HELP SAVE SIBLEY PRAIRIE!

[Jack Smiley]

Help Save the Sibley Prairie – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Sibley Prairie is at risk of being lost forever.  Located in Brownstown Township, Wayne County, Sibley Prairie is Michigan’s largest and highest-quality lakeplain prairie remnant—an irreplaceable natural treasure which is now in jeopardy. The heart of this rare ecosystem—440 acres that form its core—is up for auction, with bidding set to close on August 27. This may be our last, best chance to protect it.

If this land is sold to a developer, the opportunity to preserve it will likely be lost forever. We must act now.

The Michigan Land Conservancy is reaching out to anyone who may be in a position to help—through donations, pledges, bridge loans, or connections. The opening bid for the auction is $2.5 million. However, we are hopeful that with enough secured funds, the seller may be willing to negotiate a conservation sale and withdraw the property from the auction. A bargain sale could provide the owner with a significant tax deduction—something they would lose if it sells at auction.

This land is currently the top conservation priority in southeast Michigan. It lies entirely within the boundaries of the Brownstown Prairie State Wildlife Area and constitutes the majority of that designated site. Protecting it would directly advance the Department of Natural Resources’ strategic goals of acquiring land near population centers and expanding outdoor recreation opportunities where people live and work. No place fits this vision better than Wayne County.

Time is running out—August 27 is fast approaching. If the DNR is unable to respond quickly, we may need an interim buyer to secure the property and prevent its loss.

Management of the property is not a barrier. Several conservancies are ready to assist the DNR with stewardship—or even to take on full management or ownership themselves. But first, we must secure the land.

The Michigan Land Conservancy can provide $1 million toward the purchase. We urgently need additional partners—individuals, foundations, or groups—to step forward with significant support. The goal is to acquire and protect the land and ultimately transfer it to the DNR or a conservation partner for long-term protection and stewardship.

Please help save the Sibley Prairie. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—and the clock is ticking.

Thank you!

Jack Smiley

President,

Michigan Land Conservancy

 

More about the Sibley Prairie--excerpts from "A Survey of Lakeplain Prairie in Michigan", Michigan Natural Features Inventory, January 1995:

"The Sibley Road prairie complex is located in Sections 7 & 8 of Brownstown Township, Wayne County.  This site is the largest and most diverse lakeplain prairie remnant in Michigan and represents our greatest hope for preserving a functional lakeplain prairie ecosystem.  The prairie has remained remarkably intact.  It has had less hydrologic alteration due to draining, has no record of agricultural use (outside of small pockets along the site's margins) and represents the largest land area not dissected by roadways in Wayne County..."

 

"One hundred and ninety plant species have been identified during four site surveys.  The site's Floristic Quality Index is 69.95.  This (is) the highest ranked site out of 53 lakeplain prairie sites surveyed.  The average Coefficient of Conservatism for plants on the site is 5.05, this is the highest ranking for any site with over 50 species recorded.  The site's composite Wetness Coefficient is -0.9 (Fac+)."

 

"Sibley Road prairie is also rich in special plant species.  There have been 14 special plant species identified on the site along with three community element occurrences and one state threatened butterfly, Duke’s skipper (Euphyes dukesi).  The special plant occurrences include seven state threatened species and seven state special concern species.”

Lakeplain Wet Prairie

https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/communities/description/10672?utm_source=chatgpt.com

A Survey of Lakeplain Prairie In Michigan

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/2355

Brownstown Prairie State Wildlife Area

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/65fb1a70f0794cbfa25e0e0a250f9caf

Auction info:

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/Various-Telegraph-Rd-Sibley-Rd-Rd-Brownstown-Township-MI/36287628/

[Fred Kaluza]

That’s a lot to unpack Jack.  Help me understand.  Personally I always thought the land was already owned by the SEMLC and as “conservation property”, I thought it was tax-free.  Now it sounds like the owner is holding conservationists hostage and asking for us to give them 2.5 million (and they would still retain ownership) and then get to claim a tax exemption (even more money for them) and the SEMLC would still not own it?

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From: Jack Smiley <jackr...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 12:48:45 PM
To: enviro-mich <envir...@great-lakes.net>
Subject: EM:/ HELP SAVE SIBLEY PRAIRIE!

 

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[Mike Losey]

Jack-  As a lakeplain prairie enthusiast, and someone who once had the privilege of working alongside other like-minded people to restore a small piece of the greater Sibley prairie complex, this is heartbreaking news.  I hope you were able to find the resources to protect this incredibly rare natural community from further destruction.

I write this now after reading about the flash flooding that swept through downriver communities earlier today, it just feels like these intense rain events are becoming more frequent, and it calls into question what is an acceptable land use outcome for our remaining large tracts of green infrastructure.  I can't help but think what a tragedy it would be to lose even more of a globally imperiled natural community, but also an important part of what should be our network of open spaces that can help to buffer against these events.  To replace Sibley Prairie with development, stormwater systems, etc. would just add more to the ailments of regional water quality and put more pressure on the "gray infrastructure" (if that is the right term) when we know now more than ever how important it is to have a functioning network of habitat and open space.

I know it isn't right on the river, but I wish that Sibley Prairie or some of the other river-adjacent areas were part of the design of the International Wildlife Refuge.  I don't know what else to add, and I realize this is a day late and a few million dollars short, but again I hope you were able to work a miracle.

-Mike Losey

I don’t work in metro Detroit 

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