News

Warren Woods in Dispute

The ultimate ownership of Warren Woods State Park and a 150-acre parcel of Warren Dunes State Park is the focus of a legal battle now underway between the State of Michigan and the heirs of the original owners.

The land was owned by Edward and Mary Warren, who transferred it to the Edward K. Warren Foundation, which they established in 1917. The foundation leased the properties to the State of Michigan with the stipulation that they be maintained in their natural state for the benefit of the public. The leases were to expire in 2037. Over the years, the foundation became inactive, and the state has declared it dissolved for failure to file required corporate reports.

In 2005, several of the Warren heirs began seeking reinstatement of the foundation and the family’s role as trustee of the land. They presented their case in Berrien County Trial Court in March 2008. The state has filed a motion to dismiss the case as having no merit, claiming that the heirs’ real motive for regaining control of the land is to sell it to the state for a large sum of money. The judge postponed a decision until all the Warren heirs could be notified. As of press time for this article, no ruling had been announced.

The Warren heirs have not publicly revealed their intentions regarding the land. They are a large group representing several generations spread across the country. None of the heirs live near the old family properties. The state is seeking to have the Department of Natural Resources named as legal trustee for the properties. Neither side has attempted to negotiate a settlement outside the courts.

Regardless of the judge’s ruling, appeals and other legal actions could long delay a final resolution. The protected status for the state park properties is not immediately threatened, but the prospect that it could be lost in the future is cause for concern among conservationists throughout the Midwest.

Bill Rose, president of the Kalamazoo Nature Center, is a long-time admirer of Warren Woods. He explains, “Warren Woods is a very special place. It is one of the last remaining undisturbed examples of the beech-maple forest that once covered thousands of acres in the Great Lakes region. It is an absolute gem, and its loss would be a terrible tragedy.”

— Ron Trigg