HRWC has partnered with four conservancies (Legacy Land Conservancy, Livingston Land Conservancy, North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy, and Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy) in our watershed to provide ecological data about their highest priority conservation lands, connect them with natural area property owners, and create restoration plans and arrange for permanent protection of critical natural areas.
HRWC’s Bioreserve Project, whose goal is to assess and protect the remaining natural areas of the watershed, has received funding from the Carls and James K. and Faith Knight Foundations to assist conservancies with conservation planning and connect interested landowners with local land conservancies. As part of this program, HRWC will perform rapid field assessments on current conservancy nature preserves and easements and on the conservancies’ high priority properties, based on their Strategic Conservation Plan Maps.
HRWC will also provide GIS data and technology transfer, including our Bioreserve data layer.
Over the next year, HRWC will partner with interested conservancies to work with landowners of the highest priority natural areas to develop restoration plans and pursue options for permanent protection.