Local land conservation leader and music promoter Barry Lonik reached several milestones in recent months.
Barry has been at the forefront of Washtenaw County’s unparalleled land preservation efforts for over 30 years. He started what is now called Legacy Land Conservancy (originally the Potawatomi Community Land Trust) and led that organization for ten years. During the latter part of his tenure there, Barry also led the charge to promote public funding for the purchase of land as natural area preserves and conservation easements on farmland.
In the succeeding years, proposals to establish dedicated funding have been passed with overwhelming support by voters in Washtenaw County, the City of Ann Arbor and five townships (Ann Arbor, Scio, Webster, Dexter and Northfield) a total of 15 times. To date over $250 million of public funds have been committed to protect open space and agricultural land in the county.
Barry currently staffs the five funded township programs and works with other groups across Michigan through his consulting firm Treemore Ecology and Land Services, Barry recently closed his 100th land preservation project, a conservation easement purchase on the 71 acre Heller property in Webster Township. With an easement purchase on the 470 acre Carpenter dairy farm in Barry County last December, he surpassed 10,000 acres conserved from his actions.
Of all that Barry is most proud of protecting the 478 acre centennial farm of Howard and Kelven Braun on the border of the City of Saline, the 286 acre centennial farm of Charles and Catherine Braun farm in Ann Arbor Township, the 160 acre sesquicentennial Aprill farm in Scio Township, the 100 acre centennial Renz farm in Scio Township and the 234 acre Base Lake Farm in Webster Township, He is especially pleased with directing a half dozen farms into the hands of young farmers that are producing fresh fruit, vegetables and meat on the edge of Ann Arbor.
“Some of my wildest dreams have come true, and we’re not done yet by a long shot. I’m grateful to the voters of Washtenaw County who have repeatdly approved the funding proposals that have provided the means to keep our area green. What we’ve already accomplished with all of the local partnerships is unprecedented.”
Barry has lived on a “vast two acre estate” west of Dexter dubbed “Rancho Tranquilico” for 28 years, where he grows most of his fruits and vegetables and maintains a prairie on half of the property. He hosts concerts with local musicians and bands in his 150 year old barn in the Summer and around the wood stove in his remodeled 1937 farmhouse in cooler months (a total of 27 last year!). Since he started selling tickets to these concerts in 2019, sales last year surpassed $100,000 all of which goes to the musicians.
Barry loves to hike, swim, sail, ski, run and bike the woods, waters and backroads near his home.
