115 Acres Protected for Aurora Wetlands (OH)

Aurora, OH, 11/29/2005 – The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has reached another milestone in the creation of a continuous network of parks and protected public land throughout the northeast Ohio region. Today, TPL announced it has protected an additional 115 acres of land as part of the Aurora Wetlands. The property is the third parcel acquired for the Aurora Wetlands in an ongoing partnership that consists of TPL, the City of Aurora, the Chagrin River Land Conservancy, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier this year, TPL and its project partners conserved 250 acres of wetland for parks and recreation in the rapidly-developing community.

The 115-acre property is now owned by the City of Aurora.”The Aurora Wetlands are critically important to the region’s water quality,” noted Christopher Knopf, Director of the Trust for Public Land’s Ohio Office. “This collaborative effort will help ensure the long-term protection of the area’s water supply and will provide for much needed public access to nature.”

The 115-acre property is immediately north of Tinkers Creek State Park and Nature Preserve, providing a contiguous natural corridor between Route 82 in the north and Old Mill Road in the south. The property is also new to the 1400-acre Liberty Park managed by MetroParks Serving Summit County. The conservation of the Aurora Wetlands provides vital recreational opportunities for future generations, protecting critical habitat for birds and wildlife, and maintaining the quality of the Cuyahoga River. Protection of the Aurora Wetlands is part of the Trust for Public Land’s effort to create a network of parks and protected lands throughout northeast Ohio based on watershed protection and recreational trails.

The Ohio EPA Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) continues to be a model for the rest of the country. The WRRSP is part of the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, which is a state-run fund that provides low-interest loans to units of government, such as cities, villages or townships, to finance improvements to their wastewater treatment systems.

Since its founding in 1972, the Trust for Public Land has helped protect more than 2 million acres of land in 45 states. In Ohio, the Trust for Public Land has protected more than 9,500 acres valued at $60 million. The Trust for Public Land depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve its land for people mission and receives leadership support from the George Gund Foundation, the Cleveland Foundation, the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation, and the George B. Storer Foundation. For more information please visit the Trust for Public Land Ohio Office on the web at www.tpl.org/ohio