Purchase of Saugatuck Dunes Under Consideration

SAUGATUCK, MICHIGAN — December 9, 2008 — Helen Taylor, Michigan state director of The Nature Conservancy announced today that the exploratory group established to discuss the possible acquisition of the 171-acre south portion of the McClendon property adjacent to Saugatuck’s Oval Beach concluded its work on November 6 when it held its last meeting.

Since then, The Nature Conservancy and Aubrey McClendon’s representative have attempted to determine the terms and conditions of a possible sale.

The Nature Conservancy is now rapidly assessing whether both public and private funding resources are available to support a $25 million purchase price. Taylor said that this price is within the range of The Nature Conservancy’s recent appraisal of the property.

“This land is important to the people of the Saugatuck area, the State of Michigan, and those who visit our state seeking the unparalleled beauty of Lake Michigan,” Taylor said. “The exploratory group fulfilled its role in exploring a range of opportunities for the protection of this important place, and The Nature Conservancy and its partners are working quickly to determine whether the resources are available to conclude the purchase. While we certainly have a lot of work to do, today’s announcement signals that significant progress and steps are underway to bring us closer to keeping this land open to the public while protecting this beautiful portion of the world’s largest freshwater dune system. This is the first time we have had a clear and specific opportunity to acquire this property.”

Taylor emphasized the ecological importance of the property, as well as its emotional and economic importance to people, as it attracts tourism dollars and provides a significant connection to the ecology of the Great Lakes. Taylor noted that this shoreline, part of the largest freshwater dune system on Earth, provides a roadmap for millions of birds that migrate [PDF, 647KB] along the coast every year and need places to rest and refuel on their perilous journey. The globally rare freshwater dunes and shoreline also provide habitat for declining species, such as the Blanchard’s cricket frog, and are regarded as a defining characteristic of Michigan and the Great Lakes.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its 1 million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 117 million acres worldwide, including 360,000 acres in Michigan. The Nature Conservancy is working to make the Great Lakes the best managed freshwater ecosystem in the world. For more information, visit The Nature Conservancy in Michigan.