ODNR to purchase AEP recreation land

Ohio sportsmen and women need some good news once in a while and the following announcement looks like about the best news we could hope for.

Indeed, many of us were hoping on hope that the state would not let the opportunity to purchase a significant amount of available private property be overlooked.

Indeed, the surface mined, reclaimed, and quite wild American Electric Power (AEP) company lands, which so many of us have enjoyed the generous use of for several years, is now up for sale and for several months it appeared that this unique opportunity might slip away.

But fortunately, it appears that it may not.

ODNR has signed a memorandum of understanding with AEP to negotiate for the state to purchase a major portion of AEP’s 60,000-acre ReCreation Land property in eastern Ohio.

According to the ODNR release, this is an important first step toward what could become the most significant expansion of public recreation opportunities in the state’s recent history.

ODNR Director James Zehringer emphasized that acquisitions would likely be made in separate parcels over a number of years, and much work remains to be done before the first purchase is negotiated and complete.

ODNR will work with AEP to finalize titling and obtain the necessary appraisals, “but today’s agreement is a positive step toward preserving this invaluable recreational resource,” Zehringer said.

AEP ReCreation Land spans a total of 60,000 acres in Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum and Noble counties.

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A drawing will be held for Mosquito Creek Reservoir waterfowl blind locations Aug. 19. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. at the ODNR Division of Wildlife’s Mosquito Creek Headquarters.

The drawing takes place at 9 a.m. and applicants must be present at the time of the drawing, must exhibit a 2017-2018 hunting license and a customer identification number when registering. Customer ID numbers are produced when licenses are purchased.

Call Wildlife District Three Headquarters in Akron at 330-644- 2293 with questions.