Land Trust Launches Campaign to Preserve Pebble Beach

A grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund helped Sister Bay secure Pebble Beach. Photo by Myles Dannhausen Jr.

The Door County Land Trust and Village of Sister Bay announced a partnership to protect 600 feet of shoreline and 17 acres of land as a publicly accessible recreation and natural area.

The Door County Land Trust will assist with the purchase of the property through a fundraising effort and protection of the property with a conservation easement agreement. Upon completion, the Village of Sister Bay will own and manage the property with public access to the shoreline and land, which will be protected as a natural area.

“The Village of Sister Bay in conjunction with the Land Trust is pleased to announce we will purchase the Pebble Beach property with the intent of keeping it preserved for future generations to come,” said Sister Bay Village President Dave Lienau. “This is a rare opportunity to keep a local treasure pristine and untouched. It will keep the essence of Door County’s natural beauty alive and well in Sister Bay.”

The Door County Land Trust is seeking to raise approximately $500,000 from the community to support the purchase and long-term conservation of the property. The Village of Sister Bay intends to apply for a reimbursement grant through Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to fund up to $1M of the purchase price. Visit the Land Trust website here o learn more about contributing to the effort.

If successful, the land will be owned and managed by the Village of Sister Bay. Door County Land Trust will hold a conservation easement agreement which will ensure the property remains natural. The Land Trust will work with the Village to preserve native plants and wildlife habitat. The Village will manage the recreational use of the property and any amenities, so as to preserve the natural state of the land.

In December 2018, Pebble Beach was thrown into the spotlight when a local zoning commission considered a proposal to divide the undeveloped shoreline into four lots for private development. Public sentiment for protecting the beach from development was voiced loudly in letters to the editor, across social media, and throughout the community.

The Luber and Downey families who own the property agreed to reduce the sale price with a desire for the property to be protected in its natural state.

“We are so excited to see this land which has been so significant to our families, be preserved as untouched shoreline that will be enjoyed by generations for year to come,” said Paul Luber.

Door County Land Trust responded to the community desire to protect the land by exploring conservation funding options with the Village of Sister Bay, who will ultimately own and manage the land and preserve it in its natural state. Though the project is not yet fully funded, Door County Land Trust and the Village of Sister Bay are partnering to protect the property for the community.

“The effort to protect Door County’s iconic Pebble Beach is a shining example of how a community, a conservation land trust, and conservation partners can bring a vision to reality and protect land, open to all, forever,” said Door County Land Trust executive director Tom Clay.

The purchase of the property will cost approximately $2.5 million and will be completed in September 2019. Sources of funding for the project are a $1 million grant tentatively secured through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, $500,000 by the Door County Land Trust, and $1 million by the Village of Sister Bay.

Once completed, Pebble Beach’s beautiful views, extraordinary shoreline and cedar forest will be preserved for all to enjoy. The community is invited to make contributions of support for the project and to learn more at http://www.doorcountylandtrust.org/pebblebeach.