Clay Cliffs, the 104-acre property north of Leland that's bordered on the east by North Lake Leelanau and the on the west by Lake Michigan (with more than 1,700 feet of frontage on each lake) is another step closer to permanent protection. On the heels of a $2.9 million boost from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund in August, a generous family, which wishes to remain anonymous, has pledged to match all donations to the Clay Cliffs project from now until the end of the year – up to $200,000. “We’re very excited about this incredible opportunity,” says Leelanau Conservancy Director Brian Price. “If we can finish with the fundraising this year, we would hope to open it up to visitors some time in 2013.” The Leelanau Conservancy and Leland Township are in the process of permanently protecting the land, which features awe-inspiring landscapes of steep slopes, hidden valleys, open meadows, delicate wetlands and 58 acres of mature northern hardwood forest, much of which hasn't been logged in 80+ years, allowing the trees the rare opportunity to approach their maximum size. The project, which will cost almost $6.2 million to complete, needs about $560,000 to reach its fundraising goal, "but with this Challenge Grant, we are excited about making this dream into a reality," says Price. Want to help meet the challenge? Donate here.