Clean Ohio Fund donates $1 million
By MARY ANN GREIER, Salem News staff writerLISBON - Columbiana County entities received more than $1 million worth of grants for park areas and walking trails from the Clean Ohio Fund over the past several years, with the entity benefitting the most from the fund urging its renewal.
Approval of state Issue 2 will allow the state government to continue the $400 million bond program first approved by voters in 2000 as a means to conserve natural areas, preserve land and clean up contamination or pollution.
A letter sent by Friends of the Park to supporters of the county Park District and Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail asked for a yes vote on Issue 2, which will allow the state to issue bonds for the money.
The letter said the issue will not raise taxes, but approval will continue a program which "...improves the quality of life for all Ohioans by preserving natural areas and farmland, protecting waterways and redeveloping urban areas to foster economic growth."
Some of the results of the past funding include the Washington Street trail head in Leetonia for the bike trail, additional overflow parking at the state Route 164 trail head in Lisbon and trail overflow parking behind the old train station on Market Street in Lisbon, a total of $248,650 used to make the land purchases.
This year, the park district secured approval of a $461,000 grant to help purchase 460 acres of land owned by the Dailey family in Madison Township and another $50,000 for the purchase of 2 acres in Washingtonville to help the trail reach the Mahoning County trail. Both counties, along with Trumbull and Ashtabula, are part of the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway Trail.
"The completion of these very important projects would not have been possible without the Clean Ohio Funds," the letter signed by trustee Dorothea Betz, who's also a member of the park district board, said.
Other entities to receive funding over the years have included: the city of East Palestine, with $44,784 used for a biking and hiking path on city property near Padgett Road and through a wooded area near the city lake; St. Clair Township, with $125,137 granted for a park at Calcutta-Smith Ferry and Sprucevale roads; and the Little Beaver Creek Land Foundation, with $79,599 granted for the securing of conservation easements along Little Beaver Creek.
Columbiana County Commissioner Jim Hoppel and former Park Board member David Goerig have served on the District 14 Natural Resources Assistance Council since the inception of the program. The council ranks the projects for the district, with projects requiring final approval from the state.
District 14 includes Columbiana, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson, Tuscarawas, Guernsey, Holmes and Cochocton counties.
Mary Ann Greier can be reached at mgreier@salemnews.net
