State grant provides financial support for the sale of Turtle Woods Nature Preserve

TROY— Oakland County Parks  was awarded $2,175,000 by the Michigan National Resources Trust Fund to purchase the property known as Turtle Woods from the Troy School District  and establish Oakland County Parks’ first nature preserve with assistance from the Six Rivers Land Conservancy.

Turtle Woods is a 70-acre parcel located on the north side of Square Lake Road between John R and Dequindre roads in Troy. It features wetlands, a lakeplain prairie ecosystem, and is home to several endangered plant species.

“The property has nearly 40 acres of wetlands that are critical not only as habitat, but also for their role in stormwater management and water quality in the region,” Chris Bunch, who is the executive director of Six Rivers Land Conservancy, said in a press release. “There aren’t many places like this left in Southeast Michigan.”

The Troy School District acquired the property in 1967 with plans to build a new high school, though the property remained untouched due to changing development needs in Troy. Instead, it has served as a natural space for educational visits by students.

The nature preserve is controlled by a purchase agreement between the Six Rivers Land Conservancy and TSD, which permitted Six Rivers to secure the property and hold it while Oakland County Parks  applied to the MNRTF for grant funding. OCP first applied for the MNRTF grant in 2023, but the project was not selected for funding.

Since then, the school district voted to donate half of the value of the property, which is estimated at $1,875,000, to help Oakland County Parks secure the 2024 MNRTF grant and the funding needed to purchase the property.

“We are so grateful to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and our partners on this project for understanding the value of 70 undisturbed acres in a very developed area of the county,” Melissa Prowse, who is Oakland County Parks’ manager of planning and development, said in a press release. “We’ve had our eye on this beautiful piece of land for a long time, and we’re thrilled to finally be able to make Turtle Woods an Oakland County Parks nature preserve for all county residents to enjoy.”

The Troy School District and Oakland County Parks hope to close on the property sometime this year, which would allow for construction of the parking lot and restrooms, as well as 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,” TSD Board President Karl Schmidt said in a press release. “Along the way, the District will also realize $1.8 million in revenue from the sale.”

Oakland County Parks will be seeking public input on the design of the entrance and trails as part of the park planning process. Residents who want to stay informed about the planning and development process can email info@oaklandcountyparks.com with the words “Turtle Woods” in the subject line.

For more information on the Turtle Woods Preserve, visit sixriversrlc.org/turtle-woods-preserve or oakgov.com/community/oakland-county-parks.