The Trust for Public Land in Action: 2020 C E L E B R AT I N G W HAT YO U M A D E P O S S I B L E IN OHIO AND BEYOND
Thank you for partnering with us in Ohio! The coronavirus pandemic, its economic fallout, and the ongoing realities of systemic racism have created unprecedented hardships for everyone. And amidst a year of constant change, turmoil and despair, we find hope through the eyes of children playing in parks, families hiking new trails, and friends and neighbors exploring the natural world. We know that great parks and green spaces can transform communities, especially when residents are in the drivers’ seat designing and planning their own spaces. We’re helping improve physical and mental health, create opportunities for democracy, and mitigate extreme climate effects. Everything we do is grounded in our commitment to communities. The impact of our mission is not only the creation of great parks, public lands, trails, and green schoolyards. It’s also the strengthening of the social and civic, personal and emotional connections upon which our communities depend while addressing the country’s most pressing problems—climate, health, and equity. Over the next five years, we aim to accelerate the
transformative impact of our mission—impacting 300 communities with our work and improving the lives of 85 million people nationwide. We are rising to the challenges of this unprecedented moment to bring parks and green spaces where they’re needed most. In Ohio, we’re building trails and parks to connect residents to nature and to one another. And we’re continuing our efforts to preserve land in perpetuity for conservation, recreation, and public enjoyment of the outdoors. Thank you!
Ohio Advisory Board Dylan Beach Aparna Bole, MD Raymond Evans, Chair Eric Fiala Kenneth G. Howe Jenita McGowan Christine Rupert Siu Yan Scott Dana Wojno
KELLY FORTENER
Glen Helen Nature Preserve Yellow Springs, OH
Remembering Dave Vasarhelyi PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIE VASARHELYI
Monument to commemorate the life of a formerly enslaved man who became a Buffalo Soldier in the U.S. Army and its first African American colonel. Dave saved the Blossom Music Center and simultaneously expanded the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by nearly 800 acres. And he helped create the first publicly accessible riverfront park in Cleveland.
vasarhelyi family: Kayla, Jennie, Leah, and Dave Rocky Mountain National Park, August 2019
As we rise to the challenges of this unprecedented year, we reflect on the legacy of our work in Ohio and those who set the stage for success. We dedicate our 2020 successes to our dear friend and colleague Dave Vasarhelyi, who passed away in March 2020. Dave was a key staffer on The Trust for Public Land’s Ohio team for 15 years. During his tenure, he preserved 35 special places that span over 5,000 acres of land—valued at $72.5 million. A Parma native, Dave’s love of nature led him to the National Park Service. He served 17 years as a park ranger in some of our country’s wildest places, including Badlands National Park, where he met his future wife, Jennie, a fellow ranger. He also served at Saguaro National Park, Glacier Bay National Park, Buffalo National River, Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Dave founded the West Creek Conservancy in 1997 and helped create the Cleveland Metroparks West Creek Reservation and the vision to link it to the Towpath Trail. At The Trust for Public Land, Dave undertook many complex projects. He worked tirelessly to preserve Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National
To us and many others, Dave was a conservation hero with an unmatched passion, enthusiasm, and love for the environment and Ohio. We will miss his charismatic charm and dry sense of humor, his immense environmental knowledge, and his genuine compassion for others. Dave’s legacy lives on in the many incredible places he helped protect across the state and in his family—his wife Jennie and his daughters Leah and Kayla.
“Visionary and dreamer, Dave could see potential everywhere and then realize those dreams. Several years ago, Dave and I walked an overgrown rail bed where he laid out his vision of connecting the river to the lake accessible to all. Dave would eventually work to acquire the land for the Lake Link Trail. One of the last times I spoke with Dave, I pointed toward the Trail and said, “You made all of this happen.” He looked away and said, “No, I just helped.” That was Dave: the visionary always sharing credit with others. I am forever grateful to have called him my friend.” John Mitterholzer, The George Gund Foundation
Protecting Ohio’s great lands and waters Ohio’s health, quality of life, and prosperity are rooted in its magnificent natural heritage, from its great lake and many rivers to its vast pastoral plains to its rugged hill county. The Trust for Public Land draws on our expertise in technology and outreach to help communities plan their conservation goals. Then we use our finance, legal, and transaction expertise to accomplish them.
well as a Paleo-Indian archaeological site. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is the longterm steward of the property. In Wayne County, we conserved a 101-acre property to fill an important gap in the Heartland Trail— which will connect with the Ohio to Erie Trail between Cleveland and Cincinnati—and protected 25 acres of high-quality wetlands abutting the Chippewa Creek. Rails to Trails of Wayne County now owns and stewards the property.
We have protected more than 2,400 acres in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including the historic Frazee House, the Blossom Music Center, and the park’s main entrance. Each year, over two million people visit the park to enjoy its wealth of landscapes and cultural sites. Besides providing access to nature for millions of residents, the national park has greatly enhanced water quality by preventing development along the Cuyahoga River.
