Lake Metroparks has
bought two parcels and is the process of being given a third with two
of the units having huge recreational potential.
Among the new
acquisitions approved in September by the three-member Lake
Metroparks board of park commissioners was one that will offer
increased steelhead fishing access to an important Grand River
tributary. This 46-acre parcel cost the agency $325,000 and is
located along Big Creek in Concord Township, immediately south of
Interstate 90 and adjacent to Lake Metroparks’ existing 188-acre
Environmental Learning Center.
The property
includes some 1,600 linear feet of Big Creek bank and will permit
foot access from the agency’s downstream and nearby 63-acre Big
Creek at Liberty Hollow Park.
“This access is
good news as it will provide increased fishing access to Big Creek
and further adds to our Environment Learning Center property, which
will allow us to look at expanding our trail system there,” said
Vince Urbanski, Lake Metroparks’ deputy director. “There’s a
beautiful waterfalls on one of Big Creek’s small tributaries, too.
And it’s also a heavily wooded site with a lot of topography.”
Urbanski said the
parks system had been working with the property’s previous owners
for several years on a possible sale and that now “the timing was
right” for the parks system to buy the property.
“We’re always
looking to add acres to properties that we all ready own,” said
Urbanski who added that the parks system owns or manages on the order
of about 9,600 acres.
Less than one-half
mile away as the crow flies from this new acquisition the parks
system bought a 12-acre site for $135,000. This unit sits alongside
the agency-named “Big Creek Corridor” holding located off
Williams Road, also in Concord Township. This larger parcel is not
generally open to the public though it is managed as a location for
controlled archery deer hunting by disabled veterans.
The problem’s
been, Urbanski says, that prior to the 12-acre sliver being purchase
the parks system was able to access the Big Creek Corridor unit only
via a narrow slit not much wider than a motor vehicle. With the new
property the parks system will have much more elbow room, Urbanski
says.
“There is also a
small meadow on the property, and it’s been documented to attract
any number of songbird species including bob-o-links,” he said.
Lake Metroparks
won’t have to pay a penny to pick up a site along Route 86 in Leroy
Township. This unit is being awarded to the parks system with the
blessing of both the Ohio and U.S. environmental protection agencies
as well as the U.S. Justice Department and the Army Corps of
Engineers.
These state and
federal entities were involved because the unit was a 340-acre
wetlands mitigation project which saw the creation of 34 acres of
wetlands along with something on the order of 65 acres of natural
wetlands. All of which is largely superimposed by FirstEnergy power
lines.
By acquiring the
property Lake Metroparks will be able to better manage and manipulate
the wetlands there for the benefit of migrating shorebirds and
waterfowl, Urbanski says.
And that
anticipation will probably lead toward eventual public access in one
fashion or another, says Urbanski.
“There is
significant potential out there including linking with our adjacent
(111-acre) Hidden Lake unit,” he said. “We’ll be exploring all
possibilities, knowing that we will have to stay within any
restrictions imposed because it was a wetlands mitigation project;
but it really could become a great birding location during the fall
and spring migration periods.”
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
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