Ohio Division of Natural Areas & Preserves, Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve (Erie County, N Ohio).
Ohio
State Nature Preserves
Website:
http://www.ohiodnr.com/dnap/
State Government Affiliation:
a division of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)
Naural Areas:
131 state nature preserves protecting over 28,000 acres (includes sites that are privately owned/managed) and 13 state designated river
Funding:
State general revenue funds, state income tax checkoff program, conservation license plates, and federal grants.
Land Acquisition:
Acquisition priorities are established using a list of targeted properties. The list includes in-holdings and adjacent parcels, new acquisitions and significant tracts along designated state scenic rivers. In past years, funding has been limited. Current land acquisition funding comes from the income tax checkoff program, conservation license plates and grants. Properties with willing sellers are identified and ODNR’s Division of Real Estate and Land Management negotiates the purchase.
Protection:
State nature preserve ownership may be private or public. Lands that meet dedication criteria are protected by filing Articles of Dedication. Dedication permanently protects the property regardless of ownership. The articles indicate who will manage the property. The state often accepts custodianship of sites that they do not own through articles. The division also uses conservation easements to protect significant land especially along state scenic rivers and as buffer to preserves.
Stewardship:
As part of the dedication process, management plans are developed for each preserve. These plans are then updated as needed. Management goals are used to direct daily operations and eco-management decisions like prescribed fire, monitoring, and invasive species controls.
Current Events:
Camp Oty’okwa - Several years ago, division staff began working on protection of a population of small whorled pogonia (a federally listed species) at this camp owned and operated by Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Using funds from a Recovery Land Grant from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), a conservation easement was purchased on this 160.41-acre tract at that camp. The grant also included funds for protection projects including fencing, boardwalks, a long staircase, and monitoring.
Grand River (Picard Easement) - With the assistance of federal funding (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and other partners, the division purchased a conservation easement on 342.5 acres on 3/16/06 along the Grand River in Ashtabula County. The Picard tract easement protects almost 2miles of frontage on the Grand River as well as floodplains and uplands. Other partners on this project were TNC and the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The total acquisition cost of this project was $690,781.
Ka-ma-ma Prairie – Ohio’s 131st state nature preserve was dedicated in December 2006. This site, which is owned and managed by Highlands Nature Sanctuary Inc., protects over 40 state listed species, more than any other individual preserve.