Grand View Brochure - Door County Land Trust

“…the most recognizable and most beloved view in the county.”

It is grand! Travelling north along the Door County peninsulaon highway 42 just before the road dips down into thepicturesque village of Ellison Bay, you find yourself high ontop of the Niagara Escarpment. From this vantage point aview unfolds that takes your breath away – whether you’reseeing it for the first time or for the first time that day!The “Grand View” property presents a quintessential DoorCounty vista that includes the sparkling waters of Green Bay,islands in the distance, and massive sheer bluffs of two nearbycounty parks. It is easily one of the most recognizable andmost beloved views in the county and the state.Although privately owned, the Grand View property hasbeen enjoyed by the public as a “de facto” scenic overlook fordecades and is visited by thousands of camera-toting touristseach year. Best known for the view from the top, the 16-acreGrand View property extends down the escarpment and containsa northern hardwood forest, marshy wetland areas andtwo ponds as well.Recently, this signature view shed and connected lands havecome under the threat of development when construction ofa 44-unit condominium and residential project began. Thisalerted the Door County community to the fact that whathad “always been there” would not continue to be therewithout a concerted land preservation effort.The Door County Land Trust is alocal, non-profit organization dedicatedto preserving Door County’s finestopen spaces and wild places. Since1986, the Door County Land Trust haspermanently protected nearly 6,000acres throughout Door County.To find out more about the Land Trustand for maps and directions to LandTrust nature preserves, visit:www.doorcountylandtrust.org.…sparkling waters of Green Bay, islands in the distance, and the massive sheer bluffs…

Land Trust Enters Into Purchase Offer;Has Until June 30th to Raise Necessary FundsTo save this iconic view and beloved property, the DoorCounty Land Trust initiated talks with the landowner andhas entered into an Offer to Purchase 16 acres at GrandView. If the Land Trust is successful in purchasing thisproperty, the Grand View Scenic Overlook and Park willbe established and will be open to the public for sightseeing,hiking, picnicking and other low-impact recreationaluses. The upper 4 acres of the property will be a mowedscenic overlook; the lower 12 acres will undergo habitatrestoration and be the site of a new hiking trail system(see the map on the back of this brochure). After thepurchase, the Land Trust will transfer ownership of theproperty to the Town of Liberty Grove for the park’s longtermmanagement.According to the terms of the purchase agreement,the Door County Land Trust has until June 30th tosecure the $1,108,024 needed to complete this landacquisition project. Fundraising efforts are off to anencouraging start as the Land Trust has learned thattwo grants that it worked hard to apply for have beenawarded. Although the grants from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund of Wisconsin and theNational Scenic Byways program are critical to movingforward with this purchase, they are only part of thefunding picture. The Land Trust needs $111,519 in privatedonations to match the grants and fully fund this project.How can you be a part of the effort to establish theGrand View Scenic Overlook and Park?The best way for people to support the effort tosave Grand View is to make a generous taxdeductibledonation to the Door County LandTrust. With the purchase offer set to expire thissummer, we hope to hear from you soon!If more than $111,519 is raised for the GrandView project, donations will help the DoorCounty Land Trust protect other high priorityproperties it is working hard to preserve in 2011.Send your tax-deductible donation to:Door County Land Trust P.O. Box 65,Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. Or to make an onlinedonation visit: www.doorcountylandtrust.orgThank you for your thoughtful consideration ofthis donation request and for helping us protectthe “best of the best” of Door County’s naturaland scenic landscapes.“My wife Vonnie and I drive into Ellison Bay every day andalways slow down to marvel at the remarkable view. This veryspecial place has been naively taken for granted until the pastfew years when the potential for development became real. Wenow have an opportunity to make sure this incomparable DoorCounty vista will be here for everyone – ALWAYS!I encourage all who can to help preserve it.”Dave CallsenEllison Bay resident & local business owner

Hillside Dr.Highway 42HikingTrailScenic OverlookViewing AreaHigh RoadDoor County Land Trust - PO Box 65, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 54235920.746.1359 • www.doorcountylandtrust.org