Grand River, a recent TPL, Ohio project Photo by: Chris Knopf

Public Support Drives Conservation

As we enter the new millennium, it is clear that we are living at a pivotal moment in the history of land conservation. Nationwide, communities are turning to the Trust for Public Land to help them acquire and protect important green space before it is lost forever. But community desire alone will not protect a park or a historic site. The funding must be in place to realize the vision and protect the land.

One of the ways in which the Trust for Public Land helps communities help themselves is through our expertise in public financing. Whether it's a new park, a local greenway connection or a historical site, we have become the leader in working with local officials and citizen groups to obtain the funds to make their conservation goals a reality.

On a national level, the Trust for Public Land is working with members of the Ohio congressional delegation to pass the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA), a landmark conservation bill guaranteeing significant long-term federal funding to protect our nation's green space, recreational, wildlife, and coastal resources. In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure with bipartisan support. If passed by the Senate, CARA would provide $2.8 billion annually for conservation programs, including $54 million annually for conservation in Ohio.

"We are standing at an incredible historic opportunity," noted John Berry, Assistant Secretary to the Department of the Interior, in a speech to staff of the Trust for Public Land. "The CARA legislation sets up a pot of money to protect wildlife, to preserve habitat and protect those green and historic places throughout the country."

In Ohio, Governor Bob Taft has proposed a $400 million bond initiative to fund green space preservation and brownfield revitalization. This initiative will be on the November ballot and, if passed, could provide $100 million for green space preservation, $50 million for stream and watershed protection, $25 million for trail construction and acquisition, and another $25 million for farmland preservation. The remaining $200 million would be earmarked for brownfield redevelopment.

The Trust for Public Land also meets the public-financing needs of park districts and other units of local government. Across the country, we have participated in over 80 public-financing initiatives and are currently involved in over 70 communities nationwide. We have been successful in over 80% of our efforts. A local example of our work is in Portage County, southeast of Cleveland, where the landscape is being rapidly transformed by urban encroachment. Portage County, which is at the headwaters of the Cuyahoga, Chagrin, and Grand Rivers, could lose 23,000 acres of green space over the next 15 years. The Trust for Public Land is supporting a measure on the November ballot to help fund the Portage Park District.

"The Trust for Public Land's expertise in public-financing issues and developing ballot language has been instrumental to our efforts," says Portage Park District Executive Director Chris Craycroft.

In another local effort, the Trust for Public Land is helping Erie MetroParks acquire one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land in Northern Ohio. Located 50 miles west of Cleveland, the 1,400-acre Edison Woods was originally slated to be the site of a nuclear power plant, but today is home to over 550 acres of wetlands and a wide variety of rare flora and fauna. The Trust for Public Land recently conducted a public opinion survey to assess voters' attitudes regarding providing public funds to save Edison Woods. A measure on behalf of Edison Woods will be on the ballot this November.

"Without the Trust for Public Land, we could not begin to think about going to the voters to protect Edison Woods," notes Jon Granville, Director of Erie MetroParks.

The desire to keep tracts of green space intact and available to the public has never been greater. A growing number of communities across Ohio are reaching out for the support and unique expertise that the Trust for Public Land offers. We are working hard to meet the needs of these communities.

Letter for the Director Chris Knopf

My daughter, Beth, recently learned how to ride her bike without training wheels. It is now hard to get Beth off her two-wheeler and she rides with the energy of a Tour de France champion. And so it is with the Ohio Office of the Trust for Public Land.

I opened the Ohio Office just over two years ago and, for most of this time, it has been a one-person operation. We now have added an administrative assistant and will be adding two other staff members by the end of this summer. We are also in the process of establishing an Ohio Advisory Council.

While we have had several notable successes over the last two years, including the acquisition of the Richfield Coliseum, the need for conservation in Ohio has never been greater and expanding our local capacity is essential to enabling us to meet this challenge. Keeping you informed of our efforts is a priority for us. This new Ohio Bulletin reflects our growing ability to work with local communities and share the resources available to promote smart growth and set aside land for people.

Our lead story reflects one of the Trust for Public Land's strengths: assisting communities in securing the funding to preserve key lands. With your support, the Trust for Public Land will continue to be part of preserving Ohio's landscapes for generations of Ohioans to come.

Parkland for Cuyahoga and Summit Counties

This March, the Trust for Public Land purchased 374 acres from the Ohio Department of Mental Health for $1.6 million and transferred the property in three separate parcels to the National Park Service, Cleveland Metroparks, and Sagamore Hills Township. The property, distinguished by beautiful meandering streams, will provide parkland and preserve wildlife habitat in one of the most rapidly developing parts of Northeast Ohio.

By forming a unique "partnership for parks" with all levels of government, the Trust for Public Land preserved land that once was part of the state mental health facility. Rather than being divided up and lost to residential development, this has become one of the largest single conservation transactions in Northeast Ohio in recent decades.

Will Rogers Addresses Akron Roundtable

In a major policy address to over 500 civic leaders at the Akron Roundtable on May 16th, Will Rogers, President of the Trust for Public Land, outlined strategies for healthy metropolitan growth.

Entitled Greenprint for Growth: Land Conservation as a Smart Growth Strategy, Will Rogers' speech lauded the innovative thinking that led to creation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area and underscored the significant desire that the American public has for parks and green space in their communities.

"People are worried about increasing traffic, extended commutes, and the decay of the urban core as residents and their taxes move further and further
out. They worry about the loss of farmland to housing and strip malls. They worry about the loss of the familiar, close-to-home landscapes that give our communities character. And they worry about losing their connection to the land. Often these fears are summed up in the general concern that the quality-of-life in American communities is deteriorating Ð that life simply won't be as rewarding as it has been for us."

Rogers praised Ohio Governor Bob Taft's proposed $400 million bond initiative for greenspace protection and brownfield revitalization.

The Akron Roundtable was established in 1976 to offer Akron audiences a broad range of thinking on current issues and has gained national significance hosting prominent speakers.

David Hunter, a member of the Akron Roundtable Board, underlined the value of hosting the president of a national organization with the capacity and history of TPL.

"Will Rogers' speech to the Roundtable lends credibility to local conservation efforts," notes Hunter.

"The Akron Roundtable is such a valuable resource for bringing ideas into the community dialogue," added Rogers. "This was a unique opportunity to share TPL's mission and smart growth strategies with the region's civic leaders."

Will Roger's speech can be heard at www.tpl.org.