One of the most iconic panoramic views in Door County will have a neighboring property controlled by the Door County Land Trust.  The property below the Grand View Scenic Overlook and Park hill in Ellison Bay was purchased by the Door County Land Trust from Barbara and Don Fuhrmann.  The six acres of land was purchased by the Fuhrmanns in 2000 to preserve it from development.  Door County Land Trust Executive Director Emily Wood says Fuhrmanns sold the property for the exact price they paid for it nearly 25 years ago.  She notes that the acquisition is a perfect next chapter in the Grand View story.

  “This is a perfect next chapter in the Grand View story, which was initiated when a 44-unit condominium and residential project was approved for the site. The Fuhrmanns were also visionaries who bought their property with a clear purpose—to shield it from development—and the Door County Land Trust is honored to ensure that their long-held dream of permanent conservation will endure." 

The Land Trust’s initial 16-acre purchase of Grand View Park was in 2012 through private donations, the Wisconsin DNR Knowles-Nelson Stewardship, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Scenic Byways Fund.  Property ownership was then transferred to the Town of Liberty Grove with an agreement that they would manage and maintain the park with support from the Land Trust. The newly protected properties will be celebrated on August 9 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Grand View Park during the Door County Land Trust Annual Gathering.  You can find more information on the event here.  

(photo by Dan Eggert)