MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meridian Township has purchased a 92-acre lot that will be used for land preservation.

The property is located at the end of Ponderosa Drive in the Ponderosa Subdivision on Jolly Road.

The property was appraised at 1.225 million dollars.

To purchase it, they received a $450 thousand grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as well as a $225 thousand donation from the property owner. The township's land preservation millage paid for the remaining $650 thousand.

The lot mostly consists of mature hardwood forest and wetlands, with a stream where salmon are spawning.

"It's entered into the land preservation program so it will be protected in perpetuity for it's natural resources," Meridian Township Parks and Recreation Park Naturalist, Kelsey Dillion, said. "There are a few existing trails, so it is open to the public and the public can walk those trails and enjoy nature."

This addition makes the Township's total land preservation 957 acres across 22 preserves.

Dillion said the only work that is needed is some clean up as well as removing an invasive species called Japanese knotweed.

Since it is a preservation not a park, it will not have paved walkways but can be maintained with gravel.

The Ponderosa Land Preserve, as consensus says it will be called, is open from dawn to dusk.

They are hoping to have a sign and some directions up soon.