The Cleveland Metroparks, in an effort to enhance its ecosystem mission of conservation along the East Branch of the Rocky River, has acquired fourteen acres in North Royalton to ultimately create a natural resource reserve of 237 acres in the Millstream Run Reservation area. The acreage has been acquired in the “Heron Rookery Wetland” area, adding the fourteen acres to the current 20-acre “Heron Rookery Wetland,” adjacent to an existing 88-acre Metroparks property and a 70-acre Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District easement. This addition makes the area a Category 3 wetland and the second largest wetland complex in the East Branch Rocky River corridor. “The acquisition of this land is vital to our continuing stewardship of the Rocky River,” said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman. “It is imperative to helping us continue to improve the wetland landscape.”
Nine properties have been protected since 2010, at a cost of about $2.5 million. The Cleveland Metroparks has been working with the assistance of the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP). About $2.1 million came from outside funding sources.
According to Metroparks officials, “the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, a state program that provides low-interest loans to communities and sewer districts for sewer-related projects, encourages these entities to support local water quality projects by providing an offset to their loan interest rate if they support a WRRSP preservation or restoration project. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) agreed to sponsor Cleveland Metroparks Heron Rookery project and since the award, Cleveland Metroparks has utilized the funds to acquire 65 acres south of Edgerton Road and west of Ridge Road.”
The West Creek Conservancy partnered with Cleveland Metroparks on the project, and have been key collaborators since the creation of the West Creek Reservation in 2006. The West Creek Conservancy is an urban land conservancy and watershed organization which serves the Greater Cleveland area. “The Heron Rookery Project was a great opportunity to utilize the strengths of our partnership with Cleveland Metroparks, in which we were able to coordinate the preservation of over 50 acres along the East Branch of the Rocky River. West Creek Conservancy is proud to be part of such a unique initiative,” said West Creek Conservancy Executive Director Derek Schafer.
“The City of North Royalton and my administration enjoy a unique partnership with Cleveland Metroparks where we are able to provide our residents and surrounding communities additional recreational opportunities. In the future we will continue to work closely with Cleveland Metroparks in identifying property that would enhance their mission,” said North Royalton Mayor Robert Stefanik.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer