Sat Mar 13 2010
by Bill Hammerstrom
Editor
Shalersville -- Two Hudson-based foundations have helped Portage County's park land grow by 504 acres.
The Burton D. Morgan Foundation and The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation have donated $400,000 each to the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to help with the $2.3 million purchase of a 504-acre site in Shalersville Township. It will be known as the Burton D. and Margaret Clark Morgan Preserve.
"We are glad that our two foundations could play such a major role in creating this preserve, which includes both wetlands and forest," said Deborah D. Hoover, president of The Burton D. Morgan Foundation. "We know that Peg Morgan is proud of this gift, and we are sure that Burt Morgan would also be pleased to have the community enjoy this land in perpetuity."
Mr. Morgan purchased the land, east of state Route 44 and south of the Ohio Turnpike, more than 40 years ago in hopes of building an international jetport, according to the foundations.
The plan never materialized, and when Morgan died in 2003, the property went to his estate, which was divided equally between the two foundations the Hudson entrepreneur had started.
The property includes wetland and forests and was appraised at $2.3 million, according to the foundations. Representatives for the estate and the foundations have been negotiating with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy for about two years. The conservancy will buy this land this year for $2.3 million from a subsidiary of the foundations, and the foundations will award the conservancy $800,000 in grants in 2010.
The land will become the Portage park district's largest park. It will be a preserved natural area that will also protect and enhance the quality of both ground water and the Cuyahoga River.
"It's officially in our hands now," said Christine Craycroft, Portage park district executive director since 1998.
The parcel is home to several rare and endangered species, including the yellow-bellied sapsucker bird. It also protects 8,000 linear feet of a tributary to the Upper Cuyahoga River.
The property won't be open immediately, Craycroft said.
"We need to refine the initial inventory and make plans. There may be some guided hikes. There's not really a trail system yet," she said.
The district will work the Ohio Division of Wildlife to come up with management plans for the park. Developing the park will take time, she said.
Because of the restrictions imposed by the grants, which were for water quality protection and wildlife habitat, plans for the property will be for passive uses such as hiking, bird watching and educational programs. The property includes high quality wetlands, bogs, vernal pools and swamps, along with mature woods, Craycroft said.
"We are hoping to partner with local schools, including colleges," to conduct environmental studies in the park, she said.
The acquisition was a three-year project made possible with the professional assistance of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
"The park district couldn't finance the project on its own. That's why we got involved and why we worked with these agencies and local donors to come up with the money the park district doesn't have," said Chris Szell, associate director of regional conservation for the land conservancy.
With the acquisition, the Portage Park District now has 12 parks and preserves totaling more than 1,200 acres and 15 miles of hike and bike trails. However, because multiple efforts to pass a park levy have been unsuccessful, most of those properties remain closed to the public.
The park board recently formed the Portage Park District Foundation and is seeking donations to provide support for operations and park improvements. For more information, contact the Portage Park District at 330-297-7728 or visit www.portageparkdistrict.org.
Editor's note: Record-Courier staff writer Mike Sever contributed to this story.
E-mail: bhammerstrom@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3944
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