Big Creek Property Transferred to OH Lake Metroparks

Concord Township, OH, 4/18/2005 – The Trust for Public Land and Lake Metroparks announced today the successful protection of a critical 20-acre property in Concord Township of Lake County. The property, which includes open fields, forestland, and a shale-bottomed stream which flows into Big Creek, a major tributary to the Grand River, will provide future public access to an existing 80-acre protected stream corridor. The Trust for Public Land acquired the land in December using funds from it’s Ohio Land Protection Fund, a capital fund created through private donations in order to protect land in Ohio when public funds are temporarily unavailable.

“The generosity of Ohio conservation philanthropists provides the Trust for Public Land the necessary resources to act quickly to provide park districts such as Lake Metroparks much-needed time to acquire land for long-term stewardship,” noted Christopher Knopf, Director of the Ohio Trust for Public Land. “The Ohio Land Protection Fund was key to protecting this link to the Big Creek Conservation Corridor.”

“The Trust for Public Land afforded us the time needed to be sure we didn’t lose this critical link,” noted Lake Metroparks Director Dave Noble. “Over the past several years we have focused our land acquisition efforts on preserving the incredible stream valleys of Lake County. This acquisition demonstrates that commitment.”

Photo by: TPL

The land, adjacent to Williams Road, will create a link to a scenic hemlock ravine, a beautiful meandering stream, and 80 acres of currently inaccessible parkland along a tributary to Big Creek. This is a critical link in a long-range vision that incorporates a networks of trails built along the stream connecting several regional parks.

“Now is the time to protect the future of Ohio’s watersheds,” added Chris Knopf. “The Trust for Public Land, through its Watersheds of the Western Reserve program, looks to conservation solutions to ensure the next generation of has clean water. Successes like this protect the water quality of the Grand River as it makes its way to Lake Erie.”

The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land has helped protect more than 2 million acres across the nation. Critical past accomplishments in Ohio include reclaiming the former Richfield Coliseum site as an addition to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and protecting Edison Woods and the East Sandusky Bay Preserve in Erie County and the Bass Lake Preserve in Geauga County. The Ohio Office of the Trust for Public Land is supported in part by grants from The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation and the George B. Storer Foundation. For more information, visit the Trust for Public Land on the web at www.tpl.org/ohio.