The land that supports all the natural systems people depend on for life is vitally important.  Often, we do not take time to recognize this.  Fostering recognition of the connection between land and people is a key component of Legacy’s mission.

Over the course of summer 2013, Legacy’s Special Exhibits will highlight the ways people benefit from their interactions with the land.  These Special Exhibits will be installed at the Ann Arbor District Library, the University of Michigan Hospitals and at locations still to be determined in Jackson County.

The Special Exhibits consist of four components.  The first component presents quotations, readings and sayings of poets, writers and environmentalists from the past 175 years.  These are matched to photographic images from Legacy Land Conservancy archives showing properties which have been preserved through the Conservancy.  The second component shows medicinal herbs that can be found on Legacy properties and similar lands in southeast Michigan.  Photos of the herbs and descriptions of their effects will be presented.  The third component discusses the beneficial impact that interacting with nature and wild places has on children and their development.  The fourth component consists of photographs of special species of wildlife found on the preserved lands.  These species are uncommon to rare or threatened.

The Library exhibit will be posted from July 24 through September 1, 2013.  When the exhibit at the Ann Arbor District Library closes, the second and third components of the exhibit will be transferred to display cases in the U of M Hospitals, where they will be posted from  ________________________  to ___________________. (Note: exact dates and locations are still TBD.) The whole exhibit will then be transferred to a location still to be determined in Jackson, Michigan, for display from (TBD) to (TBD), 2014.

The land that supports all the natural systems people depend on for life is vitally important.  Often, we do not take time to recognize this.  Fostering recognition of the connection between land and people is a key component of Legacy’s mission.

The Legacy of the Land Through Art project is a mixed media juried exhibition that was open to artists active in Washtenaw and Jackson Counties – areas where Legacy Land Conservancy has preserved properties.  Eighty-nine artists applied for inclusion in this project and 43 were selected.  The selected artists represent an array of media, from oil, pastel, acrylic and photography.  Works will be of varying sizes and will include both two and three-dimensional pieces.  Jurors for the project are well known in the community for their expertise in art; they are Deborah Greer, Louise Lutton, Norma Penchansky-Glasser, and Joseph Trumpey.

The first Legacy of the Land Through Art exhibition takes place at the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens in their conservatory and exhibition spaces.  Matthaei is partnering with Legacy to present this mixed media art event.  The exhibition will be open to the public from October 12 through November 10 in the Botanical Gardens building at 1800 North Dixboro Road in Ann Arbor.  The opening reception for this exhibit will be a by-invitation-only gala on Friday, October 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (RSVP required.)

The second exhibition takes place at the Sandhill Crane Vineyards on 4724 Walz Road in Jackson, Michigan.  It will be open to the public from February 1, 2014 through March 9, 2014.  The opening reception for this event will be held on Friday, January 31, 2014 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm.  The charge for this event will be $35 per person, which can be treated as a tax-deductible contribution to the Legacy Land Conservancy.

This highly documented Indiana bat nesting site is 168 acres of privately owned land in Jackson County.  In addition to this endangered species, the land supports other threatened plants and animals, and is part of the head waters of the River Raisin.   Individual donations to this project will be matched 1:1 by a generous donor.  To make a donation, please click here.  We’re almost there…please help protect this special place…forever.

In mid-April, the Michigan State Senate passed SB 113 “Authorize Tax Break for Conservation Easement Donation in Will.” Many people wishing to conserve their land choose to place a conservation easement in their will so that the land will pass into conservation when he/she passes away. However, under current Michigan property law when land is transferred at the time of the landowner’s death property taxes are “uncap,” i.e. land transfers by will are taxed at a higher rate. Senate Bill 113 sponsored by Senator Mike Green (R-Mayville) would exempt conservation easements by will, trust, or intestate succession from the uncapping of property taxes. The bill now moves to the Michigan House Committee on Tax Policy. If you feel strongly about SB 113 please call or write your Michigan Representative.

Michigan Attorney General Protects Natural Resources Trust Fund

In late April, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette issued Opinion No. 7270  to weigh in on the debate on using the Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund for harbor dredging. Schuette ruled out using Trust Fund resources for dredging, saying “the voters enshrined the Trust Fund in our Constitution for a very specific purpose: to preserve and protect Michigan’s bountiful resources for generations to come. The message is straightforward — hands off the Trust Fund.” Legislation is still pending in the Michigan Senate that would open the Trust Fund up for dredging.

Michigan State Land Plan Open for Public Comment

Last year the Michigan State Legislature enacted and Governor Snyder signed into law PA 240. The act capped the amount of land the state of Michigan is allowed to own until the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) develops a strategic state landownership and management plan. Recently, Michigan DNR released a draft of the plan and opened it up for public comment. Email your comments to DNRlandplan@michigan.gov by April 30^th to voice your views on the state lands plan.

Mighty Good has signed on to provide coffee at Legacy’s An Evening Under the Strawberry Moon Gala Dinner on June 13^th.  In addition, Mighty Good will be introducing a featured Legacy Land Conservancy coffee this spring.  It will be sourced from Hacienda Santa Emilia, a 3^rd generation farm in El Salvador.  To read more about this partnership, please click here.

 It will be a night to remember: Chef Brandon Johns of the farm-to-table Grange Restaurant and Bar will craft exquisite appetizers. Award-winning Zingerman’s Roadhouse chef-farmer Alex Young will cook regional favorites using fresh-picked produce from southeast Michigan’s best farms.  Chelsea Alehouse and Sandhill Crane Vineyards will supply locally fashioned libations. Sweet Heather Ann will lay out a table of delectable desserts. To top it all off,  Mighty Good Coffee and Tea Haus will serve additional refreshments.

Reservations Required. Limited Seating!

A special thanks to our corporate sponsors: 

US Senators Introduce Federal Legislation to Permanently Extend Conservation Tax Incentives 

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced legislation in March to the U.S. Senate that would permanently extend a tax relief program for modest income landowners who donate their land for conservation. The Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act of 2013 would allow taxpayers to deduct up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI) for conservation easement donations and carry forward unused deductions for up to 15 years. Farmers and ranchers would be able to deduct up to 100 percent of their AGI. In particular, Sen. Baucus’ sponsorship of the legislation highlights the great work of conservancies across the country. In 2005, Senator Baucus believed that conservation easements should not be tax deductible, but through outreach and education conservation organizations helped win the Senator’s support.  Contact your US Senators to voice your opinion about this legislation.

Photo by John Lloyd

“Flower” is the third installment in a four-part series of articles written by Ann Arbor Community Farm’s Kat Oshman, detailing the relationship between the Community Farm and Legacy Land Conservancy. To learn more about the farm’s operations and conservation easement with Legacy, click here.