory dubbed the prairie “the largest and highest quality remnant in the state.” And it’s long been the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’s goal to obtain the land, Smiley said.
“We’ve been able to break that barrier, and we secured an option to purchase the prairie,” Smiley said. Groups seeking to preserve the prairie have a year to raise the $6 million needed to buy the property.
Smiley said they're looking at all possible funding sources. This includes government entities willing to apply for a DNR trust fund grant, corporate funds, foundation grants, and donations from the public.
If the funds aren’t raised, Smiley said the land will undoubtedly be developed. He said it’s amazing that the land hasn’t been developed yet, because there’s been numerous developmental proposals for the property.
“This is pretty much our last chance to protect it, and so we’re hoping for a good outcome,” Smiley said.
Much of southeast Michigan used to be prairie land, ranging from Detroit to northwest Ohio, Smiley said. Now, most of it has become farmland or has been developed with buildings in more urban areas.
Smiley said it’s estimated that there’s less than 1% of prairie habitat remaining in Michigan. And Sibley Prairie is a part of that 1%.
Smiley added that if they’re able to acquire the land, they will work to restore parts of it where the prairie has been overrun with trees and shrubs as well as removing invasive species.
“It’s part of a larger mosaic of habitats, which is really important because there’s over 150 acres of wetlands just on this property,” Smiley said. “It’ll be a tremendous recreational resource as well,” he continued.
The wetlands are a good habitat for threatened butterflies, turtles, moths, orchids, and fifteen rare plant species, according to Smiley. “It’s important to protect this for a lot of very rare species,” he said.
Smiley said Michiganders looking to help the cause can contact their legislators and urge them to support a state grant to secure Sibley Prairie.
