Funds Secured to Protect Lake Erie Marsh (OH)

Sandusky, OH, 8/27/02 – The Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization, today hailed U.S. Senator Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, for requesting federal money to protect 1,200 acres on East Sandusky Bay, the largest unprotected natural marsh along the Lake Erie shoreline.

“East Sandusky Bay contains some of the last undisturbed coastline in Ohio, and provides one of the few remaining opportunities for public access to Lake Erie,” Wolfe Tone, project manager for TPL, said at a news conference. “This irreplaceable landscape is highly threatened by development and Sen. DeWine has proven to be a leader in the effort to protect this important resource along the bay.”

The Trust for Public Land, working with The Nature Conservancy, is helping Erie MetroParks to acquire 1,200 acres to create the East Sandusky Bay Nature Preserve, a protected area for public enjoyment, open space and wildlife.

“Thanks to Sen. DeWine and the Ohio delegation’s effort, we are one step closer to making that vision a reality,” said Tone. U.S. Representative Mary Kaptur, D-Ohio, has also been a strong supporter of this project.