In 2009, Ray and Mitze Nitzsche did something extraordinary.
They couldn’t bear the thought of their property in Randolph County, Illinois, someday being broken up or developed. The land had been in their family for generations – over a hundred years.
They had watched the surrounding farms and woods around them being converted to other uses. “Sometimes it was something major like a strip mine or a 40 acre woods being cleared… Sometimes it was something small like a house on 10 acres or a [new] tower along the road,” they said back in 2009.
So, they took action and permanently conserved their farm and woodlands through a conservation agreement with HeartLands Conservancy.
That was seventeen years ago.
Although the land has changed hands several times since then, the special place that the Nitzsches cared so much about continues to be conserved today. Through the agreement, HeartLands Conservancy has stayed with the land, helping the following generations of landowners continue to keep the land as cherished open space and working farmland.
For over a hundred years the property has been available for farming, hiking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife habitat, and will continue to be thanks to the Nitzsches’ forward thinking.
Ray & Mitze Nitzsche in 2009
Is conservation right for you or someone you know?
Conserving southern Illinois’ natural and agricultural lands helps ensure future generations can experience and benefit from the environment we value today. Conservation agreements (also called conservation easements) are powerful tools to protect your property’s habitat or farm while continuing to keep it under your enjoyment and ownership.
To explore how your vision can align with long-term conservation, reach out to our Land Conservation Manager, Anna McAtee, at an*********@*******************cy.org or (618) 566-4451 ex 23.