By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Groveland Twp. — Kirk and Sheri Falvay love the scenic beauty that surrounds their home in Groveland Township. These feelings prompted them to act and preserve a five-acre portion of it for generations to come by signing a conservation easement with the Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy (BHHC).
Conservation easements are legal, cooperative agreements that enable landowners to retain ownership of their land. A land conservancy agrees to permanently protect the property’s ecological resources in exchange for the landowner’s commitment to restrict or forgo future land development.
“We’ve always believed in being good stewards of the land,” said Kirk Falvay.
“Duck Creek has brought us peace and joy for many years, and we want to make sure it continues to do the same for future generations. Working with Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy made that vision possible.”
The protected portion of the Falvay’s property consists mostly of a wet meadow and some mature woodlands through which Duck Creek slowly meanders. Native plants are abundant, including seasonal Joe Pye weed, boneset, asters, tall blue lobelia, jack-in-the-pulpit, and white turtlehead.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Falvays for their vision and generosity,” said Jason Meekhof, BHHC executive director. “Their conservation easement ensures that this land will never be developed and that Duck Creek will continue to flow clean and clear for generations to come. This gift strengthens our commitment to protecting the entire Flint River watershed, one property at a time.”
The conservation easement parcel is part of a larger mixed wetland complex. Only three 2017 Michigan Natural Features Inventory High- Quality Mixed Wetland Complex Habitat areas have been identified in Groveland Township. These habitats serve a vital ecological function, promoting natural flood control, water filtration, and groundwater recharge. They also provide a haven for native plants and wildlife. The Duck Creek area mixed wetland complex covers approximately 79 acres and is the township’s largest.
The BHHC is one of Michigan’s first land conservancies, its mission is to protect the land, water, and wildlife in the headwaters region of the Clinton, Shiawassee, Huron, and Flint rivers through preservation, stewardship, and education. It currently preserves 61 properties totaling nearly 1,600 acres.