Ross County Park District awarded $920,000 for new nature preserve
KINNIKINNICK — The Ross County Park District was awarded $920,000 from the Clean up Ohio Eco-friendly House Conservation Program for the invest in of 180 acres of land in the vicinity of the Kinnikinnick Fen Character Protect.
The new land will be named the Herron-Downs Fen Mother nature Protect in honor of the Herron and the Downs family members for donating the land.
The land acquisistion price tag was 1.2 million and the Thoroughly clean Ohio grant will shell out for 75% of the acquire of the land. The Herron family members will donate the remaining 25% to the park district. The supplemental land will transform Kinnikinnick Fen Mother nature Protect into 434 acres of contiguous conservation land.
“Herron Farms LLC has been exceptionally generous with their financial donations and their efforts to defend these wetlands,” reported Joe Letsche, Ross County Park Districts Director. “Their enjoy of group greenspace and character conservation is apparent in this donation, as nicely as their donations toward Kinnikinnick Fen Nature Protect.”
Additional: Ross County Park District buying land around Kinnikinnick Fen Mother nature Preserve
Endangered vegetation and animals, like the Kirtland’s snake and noticed turtle, are existing in the conservation spot. Several threatened and endangered plant species are also found in the wetlands.
The business Engie has pledged $15,000 to help fund trails in the region and the Herron family members is also contributing to the improvement of the land. Salt Town Solar, which is making a solar farm on the south border of the character preserve, has donated $15,000 to the park district towards the building of a path and wetland boardwalk.
The park district also gained about $23,000 from the Thoroughly clean Ohio Greenspace program for removal of invasive plant species these as Bush Honeysuckle and Autumn Olive at Kinnikinnick Fen and Maple Grove Prairie.
The following step for the park district is to apply for resources for wetland restoration. The preserve now has approximately 30 acres of present wetlands with the probable to restore an further 60 acres if funding can be secured.
Letsche mentioned the park district is hoping to open up the land to the public later this 12 months.
“The new property is not publicly obtainable just however. The park district is now searching at funding alternatives to make an entry road and a parking location,” Letsche said. “Our path guru, Deven Atkinson, is doing the job on the path style now, which we hope to have designed and all set when public entry opens up. Likely in the fall of this calendar year.”
Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at [email protected] or abide by her on Twitter @BeckerReporting
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