The Highlands is a special place. When Jim Kelly and Jack French developed the Highlands during the 1960s and 1970s, they laid out the roads, the water system, a recreation area, and the platted lots, and they also set aside acres of land that would never be developed. One 28-acre section is near the west end of Highland Drive, and in 1993, Kelly and French granted a conservation easement for the area ( now called “the bowl”) to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC). In 2002, Kelly and French sold an additional 40 acres (now called the North 40) to the Crystal Highlands Owner Association (CHOA), with the restriction that the land would be a “permanent preserve and conservancy.” In 2021, CHOA added this property to the agreement with the GTRLC.
Maintaining and nurturing the natural areas surrounding the wooded residential lots has continued to be a CHOA priority. As in the past, Highlanders today have a strong commitment to the quiet and beauty of the land. Many residents volunteer on projects to make the area accessible for people to enjoy while also being vigilant in protecting the native flora and fauna.
Today, within walking distance of all the Highlands homes, there are several miles of hiking trails on 69 acres of primarily wooded lands owned by the CHOA and protected from development by conservation easements. In addition,166 acres of GTRLC property (called the Embayment Lakes Nature Preserve) adjoins the Highlands property.
CHOA Land Stewardship Plan (2020)
Out of concern for the protection and preservation of the Highlands natural areas, the Crystal Highland Owners Association (CHOA) worked with Linda Thomasma, Ph.D, a Certified Wildlife Consultant and Certified Forest Consultant, to understand more about the natural features of the Highlands joint property and to develop a long term management plan on how to best proceed to be good stewards of it. CHOA set forth the following goals for the plan:
- maintain and enhance open meadow space
- manage/eliminate problem invasive plant species, especially in the meadows
- ensure safe and passable trails
- enhance wildlife while discouraging deer overpopulation and bear presence 5) sustain and enhance biodiversity. (Read the whole plan here)
The plan gives the CHOA a solid basis for management decisions. And having a detailed plan has enabled serious conversations with and support from outside organizations. Two current projects are the Tree Planting Project and the Invasive Species Project.
- Tree planting project
Over the years, the Highland woodlands have been affected by a variety of events. Some trees have been lost to old age, some to storms, many to the emerald ash borer, etc. On Dr.Thomasma’s recommendation, the Highland community is following a natural approach to dead and fallen trees, leaving most of them to Mother Nature’s care while working to replant in some areas. The replanting goals include diversifying the forest to better withstand the threat to trees from new diseases, insects, and climate change.
“An ambitious” Highlands resident spearheaded this huge project. Following guidelines from the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and their Assisted Tree Range Expansion Project. She, with the help of other Highland residents, planted 135 tree seedlings over four years (2019-2023). Numerous volunteers struggled over rough terrain to plant the seedlings, protect them from the deer, and keep the new trees watered in summer’s hot, dry months. The CHOA provided some small financial support annually. This project is projected to continue into 2025. For detailed information about this project, including the kinds of trees, the numbers, and the “ghost forest” explanation, click here.
- Invasive species project
In the initial 2020 stewardship plan, it was noted that some of the open meadows in the Highlands protected areas were being taken over by invasive trees and shrubs, especially honeysuckle and autumn olive, and a large number of garlic mustered.
On a recommendation from Dr.Thomasma, two volunteers met with Scott Hughey of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to discuss a grant proposal with the NRCS to eradicate the invasives. An application was drawn up, and the CHOA board approved the multi-year grant. Work on the project began in 2023. In the Fall, dedicated Highland volunteers started removing honeysuckle from the north40 meadow. In the spring of 2024, the focus was on the garlic mustard in the Douglas Fir plantation, and in the Fall of 2024, work started to eliminate the invasive shrubs there as well as in the meadow area.
In the late 1990s, a long-time Highlands resident started a one-man campaign to get rid of garlic mustard from the Highlands. Over the years, he recruited other Highlanders to join him to work on the Highlands community properties. He also provided information to help all Highlanders to get rid of garlic mustard from their own property.
