Ohio Forest Sanctuaries looking to create 68-acre nature preserve in Carroll County

BROWN TWP. – Ohio Forest Sanctuaries plans to acquire 68 acres of undeveloped land in Carroll County to establish a nature preserve.

To purchase the property — located about two miles south of Malvern — the local nonprofit is counting on grant funds from the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program. The program, which has a mission of environmental conservation, is under the Ohio Public Works Commission.

"It will be a nature area for the public to come and hike, bird watch, fish to enjoy the natural setting," said Todd Donnelly, executive director of Ohio Forest Sanctuaries. "There is about a 13-acre pond on the land. And there is a fairly mature forest beyond the pond. Most of them are native trees, sugar maple. There are oak, birch and ash. As far as I know, it is a fairly healthy forest."

Before applying for the state grant, the Ohio Forest Sanctuaries needed endorsements from the Brown Township trustees and Carroll County commissioners. These endorsements have been secured.

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'This will eliminate the threat of future development at this site.'

"What they want to do is have a perpetual conservation easement," county Commissioner Robert Wirkner said. "This will eliminate the threat of future development at this site. They want to make it available to the public as a nature preserve. It is not a (public) park. How they manage it is their call."

The state grant would not cover the entire cost of creating the nature preserve.

"The nice thing about this grant is the property owners can get fair market value for their land," Donnelly said. "We do need to come up with 25% match for the grant. We are currently trying to raise a little over $100,000 for our portion. Currently, we are fundraising."

The Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation funding program is designed to promote environmental conservation projects such as preserving open space.

"We should know if we get the grant by mid-January," Donnelly said. "Fundraising will continue through May. Hopefully, we will close in June. Then we start phase two, which is cutting the trails and developing it for the public's use."

Donnelly also operates Family Disability Services, which is in the 5100 block of Knight Road NW in Brown Township. The agency provides day services for adults with developmental disabilities. Plans are to have the nature preserve sit adjacent to Family Disability Services.

"It is rustic," Donnelly said. "We are going to do some improvements in there. We will put some trails in there and a pavilion. We want it to be welcoming for the public to come to natural areas."

What will it be named?

The land is now owned by local resident William Meredith. When the nature preserve is created, it will be named the William F. Meredith Nature Preserve.

"Rather than someone coming in and building condominiums, this way we can preserve a piece of nature," Meredith said. "Sewer and water are there. It has public utilities. This way it is something that people can come and appreciate. I am going to be involved in some fundraisers for them."

Ohio Forest Sanctuaries operates under a board of directors. Craig Wise, a civil engineering professor at the University of Akron, serves as president.

"It is well known there were developers that were hoping to build condominiums," Wise said. "It would result in more and more deforestation. It is getting to the point where we are getting too much of that. There is the concept of open space planning. Having the ability to be able to go into nature is critical to maintain that balance and preserve mental health. The idea is we are going to leave it in its natural state as much as we can."

In Stark County, there are nature preserves on The Wilderness Center complex in Sugar Creek Township.

"One of the big differences between a park and a nature preserve is the land is preserved for the benefit of nature," said Jeanne Gural, executive director The Wilderness Center. "It is much more natural. In parks, you have manicured lawns. We have very little manicured lawns. It is all habitat for the benefit of wildlife."

And make sure the 68 acres aren't developed for a residential subdivision is fine with Brown Township Trustee Christopher Rotondo.

"I think the people (living) around it would have more to gain with the walking trails," he said. "We are all in favor of it."

Reach Malcolm at 330-580-8305

or malcolm.hall@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: mhallREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio Forest Sanctuaries looking to create 68-acre nature preserve