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Bird
sanctuary
created with acquisition of
Lake
Erie Coastal and Riparian Forest
Preserve
BRATENAHL, OH, May 15, 2009:
Birding and outdoor enthusiasts have a new
recreational outlet with the
recent completion of a 19.5-acre acquisition in the village of
Bratenahl.
The Lake Erie
Coastal and Riparian Forest Preserve
is located on the north side of Lake
Shore Boulevard and connects with the Lakefront Bike
Path. The preserve contains one of the last remaining
high-quality mature forests along Greater Cleveland's lakefront
and the portion of the Dugway Creek stream corridor and 100-year
floodplain that empties into the estuarine environment on the
Lake Erie coast.
More than 40 species of birds,
including neotropical migrants and eight rare, threatened or
endangered species, have been
surveyed on site.
“The village is very grateful to our partners for helping us put
together this deal, and to our residents, whose generous
donations helped make it possible,” said Bratenahl Mayor John
Licastro.
The $2.7 million property acquisition was made possible through
multi-year partnership efforts by the village of Bratenahl, the
Western Reserve Land
Conservancy, and the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources (ODNR) Office of Coastal Management.
In 2007, the acquisition project was nationally ranked eight of
59 to receive $1.18 million in federal funding through the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal and
Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP). In
Ohio, CELCP is administered by
the ODNR Office of Coastal Management.
The Western Reserve Land Conservancy purchased the two parcels
comprising the Lake Erie Coastal and Riparian Forest Preserve
from willing sellers and held the property for the village. The
ODNR Office of Coastal Management helped secure the
federal grant dollars, and the
land conservancy sought local donations to match the federal
grant. When the federal grant and local match funds came
through, the village purchased the property from the
conservancy.
The Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program helps
protect lands considered important for their ecological,
conservation, recreational, historical or aesthetic value or
that are threatened by conversion from a natural or recreational
state to other uses.
The ODNR Office of Coastal Management works to achieve a balance
between use and preservation of Lake Erie's coastal resources,
in collaboration with its partners, by effectively administering
the Ohio Coastal Management
Program.
The Western Reserve Land Conservancy is a
nonprofit organization that works
to protect natural resources and working lands, and has
preserved over 14,000 acres throughout northern Ohio.
www.wrlc.cc.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance
between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the
benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at
www.ohiodnr.com.
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