To: Oakland Community College Board of Trustees

On behalf of the Southeast Michigan Group of the Sierra Club and our more than 10,000 supporters across Metro Detroit, as well as Oakland County residents, students, and educators, we are writing to urge you to keep public lands public and to begin immediate conversations with Oakland County Parks regarding the purchase of the northern portion of your Highland Lakes campus in Waterford—which contains the Louellen Woughter Nature Preserve—for permanent protection as public parkland.

As you know, at the end of last year Oakland County made an offer to purchase this property, but the offer was never seriously explored. As the public entity that originally sold this land to OCC, the County deserves the first opportunity to buy it back before any sale to private developers is considered. We believe you have both a moral and fiduciary obligation to pursue this public-to-public transaction in good faith. Such buyback clauses are standard in many real estate agreements today, and this case is precisely why.

This land is far more than just property—it is a living, vital part of Oakland County's future. It supports local biodiversity, strengthens regional climate resilience, and provides essential opportunities for students and residents to connect with nature. In an era where natural areas are rapidly disappearing. Areas like this in southern Oakland County are especially valuable because so much of the surrounding region has already been developed.

The Louellen Woughter Nature Preserve is a cherished sanctuary of woodlands, wetlands, and open meadows that was named in honor of one of your beloved biology professors Louellen Woughter. For decades, it has served as an outdoor classroom and refuge for wildlife and people alike. Oakland County Parks (OCP) has expressed a strong desire to continue this educational legacy by acquiring the northern portion of the campus—including the preserve—to create a nature and environmental education park in partnership with the Waterford School District who is leasing the property just north of the preserve to the county. Allowing OCP to acquire this property would be both fitting and responsible, ensuring its continued use for environmental education, recreation, and conservation.

We regret that we will not be attending your board meeting on November 18th, but we do plan to have representatives at the Community Forum on November 20th. We would also like to invite you to join us for a peaceful and purposeful hike through the Louellen Woughter Nature Preserve prior to that meeting. This event will highlight the preserve’s diverse habitats, its educational role, and the community’s unified desire to see this land remain undeveloped for future generations. (Registration Link)

The preserve’s ecological importance cannot be overstated. It contains vernal pools that support threatened species such as the Fairy Shrimp and Blanding’s Turtle—habitats documented by volunteers with Conservation of Waterford Lands (COWL) through MSU’s Vernal Pool Patrol program and an earlier hike where we photographed a Blanding's Turtle. As part of the headwaters of the Clinton River watershed, this land also helps safeguard regional water quality and flood resilience.

We respectfully ask that you act now to start conversations about sale to the County immediately to ensure the Louellen Woughter Nature Preserve remains a publicly accessible natural refuge—a place where families can explore, wildlife can thrive, and future generations can experience the lasting benefits of a healthy environment. The multi-year effort to rezone this public property to allow development and an insistence to offer it in a public bid has not gone unnoticed.

Thank you for your consideration and for your leadership in protecting Oakland County's natural heritage.

Respectfully,

Executive Committee
Southeastern Michigan Group of The Sierra Club

Copied on this email:

Brandon Johnson & Dave Woodward, Oakland County Board of Commissioners

Ebony Bagley, Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission Chair

Chris Ward, Oakland County Parks Director