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Williams Woods Expands Through Next Level Conservation Trust

In February 2024, NICHES Land Trust expanded Williams Woods preserve by 124 acres!

Williams Woods now totals 240 acres and is our 6th largest property (Largest in order: Shawnee Bottoms, Farris Estate, Weiler-Leopold complex, Granville Sand Barren Complex, Fisher Oak Savanna). This expansion was made possible by substantial grant funding through the Next Level Conservation Trust (NLCT) and the generosity of the Williams Siblings, the Whistler Foundation, the Warren County Community Foundation, the Geoff and Josie Fox Family Foundation, the Central Indiana Land Trust, and the Ropchan Foundation.

 

 

Williams Woods is located at the historic meeting zone of Indiana’s prairie and forest. This special band of savanna habitat has mostly been converted to agricultural production or become closed canopy forest in the absence of fire management. Savannas and many of the species that depend on them for habitat are endangered in Indiana and across the country. NICHES has been managing the 116 acres at Williams Woods as a savanna habitat via removing invasive species, thinning maples, restoring prescribed fire, and planting prairie and thicket restorations. Expanding protection at the site provides more of this critical habitat and enhances the effectiveness of the existing restoration.
The new 124 acres includes 34 acres of remnant savanna and old hay fields and 90 acres in agricultural production. Over the coming years, NICHES will do habitat improvements to the remnant and hay fields and plant the agricultural fields with a diverse prairie restoration mix. This seed mix was carefully designed using historical documentation of plant records in adjacent fields. Through careful management over time, including prescribed fire, the native thicket species and burr oaks will regenerate well throughout the prairie plantings and a contiguous 240 acre burr oak savanna will thrive.

The idea of expanding the preserve had been planted for years but the opportunity to do so sprouted with the announcement of the largest single investment of state dollars into conservation in Indiana’s history. In May 2022, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced $25 million dedicated for the Next Level Conservation Trust (NLCT) to preserve and protect important conservation, recreation, and historic areas for the public. With all the land trusts sitting on a backlog of acquisition opportunities, it was clear that all $25 million would likely be allocated in the first round of funding with applications due August 1. NICHES acted quickly on this opportunity for substantial acquisition funding.

We identified an appropriate acquisition project that:

1. Met NICHES Land and Water Protection goals in our strategic plan;
2. Would be a strong application for the NLCT guidelines; and,
3. Could have an application completed in the very short application window. Expanding Williams Woods was the best option for NLCT funding opportunity and Jeff Williams was graciously willing to work with us on the application process.

In June and July 2022, we worked diligently to gather 9 partner letters of support, align matching funds, and submit a very strong, 60-page application before the deadline. NICHES’ reputation and longstanding relationships with federal, state, and county agencies, foundation partners, non-profits, and private landowners made this big endeavor possible. We are so grateful to our community partners for acting quickly to provide letters of support for this project: U.S. Department of Interior-Fish and Wildlife Service, Warren County Community Foundation, the Central Indiana Land Trust, Roy Whistler Foundation, Warren County Commissioners and Council, Wabash River Enhancement Corporation, Indiana Native Plant Society, Sycamore Audubon Society, and the Williams family.

Our application was approved for 75% of the purchase price (the maximum % allowed by the program)! This is the largest single grant in NICHES history. The NLCT funding is provided in exchange for a conservation easement held by DNR over the land purchased. Over the next year and a half, we worked with the DNR on the conservation easement details. We had the property surveyed, ensured clean title and land descriptions, and followed all the steps for our accreditation status. We secured the final matching funds needed thanks to our very generous supporters.

NICHES is honored to steward these special acres and grateful for the trust and generosity of the Williams Family to share the family farm with current and future generations.

 

This article originally appeared in June 2024 edition of The Sprout.