Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy (SMLC)

Mission: To conserve natural land and open space — including forests, wetlands, meadows, agricultural lands, and places of scenic beauty — to provide habitat for wildlife and to enrich the lives of people.

Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy (SMLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and qualified conservation organization dedicated to conserving and managing wildlife habitat in order to foster healthy ecosystems, protect air and water quality, and provide scenic enjoyment. We also work to promote appreciation of the natural world; educate the public about conservation options; and engage communities throughout southeast Michigan in land protection and stewardship activities.

SMLC was founded in 1988 by people who felt there should be a way for land owners to protect natural lands and open spaces in southeast Michigan. Our service area covers the 7-county (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, Wayne) southeast Michigan region. To manage day-to-day operations, the Conservancy’s small staff takes care of many tasks including coordination of volunteers. Volunteers are critical to the vitality and effectiveness of the organization.

SMLC protects land in, primarily, three ways:

1. SMLC can own land – usually through donations (property or financial) to the organization,
2. SMLC can work with landowners to create conservation easements (also known as conservation agreements) to protect privately owned property, and
3. 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. Through this work we conserve habitat for wildlife and preserve natural areas and places of scenic beauty for people to enjoy.

Volunteers are absolutely critical to the organization’s ability to carry out these tasks. See below or click here for information on how you can volunteer.