The Nature Conservancy in Ohio - Sharing the Land : Partnering up to protect ohio’s best natural areas

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Going Public

Over the years, The Nature Conservancy in Ohio has transferred ownership of about 20,000 acres. Some highlights include:

1966: The Conservancy transfers 456 acres of Dysart Woods to Ohio University. Dysart contains one of the only stands of virgin forest remaining in Ohio.

1999: 103 acres are transferred to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which incorporates them into Zaleski State Forest.

2002: The Conservancy transfers 104 acres to Columbus Metro Parks. The land is incorporated into Battelle-Darby Creek, the largest of the Metro Parks, noted nationally for its tremendous biodiversity.

2003: The Conservancy transfers its 965-acre Putnam Marsh Preserve to the Trust for Public Land, which uses the gift to acquire additional land, leading to the creation of the 1,200-acre East Sandusky Bay MetroPark.

2005 – 2007: 2,100 acres are transferred to Ohio’s only national forest, the Wayne.

During its 50-year tenure, The Nature Conservancy has helped to protect over 40,000 acres of Ohio’s finest natural areas.

But conservation is an eternal and often expensive commitment, and one that takes partnerships to uphold, which is why roughly half of the land we’ve purchased in the state is now owned and managed by federal, state and county agencies or other conservation organizations.

Back in the Day

It’s a practice that started back in 1965, when the Conservancy transferred eight acres of the now-268-acre Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve to the Dayton Museum of Natural History. Since then, the organization has continued to use land transfer as a viable way to fulfill its conservation goals.

“Mainly it’s a matter of efficiency,” says Ross Lebold, land protection specialist for the Conservancy in Ohio. “The permanent obligation of land management takes tremendous financial backing. By transferring the property, we’re able to ensure that these habitats remain protected while maintaining our resources for additional conservation.”

Good Intentions

Sometimes, that means acquiring property with the intent to transfer it. From 2003 to 2004, the Conservancy purchased over 4,500 acres within the Ironton Forest region of southern Ohio, and so far has transferred nearly half of it to the Wayne National Forest.

“The Forest Service has to go through a lengthy process for acquisition funds,” Lebold says. “Therefore, they’re buying it from the Conservancy and adding it to their Ironton Ranger District in stages.”

The Conservancy’s mission is to protect the diversity of life on Earth, and oftentimes it does not have the resources to make all of its lands fully accessible to the public. Sometimes, another land managing entity can provide better public access to a site, or manage the property more efficiently. That means that lands transferred to a partner organization often gain a recreational purpose, says Lebold.

Forty-three years later, Clifton Gorge is a prime example of how land transfers work to benefit all Ohioans. Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Jane Beathard says the park counts more than 300,000 visitors each year. “It’s one of our most popular nature preserves, because it is so magnificent.”

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Richard Sams (Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve); Photo © Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Belize).