The deed granting ownership of a stretch of gravelly brook trout stream and 80 acres that it drains took a circuitous route on its way to the Leelanau Conservancy.
But ensuring that the property remains undeveloped matches the goals of the Jesuits, whose name appeared on the title for 88 years. So all involved say that the outcome was worth the paperwork.
“We’re very pleased that that land will be preserved in its natural state in perpetuity,” said Dave McNulty, operations director for the Jesuits Midwest Province. “We’re very happy that we were able to do this. We found the Conservancy very easy to work with.”
The parcel was part of a 163acre parcel known as Villa Marquette, which includes about three-fourths of a mile of frontage on Omena Bay. The section now belonging to the Conservancy represents the western portion of the rectangular parcel. The Jesuits retain ownership of the 83 acres closest to M-22 with no plans or desire to develop it.
In fact, it was inquiries from developers that spurred the Jesuits to strike up a conversation with the Conservancy on how best to preserve the property while retaining ownership of the portion used most by vacationing priests that includes buildings and infrastructure to house up to 30 at a time.
The process evolved from there, said Matt Heiman, who handled the transaction for the Conservancy as director of natural land protection. Some hurdles needed jumping before it was all done.
The first step was approval of a Michigan Clean Water Initiative grant request for $360,000 to pay for a conservation easement owned by the Conservancy.
The easement, which prevented any development beyond trails, signs and benches for the land, required an equal match. The Leelanau Conservancy found that funding creatively by transferring a conservation easement it held on the Soper Preserve near the headwaters of Northport Creek to the Grand Traverse Conservancy.
Though the name holding the easement changed, its development restriction remained in place.
But those transactions led to another wrinkle when the Jesuits wanted to donate ownership of the 80-acre parcel to the Leelanau Conservancy. Under Michigan law, an entity cannot own a conservation easement on its own property.
Again, the Grand Traverse Conservancy stepped up, taking control of the easement on Villa Marquette property. Then the Jesuits donated the parcel, valued at $40,000 after development rights had been stripped, to the Conservancy.
“It worked out to be a big win-win,” Heiman said. “They said, ‘You can have this land to hold and preserve,’ donating it to us. A lot of the brothers like to walk the property. And a few of them like to bow hunt occasionally. We will allow bow hunting, but I don’t believe we will allow firearms.”
While access to the property is difficult, that may change. The 13-acre Frazier-Freeland Preserve owned by the Conservancy shares a 900-acre boundary with the former Villa Marquette land. Heiman said negotiations are under way with another nearby property owner that may expand access opportunities.
An outdoorsman himself, Heiman is a fan of Weaver Creek.
“The creek is pretty awesome. It’s one of the few small streams in Leelanau County that maintains a fairly gravel bottom all the way up. I know steelhead and coho push behind (M-22) to spawn,” Heiman said.
Continued McNulty, “It’s very much in line with what Pope Francis had written (about environmental stewardship and social justice to address climate change), and what our own religious order has made a priority.”
One of three apostolic preferences adopted by the Jesuits states, “Collaborate, with Gospel depth, for the protection and renewal of God’s Creation.”
Carolyn and Dave Faught live a few parcels south of the Pere Marquette property at M-22 and Freeland Road, where they operate a you-pick flower business. Carolyn said the addition to Conservancy-protected parcels will maintain a natural look to the area as well as save West Grand Traverse Bay from the impacts of runoff.
“I think it’s really cool. Looking at the environmental aspects, it protects Weaver Creek and the water quality around here. I think the benefi ts are largely environmental now,” she said.
