Conservation groups raising $6M to save rare prairie in Metro Detroit

Conservation groups have secured an option to purchase a plot of undeveloped land in southern Wayne County that contains a rare prairie ecosystem that has nearly vanished from Michigan.

Thanks to a $1 million loan, the groups were able to stave off an auction of the 440-acre property in Brownstown Township by negotiating an option to purchase the property bordered by Sibley, Telegraph, King and Inkster roads.

They now have until the end of next year to raise $6 million to purchase and protect the property, Michigan Land Conservancy President Jack Smiley said.

"We need to protect more land in southeast Michigan," he said. "We have such a shortage here and we've got over half the population of the state living down here. We always think of protecting land up north, but we have some very