Agreement Protects More Than 450 Acres Along Scioto River
Source: The Nature Conservancy
July 24, 2007
Voluntary permanent easement preserves habitat for future generations
DUBLIN, OHIO — July 24, 2007 — Two farm families who own land along the Scioto River have agreed to permanently protect more than 450 acres of floodplain forest and wetland in Ross and Pickaway counties.
A working conservation easement, which allows the families to continue to own the land but permanently protects more than 5 miles of stream corridor by restricting certain activities, was arranged by a partnership of public agencies and private conservation groups, including The Nature Conservancy.
Tom Harp, one of the landowners involved in the project, said the area protected by the easement includes a favorite spot where he and his wife, Mary, love to visit – a tree-lined stretch of river near a rookery for great blue herons.
“There’s something so peaceful and serene about the place. It would be a shame if it wasn’t preserved,” Mr. Harp said.
Lester Imboden, the other landowner involved, said he and his wife, Carol, also felt strongly about protecting part of their farm for future generations.
“Farming along the river forces you to change your perspective about the importance of the balance of nature,” Mr. Imboden said. “I want to raise the best crops, but I also want to be the best steward of the land I can be – and I think you can do both.”
Together, the two families agreed to an easement that will allow sustainable timber harvesting, hunting and fishing, and other outdoor pursuits. It does not allow harvesting of any kind within 150 feet of the river or wetlands.
The easement will also allow the owners to use the property for nature education, a provision the landowners requested. Mr. Harp said he would eventually like to allow school groups to use the area.
“It’s a way to share this with other people,” he said.
The easement is the largest permanent easement approved as part of the Scioto Watershed Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (Scioto CREP) said Gary Moore, agriculture policy specialist for The Nature Conservancy in Ohio.
“This project is an excellent example of cooperative conservation with landowners, government agencies and private organizations,” Moore said. “The result: better water quality and better habitat for the people, plants and animals that rely on this river for survival. We particularly want to thank the landowners and their families for their patience and conservation commitment.”
The 220-mile Scioto River is the longest and most biologically diverse river in Ohio, Moore said. From Columbus downstream, it is also the longest free-flowing river in the state.
Voluntary permanent easements are one option included in the Scioto CREP, a USDA Farm Bill program that provides payments to farmers who commit to ecologically-sound farming practices. Throughout the 4 million acre Scioto River watershed, farmers have enrolled more than 55,000 acres in 15-year conservation agreements.
Additional funds for the permanent easement were provided through the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, the ODNR Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy, which provided local matching funds (through a grant from the Dayton-based Kettering Foundation).
The easement will be held and monitored by the Ross County Soil and Water Conservation District. The deal was coordinated by the Ohio Valley Resource and Conservation Development Council.
“The concept of perpetual conservation easements fit well into our mission,” said John Kellis, NRCS coordinator NRCS coordinator for the council. “In this case, we were able to provide a central focus, that hub of the wheel if you will, to all of the interests involved in the Scioto River Easement Project.”
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