Terry and Kris Stranz protect 40 more acres in the Pere Marquette watershed
In late 2025, the Stranz family closed on a conservation easement made possible by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) 319 Grant Program.
The 319 Grant Program is a part of the federal Clean Water Act and is intended to help control nonpoint source pollution, which is pollution from runoff after a rain or snowfall, like fertilizer, pet waste, or toxic chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides funding to state governments who each run competitive grant programs in their state. The funding provides critical support for activities improving water quality, including the permanent protection of land.
In June of 2022, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan was awarded a 319 grant to support the bargain purchase of a different conservation easement in the Pere Marquette Watershed. When that project unfortunately fell through at the end of 2023, LCWM staff had to evaluate potential alternatives. Conservation Easement Manager Chris Long connected with Terry and Kris Stranz.
The Stranzes were introduced to the Land Conservancy of West Michigan when they purchased a property protected by a conservation easement, known as Touhi Hunt Club, in 2023. The couple are invested in the conservation of the land they own: Terry is working with the Conservation Resource Alliance on a streambank restoration project. The couple owned an additional 40 acres that Terry primarily used for hunting with his son, and they were interested in protecting this land, too. Collaborating with the Land Conservancy with the support of the 319 grant, the Stranzes were able to successfully protect the additional land at the end of 2025.
The new conservation easement protects forest and wetlands and includes 266 feet of frontage on the Little South Branch of the Pere Marquette River. Part of the greater Pere Marquette Watershed, the Little South Branch is regulated as a Michigan Designated Trout Stream. The wetlands help feed the headwaters of the Little South Branch and are important for water quality, wildlife habitat, and the fishery of the watershed. The land is part of a network of protected natural areas within the Pere Marquette watershed, with many parcels of federal and state land throughout the area providing public river access, high-quality habitat, and managed forests.
The forested wetlands include a rich conifer swamp community with steep slopes that form transitional habitat from its upland forests. These variable and diverse native communities provide important habitat for numerous plants, migratory birds, whitetail deer, wild turkey, reptiles, amphibians, and more. The land features old-growth red and white pines, spared from 19th and 20th century logging due to difficult access. The new conservation easement ensures these important habitats will be protected in perpetuity.
We are grateful to the Stranz family for their continued commitment to conservation!
Interested in protecting your private land? A conservation easement might be right for you. Learn more on our website at naturenearby.org/conservation-easements.