Smeja Site – Donated by the Smeja Family Foundation
The Smeja Site is located between lands owned and managed by the Boone County Conservation District. The property was donated by the Smeja Family Foundation and consists of 43-acres of important conservation lands. Members of this family foundation wanted to protect the natural features of the property and donated the land to preserve all of the natural characteristics of the site.
Additionally, the family wanted to see the value of the contribution utilized as leverage for additional funds. Some grant sources allow applicants (like the Boone County Conservation District or the Belvidere Park District) to use donations of land or property as a contribution toward the matching funds requirements of their grant programs. By land banking this property with the Parks & Conservation Foundation, the Smeja Family Foundation may see the value of the property they donated be used as a match in a grant application. When this occurs, their donation may be doubled or more if the grant application is successful. This saves the local agency from spending tax dollars on land acquisitions and provides even more opportunities to enjoy nature and all of the ecological services that these important conservation lands provide to the community.