Lakeside meeting will discuss effort to save wetlands from development

LAKESIDE — A community meeting at 2 p.m. Aug. 18 will talk about an effort to raise money and turn 16 acres of wetlands and woods into a nature preserve, saving it from development.

The effort, called Save Lakeside Woods, will hold the meeting at Lakeside Inn, 15251 Lakeside Road, north of New Buffalo and Union Pier.

Organizers say the nonprofit Chikaming Open Lands is poised to add the land to its collection of nearby preserves, but the funding needs to be raised first. The goal is $1.3 million, with $300,000 raised so far, according to the website savelakesidewoods.com .

A developer originally planned to build 18 tiny houses at the site but has since agreed to a deal if Save Lakeside Woods can raise the money in six months, the website states. The land, which is generally northeast of Red Arrow Highway and Warren Woods Road, is home to several species, including the endangered Indiana bat, the site states.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Lakeside meeting will discuss effort to save wetlands from development