Online Land Toolkit: Connect to Organizations to Assess, Manage, and Preserve Your Land
The Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD), in partnership with the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, Legacy Land Conservancy, River Raisin Watershed Council, Ann Arbor Greenbelt, and the Huron River Watershed Council, has developed an online toolkit to assist landowners with identifying organizations that offer services and programs to meet their goals. To begin, visitors can select from three broad categories that best align with their main objective:
- Assess – learn about the current conditions, including plants and animals, or build skills (e.g. plant ID) that can be utilized on your land
- Manage – develop a plan and select techniques and practices to address natural resource concerns or implement desired improvements
- Preserve – protect natural areas and farmland from development
Online visitors also have the option to take a quiz to match their property location and goals with the programs and services provided by a local organization. Currently, the quiz results are limited to the local organizations that developed the site, but the broad categories list additional private consultants and contractors as well as local, state, and federal government opportunities available to Washtenaw County residents. Visitors can learn more about the partner organizations who developed the web pages by watching short videos explaining their missions and highlighting some of their relevant programs.
In response to feedback from attendees of in-person presentations, the WCCD and partners developed this online toolkit to further inform residents about options available for assessing, managing, and preserving their land. Recordings of the presentation and a form to request an in-person presentation are available on the website. In-person presentations are tailored to each specific Township and regularly updated with new information. Scheduled between November – March of each year, the in-person presentations run about 1.5 hours with additional time to discuss individual properties with representatives from each organization at the conclusion.
Please visit www.washtenawcd.org/landtoolkit to explore the site. Questions and feedback may be directed to Summer Roberts, WCCD’s Community Forester at Summer@washtenawcd.org or by calling (734) 302-8715. The WCCD was inspired to facilitate these initiatives to address Washtenaw County residents’ top resource concern – land use, specifically the pace of development – as indicated by a 2021 survey. The WCCD looks forward to continuing to improve these events and services to best meet the needs of County residents.
Since 1948, the WCCD has supported conservation efforts by preserving our soil and restoring wildlife habitat to ensure all residents benefit from greater biodiversity, cleaner air and water, carbon sequestration, and aesthetic beauty. The WCCD is a unit of local government, managed by an elected 5-member board of directors, with the mission to assist residents with the conservation, management, and wise use of natural resources in Washtenaw County. The WCCD serves Washtenaw residents through resource distributions, education, technical assistance, and small grants. To learn more about the WCCD and our programs, please visit the district website at www.washtenawcd.org.