State Grant Paves the Way for Sale of Turtle Woods Nature Preserve

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund announced on Wednesday, December 11, that it will award $2,175,000 to the Oakland County Parks to purchase the property known as Turtle Woods from the Troy School District (TSD) and establish Oakland County Parks’ first nature preserve. The acquisition was made possible through a partnership between the Troy School District, Oakland County Parks, and the Six Rivers Land Conservancy. The 70-acre parcel is located on the north side of Square Lake Road between John R and Dequindre roads in Troy, features wetlands, a lakeplain prairie ecosystem, and is home to several threatened plant species.

“I am thrilled by this news.” said Troy School District Board President Karl Schmidt. He continued, “This is the culmination of more than 8 years of Board work as we sought community opinion and then acted on the public's desire to preserve this rare landform as an educational resource in perpetuity. Our desire as a Board has been to transfer this property to an organization with the expertise to restore it to ecological health and then act as responsible stewards of this amazing place. Recognizing it as a monetarily valuable asset, the Board also sought to realize revenue for the District as part of any transfer. Finally, we were determined to improve access to this asset for our students and the general public. Six Rivers Land Conservancy, led by executive director Chris Bunch, has been a steadfast partner in identifying a viable path forward for this property.”

Originally acquired by the Troy School District in 1967 with plans to build a new high school, the property has remained untouched due to changing development needs in Troy. Instead, it has served as a natural space for educational visits by students. Plans for Turtle Woods include updating trails to protect fragile ecosystems, adding boardwalks where necessary, and constructing restroom facilities near the parking lot. Importantly, the Troy School District will continue to use the preserve for student studies and environmental education.

The Six Rivers Land Conservancy had applied for funding from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) in 2023 but was denied, primarily because the initial proposal required a larger discount on the property’s sale price. To strengthen the 2024 application, the TSD Board of Education agreed to a 50% discount on the land’s sale price, a move that significantly improved the grant’s chances of approval. President Schmidt shared, “When Chris Bunch and I connected with Oakland County Parks three years ago, we finally found the partner we needed. The Oakland County Parks acquisition team, led by Melissa Prowse, immediately recognized the value of this property and adopted the Board's goals as their own. Melissa spearheaded OCP's application for funding through the Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund; when we narrowly missed funding in 2023, we all sharpened our pencils, and her team took another run at the MNRTF this year, which led to our ultimate success.” The Troy School District and Oakland County Parks hope to close on the property in 2025, allowing for the construction of the parking lot, restrooms, and trail improvements in 2026.

“When this deal closes next year, OCP will gain its largest nature preserve in the county, the Troy community will host a resource that the entire region will enjoy, and the Troy District will retain access to an outdoor teaching laboratory for its science classes.” shared Schmidt. “Along the way, the District will also realize $1.8 million in revenue from the sale.”

“This is a legacy I am very proud to have championed throughout most of my years in office. The new preserve will outlive me and benefit generations of Troy kids to come. I can't thank Chris Bunch and Melissa Prowse enough for their efforts and dedication to this dream.”

This partnership between TSD, Six Rivers Land Conservancy, and Oakland County Parks marks a major step forward in conserving vital natural spaces in the region, ensuring Turtle Woods remains a resource for education, recreation, and ecological preservation for generations to come.