COLUMBUS – In early January, Gov. Bob Taft announced other recipients of funding through the Clean Ohio Fund.
Of the $400 million in the fund, $150 million is set aside for conservation projects, $25 million for recreational trails, $25 million for farmland preservation, and $200 million for cleanup of contaminated properties.
Northeastern Ohio. In northeastern Ohio, six projects will receive nearly $2 million in Clean Ohio Fund grants for conservation projects.
Grant recipients are Lake Metroparks, the city of Green, the city of Twinsburg, the city of Akron, the Portage County Park District and the Hudson Land Conservancy.
Summit County. The city of Green will receive $187,500 to purchase the 43-acre Greensburg Lion’s Club Park. The city will maintain the park as open space and use it to provide outdoor educational opportunities for local schools.
The city of Twinsburg will receive $235,000 to purchase and protect properties in the floodplain of Tinkers Creek.
The project will expand the city’s already extensive conservation efforts along the creek, in cooperation with the Tinkers Creek Land Conservancy.
The city of Akron will receive $441,210 to improve 1,200 feet of stream bank along unnamed tributaries to Sand Run.
A permanent conservation easement will protect the land from future development.
Hudson project. The Hudson Land Conservancy will receive $70,000 toward the purchase of 29 acres adjacent to Mud Brook Preserve.
The conservancy is partnering with the city of Hudson, which is receiving a Great Lakes Coastal Recreation Grant up to $149,000 through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for purchase of this property.
Lake and Portage. Lake Metroparks will receive $907,568 to purchase 190 acres adjacent to the Girdled Road Reservation. The property consists of forest and meadows that are home to locally rare plant species.
The Portage County Park District will receive $138,432 to purchase 66 acres along Breakneck Creek.
Southwestern Ohio. Projects in Clark and Greene counties will receive more than $640,000 in conservation funding from the Clean Ohio Fund.
The Clark County Park District will receive $366,712 to purchase 145 acres of open space adjacent to the Estel Wenrick Wetlands.
The Greene County Park District will receive $274,410 to enhance the Creekside Reserve, along Beaver Creek.
In Hamilton County, $315,000 goes to the village of Fairfax for a project to restore land along Little Duck Creek to its function as a floodplain.
Money will be used to help residents of more than 40 homes relocate.
