Federal government rescinds grant to preserve 4,000 acres of farmland and forest in southeast Michigan
Locust Hill Farm in Freedom Township is an example of agricultural land preserved through Legacy Land Conservancy. File photo courtesy of Legacy Land Conservancy.
submitted by Legacy Land Conservancy
Legacy Land Conservancy and partners of the Southeast Michigan Conservation Coalition Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project were recently informed its $24.6M award to preserve 4,000 acres of forest and farmland in southeast Michigan has been rescinded by the federal government.
“While we are in conversations with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for more clarity, we are working with our legal team to better understand our options in this unfortunate situation,” Legacy Land Conservancy executive director Diana Kern said. “The landowners, families, and farmers we planned on helping through this award are our priority and we are prepared to appeal this decision.”
The award — originally made possible through funding in the 2024 Farm Bill and already appropriated by Congress — would have been an investment in the efforts of small businesses, local governments, farmers and ranchers, and conservation leaders to strengthen local economies and preserve our Michigan way of life for generations.
A majority of the funds allocated, approximately $20M, was to be used directly by the partners to strategically purchase conservation easements on private agricultural and forestlands in the five-county coalition area. These conservation easements on working lands help ensure that the land remains in agricultural production permanently, protecting the region’s rich soils from development and preserving the ability to grow food for our communities for generations to come. This is especially important for landowners in Jackson, Livingston, Lenawee, and Wayne counties, which historically have not had the opportunity to conserve land with NRCS funding.
“We are extremely disappointed in the administration’s short-sighted decision to rescind the Southeast Michigan Conservation Coalition RCPP $24.6M award,” coalition lead and Legacy Land Conservancy Land Protection director Susan LaCroix said. “Not only does it hurt Michigan’s economy and our communities, it specifically hurts the families and farmers who are relying on this funding to support their way of life.”
Michigan is second only to California in the variety of agriculture produced in state, and farming remains a vital part of the state’s economy, providing one-third of its tax revenue. Michigan’s total agricultural exports had a $4.4B economic impact across the state in 2024 alone. At the same time, farmland in southern Michigan is under threat from development, and once these prime agricultural soils are converted, they’ll be gone forever.
Right now, 4,000 acres of southern Michigan’s forests, farms, wetlands, and waterways are waiting to be protected forever through this RCPP award. That’s not just a number. It represents dozens of families, aging farmers, and landowners who are ready today to preserve the places they love.
“If something happens to my sister and me, we want to know that the farm will be protected,” Lenawee County landowner and planned recipient of a portion of these funds Cathy Harsh said. “Having Legacy purchase our conservation easement using money from the award was going to protect our farm forever and give us some extra money to help pay off all our bills and debts. With the increased costs of living and our limited farming income, it was going to help my sister and I retire with a little more security. Money is tight right now, not just for us but for everybody.”
The Southeast Michigan Conservation Coalition RCPP award funding would have helped to:
- Leverage $21M locally to conserve over 4,000 acres of land.
- Build on prior 2017 and 2018 RCPP awards’ success.
- Invest in Michigan’s food and ag sector, contributing to 1/3 of the state’s tax revenue.
- Expand land protection funding to reach more producers in Jackson, Lenawee, Wayne, and Livingston counties.
- Create a model that will support sustaining land protection–funding programs in underutilized areas.
- Support partnerships with local governments, land trusts, and conservation groups for greater, more efficient impact.
Without this RCPP funding, critical timelines for conservation efforts will be delayed. Opportunities for families, farmers, and their communities will be lost. The momentum we have built over the last decade will slow.
Despite this setback, Legacy and its partners remain focused on investing in Michiganders’ and southern Michigan’s future. We remain committed to helping the families, farmers, and communities who depend on us and our services.
As the funding landscape for conservation shifts, we are dedicated to working creatively and collaboratively to face this challenge head on. Together, on a local and regional level, we will continue to conserve our fertile agricultural soils, freshwater resources, and thriving ecology that make Michigan a vibrant and special place to live.
Founded in 1971 as Michigan’s first local land trust, Legacy is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects land in southern Michigan. Legacy’s mission is to secure for current and future generations a land base for nature, agriculture, fresh water, and recreation in Jackson and Washtenaw counties and beyond. Legacy has helped to protect more than 10,000 acres of land that enhance our community’s quality of place by safeguarding water quality, conserving working farms, and protecting places to play. In addition they own and manage eight nature preserves including Sharon Hills Nature Preserve in Sharon Township and Iron Creek Nature Preserve in Manchester Township. Legacy has a goal of protecting 25,000 acres of land in Jackson and Washtenaw counties. They are non-political. In a testament to 48 years of successful voluntary conservation, Legacy is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission for adhering to a set of standards designed to ensure the organization’s work will endure forever. Legacy is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more information, visit www.legacylandconservancy.org.
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