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Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy (SMLC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of natural land and agricultural open space in the 7-county (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, Wayne) southeast Michigan region. Founded in 1988 by people who felt there should be a way for land owners to protect open spaces right here where we live in Southeast Michigan, SMLC remains an organization driven by volunteers who care about land conservation and stewardship. To manage day-to-day operations, the Conservancy's 3-person staff coordinates the efforts of volunteers who are central to the vitality and effectiveness of the organization. You can get a good current summary of what SMLC does and how we work by reading our most current 2-page Fact Sheet:
SMLC can own land- usually through donations (property or financial) to the organization, SMLC can work with landowners to create conservation easements (also known as conservation agreements) to protect privately owned property,  and SMLC can assist local government agencies with their land protection projects. At times, when support is strong enough, the Conservancy can purchase land. The Conservancy maintains and cares for the land held in its trust through regular monitoring and stewardship projects, and we work to educate the community about the importance of land conservation in southeast Michigan. Volunteers are absolutely critical to the organization's ability to carry out these tasks. Through this work we conserve habitat for wildlife and preserve natural areas and places of scenic beauty for people to enjoy.
SMLC has been featured in local news a couple of times recently thanks to our friend, Barry Lonik. Click the links below to read the Ann Arbor Observer article:
Listen to this episode of the WEMU radio program "Issues of the Environment". Host Clark Smith interviews land protection consultant Barry Lonik who discusses the success of land preservation efforts in Washtenaw County.
The Conservancy has many responsibilities as outlined in the SMLC Articles of Incorporation and Organizational Bylaws. The SMLC Board of Directors governs the organization and oversees SMLC's work. Five Standing Committees, two Local Chapters, and staff assist the board and implement SMLC's goals and objectives.
The five SMLC Standing Committees are:
- Executive Committee
- Finance Committee
- Land Protection Committee
- Stewardship Committee
- Conservancy Farm Committee
SMLC has two Local Chapters:
SMLC currently has 3 staff members:
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is comprised of people from across southeast Michigan. Each is committed to land conservation and the sustainability of the Conservancy. Our Board of Directors ensures all SMLC expenditures and activities are compliant with SMLC Bylaws and non-profit law. The Board also passed a resolution to adopt the Land Trust Alliance's "Land Trust Standards and Practices" and strives to operate in a manner that ensures the long-term protection of land in southeast Michigan. As described above, the Board relies on the committees, local chapters and staff to advise them on organizational planning and management issues.
The 2012 SMLC Directors are:
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James T. Weiner
James T. Weiner, P.C.
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President |
Maura A. Jung
Wayne State University
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Vice President |
Jonathan Trevathan
Lear Corporation |
Treasurer / Finance Committee Chair |
Jay Schlegel
University of Michigan Institute for Social Research |
Secretary / Conservancy Farm Committee Chair |
Robert Blumenfeld
Orchards Children's Services |
Director |
Richard Kent
Washtenaw County Parks and
Recreation Commission |
Director / Land Protection Committee Chair |
Barbara Pepper
Birmingham Public Schools
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Director |
Bill Secrest
Henry Ford Community College |
Director / Chapter Representative |
Barry Wauldron
University Of Michigan-Dearborn |
Director |
David Wible
Comerica Bank
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Director |
Karen Spangler
U. of Mich. Student,
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy |
* University of Michigan Board Fellow |
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* Board Fellow is a non-voting position on the board.
Landmarks is the twice-yearly newsletter of Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy. Here are PDF copies of back issues:
SMLC Articles of Incorporation (PDF)
The Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy is committed to fiscal responsibility. We strive to keep our operating costs low so that our resources can be used to preserve and care for land in southeast Michigan. Please contact the SMLC office if you have questions about our financial accountability. A copy of our most recent IRS Form 990 is available here: SMLC 2009 Form 990 (PDF 292 KB)
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