A rare lakeplain prairie spanning 440 acres in southeast Michigan is one step closer to being preserved, according to environmental groups trying to save it.
The Save Sibley Prairie Coalition said it has until the end of the year to raise $6 million to buy the land, or it will be put up for auction to be developed.
The Brownstown Township board voted unanimously to apply for a state grant to cover most of the cost of the land.
Jack Smiley, the president of the Michigan Land Conservancy, said the grant would cover about 75% of the $6 million purchase price.
Smiley said the group hopes to raise an additional $3.7 million for restoration and long-term maintenance of the property. He added that if the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant is approved, funding currently being raised for land acquisition can be put toward ongoing stewardship.
Brownstown Township Manager Brian Peters said the intent is for the prairie to become a nature reserve open to the public.
During a public hearing last week, community members, including residents and representatives from environmental groups, voiced support for the grant.
Jim Bull with the Detroit Bird Alliance said preserving the prairie would “be a great gift to future generations, not only of the citizens of Brownstown, but to Michigan and to the world.”
The prairie is one of the most biologically diverse landscapes in the state, home to rare and endangered plant and animal species, according to a press release from the Save Sibley Prairie Coalition.
Andrew Berg, a member of the coalition, said it’s received contributions from residents of 211 municipalities across the state. “We know that nature and access to green spaces is good for our physical and mental health, and we know land like this provides ecological services that reduce flooding, lower urban heat island effects, and help the planet as it's changing,” Berg said.
Marietta Crabtree is the director of the Southern Michigan Daylily Society. She said the prairie is important not only for birds and wildlife, but for native bees. “This is the most cost-effective way to protect these bees and to protect our ecosystem rather than going back and trying to reduplicate that [prairie],” Crabtree said.
Smiley said the grant application has been submitted by the township and now awaits approval from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The decision will be made in December, he said, which is when the land needs to be purchased.
“We feel we have a very strong proposal,” said Smiley. “We’ve even received a letter of support from the DNR Office of Public Lands.”
Sibley is the largest and highest quality lakeplain prairie remaining in Michigan, according to Smiley. “And to be able to save this, it will be a remarkable achievement,” he said.
