Aurora Shores Near Liberty Park Preserved (OH)

AURORA, OHIO, 11/24/2009: A new addition to Liberty Park will offer new public access to Aurora Lake and protect important ecological features, The Trust for Public Land announced today.

The 52-acre Aurora Shores property was slated for development along the edge of Aurora Lake. Instead, it is being preserved and added to Liberty Park, a 1,700-acre complex of public lands, wetlands, forest habitat, and bogs in Twinsburg, Twinsburg Township, and Reminderville.

The Ohio office of The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization, purchased the property earlier this month and sold it to Metro Parks, Serving Summit County (MPSSC). The land also includes Tinkers Creek watershed lands, an important Cuyahoga River headwaters watershed.

This is the third project TPL has completed as additions to Liberty Park. TPL previously protected Pond Brook and Aurora Wetlands and to date have added more than 700 acres to the preserve.

“We are grateful to the landowners, the City of Aurora, the State, and of course Metro Parks for working in partnership to see this small but vital property along Aurora Lake permanently protected,” said Bill Carroll, Ohio state director for The Trust for Public Land. “TPL hopes to continue our commitment to expanding Liberty Park.”

MPSCC funded almost all of the nearly $1.1 million purchase price. The state’s Clean Ohio Fund contributed nearly $83,000 to the project.

“The acquisition protects valuable resources, and it protects the investment we’ve made,” said Keith Shy, director-secretary of MPSSC. “Liberty Park is an asset to residents of Summit and surrounding counties.”

Since it was founded in 1972, The Trust for Public Land has helped protect nearly 3 million acres of land in 47 states. In Ohio, TPL has protected more than 10,000 acres valued at more than $86 million. The Trust for Public Land depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve its mission to preserve land for people.

Metro Parks, Serving Summit County manages 10,000 acres, including 13 developed parks, six conservation areas and more than 120 miles of trails, with 18 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Annual attendance averages 4 million visitors.