Black Swamp organizes regional conservation planning group

PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Black Swamp Conservancy has organized a group of conservation agencies to create and implement a plan to protect northwest Ohio’s natural areas such as woods, shoreline and wetlands.

Kevin Joyce, executive director of Black Swamp Conservancy, organized and hosted a meeting where representatives of conservation organizations identified the region’s priority conservation locations.

Areas

The areas analyzed included Allen, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams and Wood counties and the Lake Erie Islands.

Since that meeting, the conservancy’s staff has been compiling the information into a written plan that has been distributed to the participating organizations. The plan identifies locations considered by the group as the most important places where additional undeveloped land ought to be protected.

The Maumee River corridor and Oak Openings regions are two examples of the priority conservation locations identified in the plan.

The plan also names the conservation agencies that could work together on conservation projects at each location.

“Preserving our region’s natural beauty is one reason why it’s important to protect undeveloped land, but it’s certainly not the only reason,” said Joyce.

“Conservation has important economic benefits, too, such as attracting businesses and their employees looking for a high quality of life. This conservation plan will be of great benefit to all citizens of the region.”

Meeting

The group’s next meeting is scheduled for November 2008 and the group intends to continue meeting on a regular basis in the future.

Black Swamp

Black Swamp Conservancy is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to encourage conservation and protection of natural and agricultural lands in northwest Ohio for the benefit of future generations.

The conservancy has permanently protected more than 7,000 acres of woods, farmland, shoreline, meadows and wetlands since its founding in 1993.

The land trust owns land and has voluntary land conservation agreements with landowners on property in 11 northwest Ohio counties and in Monroe County, Mich.

This conservation project was made possible by a grant to Black Swamp Conservancy from the Land Trust Alliance Midwest Program and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.