Give the Gift of Land

Donating your land for conservation is one of the finest legacies you can leave to future generations. Your gift to the community ensures clean water, habitat protection, and the scenic beauty of open space. You may even designate your land for public use ensuring people may enjoy nature preserves through outdoor education and recreation. We would have none of these privileges if it were not for the foresight and generosity of landowners who have gifted their land.

Advantages of donating a your land:

• Preserve your land and its conservation value in perpetuity.
• Receive a variety of income, property, and estate tax benefits for both you and your heirs.
• Allow NOHLC and our experts to provide the care and management of the land you treasure.
• Establish your legacy.
• You may also donate land with low conservation value for resale and allow NOHLC to facilitate the transaction.

Contact our Executive Director, Sue Julian at land@nohlc.org or 248-795-2808 to learn more about your land donation options.

"Preserving land is important for future generations and critters, too.”

- Don Arsen

Meet Don Arsen

​In 1949 Don and his wife Margie moved from Detroit to Waterford. Both became respected educators in the Waterford School District. In those early years, Northern Oakland County was known as "up-north country" with trees spanning for miles. Having built their first house with his own two hands and an instruction book, Don saw an opportunity and star ted moonlighting as a property developer. While surveying the Spring Lake property, Don and his partner found a wetland with a stream that wasn't suitable for building.

His engineering firm introduced him to a budding land conservancy, and i t was then our paths converged. With his passion for learning and love for geography, Don easily became one of NOHLC's early pioneers and continues to be a sustaining supporter today. 

Don has spent many hours exploring this little stream, which is par t of the larger Clinton River Watershed, and can show you on a map how this small st ream follows a series of waterways until i t reaches the Great Lakes and ends up in the Atlantic Ocean. His support has made a great impact on this organization.