From the Land Conservancy of McHenry County:
The Land Conservancy Preserves 80 Acres for Life in Greenwood Township
Libbie Aavang ensures family farm and natural fen will remain for generations
Libbie Aavang (center), daughter Sarah Aavang (right) and Bob Lukes, Sarah’s husband (left); in front of Libbie’s house in Greenwood Township. (Claire Hodge, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County)
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has helped Greenwood Township resident Libbie Aavang preserve 80 acres of her land, protecting it from development and ensuring it will remain farmland forever.
Libbie wanted to preserve the land’s rural character, maintain her historic farmstead, and ensure that its prime agricultural soils could be farmed in the future and not developed or turned into a solar array.
In 1990, Libbie and Rodney Aavang preserved 17 acres of her property along the Nippersink Creek, initiating the protection of Barber Fen Nature Preserve.
McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD) dedicated another 69 acres to the preserve in 2013.
Earlier this year, Libbie along with her daughter, Sarah Aavang, approached TLC and the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) with the idea of preserving more of their land, while staying true to the mosaic of the property.
TLC worked with Libbie to draft an agricultural conservation easement on the crop and hayfields, as well as the farmstead, totaling 80 acres.
Meanwhile, INPC accepted another 19 acres as protected and buffer lands to the Barber Fen Nature Preserve. The management plan for the easement reflects its connection with the neighboring protected Barber Fen, and recognizes the importance of soil and water conservation.
After completing these preservation projects, Libbie says she’s pleased that the farm will remain in agriculture, thanks to the easement with TLC.
If you would like more information on preserving farmland in McHenry County, please contact Claire Hodge at chodge@conservemc.org.
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is a member-based private nonprofit dedicated to preserving natural, scenic and agricultural land.
= = = = =
Oh, if the McHenry County Conservation District had just followed the lead of the Kane County Forest Preserve District and bought open space easements, instead of land.
How much more open space residents would see.
