2007
Richard and Kathy Shellenbarger , 73 acres
Sherman Township, Gladwin County

In 2006, Richard and Kathy Shellenbarger signed a conservation easement with Richard’s brother, Bill, to permanently protect the family land that they share. A little more than a year later, Richard and Kathy signed a second conservation easement to protect their 73 acre homestead.

Adjacent to the Shellenbarger family property and across the road from David and Anna Spencer’s recently protected land, this conservation easement expands the conserved area in that neighborhood to more than 300 acres.

Placing a conservation easement on their property “is a hard decision to make,” Kathy said.

But, Richard added, “It’s a good feeling knowing that it’s going to stay wild forever.”

This conservation easement is the sixth completed in the Cedar River Project Area. The Cedar River is an area of focus for the Conservancy because it is an important element in conserving the water quality of mid-Michigan.