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OHIO TO ASSESS NEED FOR WOODLAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM Public meetings in late March will measure interest in federal Forest Legacy
Program
COLUMBUS, OH -Woodland owners across Ohio, as well as anyone
interested in protecting working forests, are encouraged to voice their
opinions of a plan to preserve those forests at a series of public meetings
scheduled between March 22 and 29, according to the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources (ODNR).
The ODNR Division of Forestry is sponsoring the meetings in
order to assess Ohio's need for enrollment in the federal Forest Legacy
Program. The program assists states in acquiring permanent conservation
easements from willing sellers for woods that meet Forest Legacy purposes
and criteria.
"The Forest Legacy Program is designed to protect woodlands
that are at risk for conversion to non-forest uses," said John Dorka, chief
of the ODNR Division of Forestry, which will administer the Forest Legacy
Program in Ohio.
The program will focus on woodlands where timber production
is one of the primary land-management objectives. In addition to gauging
statewide need for the program, the upcoming meetings will define program
goals, assess potential Forest Legacy areas and formulate processes that
will be used to evaluate and prioritize properties for inclusion.
Source: ODNR
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