ODNR in Discussions with AEP for Potential Expansion of Outdoor Recreation Opportunities

Memorandum of understanding kicks off negotiations for the state to purchase a major portion of AEP ReCreation Land property in eastern Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH – Taking an important first step toward what could become the most significant expansion of public recreation opportunities in the state’s recent history, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has signed a memorandum of understanding with American Electric Power (AEP) by which the parties will negotiate for the state to purchase a major portion of AEP’s 60,000-acre ReCreation Land property in eastern Ohio.

ODNR Director James Zehringer and AEP Vice President Jim Henry today announced ODNR’s interest in purchasing a large swath of AEP ReCreation Land to be used by the state for a wide range of outdoor recreational activities, including hunting and fishing.

Praising the agreement, Governor John R. Kasich said, “An opportunity to acquire and protect such a large, open expanse of land for public recreation is rare. Ohioans and out-of-state visitors who are drawn to our great state parks, forests, nature preserves and wildlife areas will potentially have even greater opportunities to explore and enjoy the outdoors.”

Director Zehringer emphasized that acquisitions would likely be made in separate parcels over a number of years, and much work remains to be done before the first purchase is negotiated and complete.

“ODNR will now work with AEP to finalize titling and obtain the necessary appraisals, but today’s agreement is a positive step toward preserving this invaluable recreational resource,” Zehringer said. “Our department and AEP have worked in a longstanding partnership to promote public access to AEP ReCreation Land, now we continue as partners to ensure these unmatched outdoor recreation opportunities are preserved for generations of Ohioans to come.”

AEP ReCreation Land spans a total of 60,000 acres in Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum and Noble counties, which is all company-owned property that in the past had been surface mined for coal. In recent years, AEP reclaimed the land and opened it to public access for camping and other outdoor recreation.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov

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Ohio’s Outdoor Recreation Survey Results Available

COLUMBUS, OH – Earlier this year, Ohio residents were asked to share their experiences and opinions regarding their favorite outdoor recreation activities on public lands, such as local and state parks, nature preserves, wildlife and forestry areas and federal lands. They were also asked specifically about their level of participation and any new or expanded facilities they would like to see in Ohio.
Feedback from the public survey helps park districts, local communities and nature preserve, wildlife and forestry managers understand outdoor recreation trends in Ohio and set priorities for funding and improvements.
Ohio University’s (OU) Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs final report for the 2018 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) public survey is now available at parks.ohiodnr.gov/research. OU analyzed 5,059 completed surveys from respondents from all of Ohio’s 88 counties. The report provides some interesting insight into the desires of Ohioan’s recreationalists, such as the facilities that respondents want more of and the top five outdoor recreational pursuits. The survey and the SCORP are funded with assistance from the National Park Service, and the full SCORP report will be available in 2018.
Survey results include:
• Eighty-two percent of survey respondents stated that recreational facilities are very important to the enjoyment of outdoor activities in Ohio.
• The main reasons for engaging in outdoor recreation on public lands is for fun and entertainment; sharing time with family and friends and experiencing nature; quiet time and serenity.
• Ohioans participating in wildlife activities favored wildlife viewing; nature photography and bird watching; with 47 percent stating they did so to experience nature, quiet time and serenity.
• Camping responses indicated tent and pop-up campers were more popular than other types of camping vehicles with more than 46 percent responding they enjoyed camping to share time with family and friends.
• All forms of trail activities received high responses, with nearly 51 percent of respondents stating they participated for health, wellness and fitness. The top trail-related activities are walking and hiking on various trail surfaces (natural, stone and paved).
• Canoeing and kayaking are the most frequent boating activities.
Ohioans prioritized which outdoor recreation facilities they would like to have more of in Ohio. The top ranked facilities focused on trails (natural surface, paved and water); wildlife viewing and birding areas; and undeveloped campgrounds.
The survey results will be included in the five-year SCORP, which provides information on recreation trends. The SCORP informs the grant application scoring process among worthy projects proposed by public outdoor recreation providers, such as park districts, cities, counties, villages and townships around the state.
More information on the survey and the 2018 SCORP project is available at parks.ohiodnr.gov/research

For more news like this please visit http://ohiodnr.gov/news

Rule Changes Proposed to Ohio Wildlife Council

COLUMBUS, OH – Changes to bag and size limits for fish in certain bodies of water and adding the rusty patched bumble bee to the list of state endangered species were among the rule changes proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council on Wednesday, Aug. 16, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Proposed changes to sport fishing regulations include: exempting striped bass, hybrid striped bass and white bass taken from Pymatuning Lake from statewide bag and size limit regulations to be consistent with Pennsylvania; removing the 15-inch minimum length limit on saugeye harvested from Lake Snowden; and reducing the bag limit to four fish in the aggregate for channel and blue catfish harvested from Hoover Reservoir. In addition, anglers harvesting channel and blue catfish from Hoover Reservoir would be limited to taking only three fish less than 18 inches and one fish 28 inches or larger, in an effort to develop and promote a trophy catfish fishery.
Additional proposed rule changes include defining elk as a game quadruped; modifying requirements for field trials; adding the rusty patched bumble bee to the state’s endangered species list to reflect the federal status of this species; and renaming the unnamed cave isopod to Kindt’s cave isopod to reflect the correct common name for this species.
A complete list of proposed rules changes can be found at wildohio.gov.
A statewide hearing on the proposed rules will be held at the ODNR Division of Wildlife’s District One office on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 9 a.m. The office is located at 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215. For those unable to attend the hearing, comments will also be accepted online at wildohio.gov. The online form will be available until Wednesday, Sept. 13.
The Ohio Wildlife Council is an eight-member board that approves all ODNR Division of Wildlife proposed rules and regulations. The council will vote on the proposed rules and season dates after considering public input at their meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Council meetings are open to the public. Individuals who want to provide comments on a topic that is currently being considered by council are asked to register at least two days before the meeting by calling 614-265-6304. All comments are required to be three minutes or less.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.

For more news like this please visit http://ohiodnr.gov/news