We also helped create the new North Fork Yellow Creek Preserve in Summit County. The site is home to diverse forest, wetland, and meadow habitats. The preserve also protects water quality in the headwaters of the Cuyahoga. The 73.8-acre preserve will be owned and managed by Bath Township. In Geauga County, we preserved Blue Heron Farm, a 118-acre property encompassing a quarter-mile of the Cuyahoga River headwaters and 40 acres of the highest quality wetlands. Canada Yew and Swamp Red Currant—both statethreatened species—have been spotted there, as
LEW STAMP/WEST SIDE LEADER
LOOKING AHEAD IN OHIO Kettle bogs and other wetlands are critical habitats for birds and other wildlife. In Summit County, The Trust for Public Land helped expand the Springfield Bog by adding a 41-acre property to our two previous acquisitions now owned and managed by Summit Metro Parks.
We are conserving Flying Squirrel Preserve in Morrow County. The 338-acre conservation project will preserve spectacular scenery and recreational opportunities, including three lodges for camping and environmental education. We have protected similar places across the state, including Camp Manatoc and Camp Myeerah, allowing children to study, explore, and learn to love the great outdoors. Once conserved, Flying Squirrel Preserve will be owned and managed by the Morrow County Park District.
Springfield Bog
Summit County, OH
Community at the center In fall 2019, we joined Lakeview Terrace residents at the ribbon cutting for the newly-renovated community basketball court. With live music, food, basketball, face painting, magic, and juggling, over 125 community members gathered to celebrate the outdoor space they helped create. Even more exciting—the new community connections formed at their colorful outdoor recreation space. Thanks to the L.L.Bean Community Award, we partnered with residents to bring their vision for a safe, fun, and welcoming outdoor space within their community to life. The strength and power that lies in transforming communities carries our vision forward, especially amidst the current crises we find ourselves navigating. Our deep relationships with residents, community-based organizations, and grassroots leaders in Cleveland empower us to rise to the
challenges our neighborhoods are facing with humility and purpose. Through the #Masks4Community effort, we joined a coalition of community organizations to distribute over 77,000 washable cloth masks, together with bilingual information on voter registration, the 2020 Census, and Covid-19 safety tips to the most atrisk communities in Cleveland and East Cleveland. Nearly a dozen organizations partnered with us in this effort, including the Cleveland NAACP, Cleveland VOTES, Young Latino Network, and the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland. Recognizing the dangers of people not being counted in the census, we teamed up with leaders across the region to attend community events in the Glenville, Clark-Fulton, and Stockyards neighborhoods. While our partnerships continue to evolve, our community-centered mission remains steady.
JOSHUA DOBAY AND TPL STAFF
MICHIGAN
DAYTON
CINCINNATI
KENTUCKY
TOLEDO
COLUMBUS
LA KE E RI E
AKRON
WEST VIRGINIA
PENNSYLVANIA
Copyright © The Trust for Public Land. The Trust for Public Land and The Trust for Public Land logo are federally registered marks of The Trust for Public Land. Information on this map is provided for purposes of discussion and visualization only. www.tpl.org
COM PLETED AND CUR RENT/FUTURE PROJECTS
Ohio
INDIANA
0
0
2.5
2.5
5
5
Miles
Miles
CLEVELAND
Cu y ah o g a V al l e y N a t i on a l P a rk
®
Cleveland detail
hoga R iv e r
Cuyahoga Valley National Park detail
Cu y a
Completed
The Trust for Public Land projects and programming*
Current or future
National Park Service land
Other protected land
10
20
Miles
±
*Land protection, park development/restoration, Fitness Zone®, garden, playground, greenway, or WaterArts programming
0
Our vision for the future ROGER MASTROIANNI
During the pandemic, parks and public land have seen some of their highest usages in modern times, and local officials report dramatic upticks in visitors. Parks are proving to be an essential part of how we cope and recover from this crisis. The pandemic has also highlighted that in too many communities, access to the outdoors is considered a privilege when it should be a right. More than 100 million people across America—a third of us—don’t have a park within a 10-minute walk of home. Nationwide, parks that serve majority nonwhite populations are, on average, half as large and nearly five times as crowded as parks that serve majoritywhite populations. And parks serving majority low-income households are, on average, four times smaller and four times more crowded than parks that serve majority high-income households. We see first-hand how well-designed parks are more than a place to play; they change people’s lives. Using our Climate-Smart Cities™ Cleveland analysis and Advancing Park Equity report, we are creating parks that provide maximum benefit to nearby residents. With your help, we are partnering with Cleveland residents to create meaningful change by building a new park in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, investing further in the Lakeview Terrace community, and identifying park renovation opportunities in additional neighborhoods. We are working with neighborhood groups, students, residents, and the city to create green spaces to improve health and education outcomes, protect the environment, and create equity in our city. Join us to reimagine and realize the power of parks for people to create stronger communities.
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH
VICTORY FOR PUBLIC LANDS Big news for public lands: the Great American Outdoors Act is now law! That means full, permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF is one of the biggest sources of federal funding for parks and open space. This new law provides $900 million for LWCF every year. With stable, dedicated funding, we can create more parks where they’re needed most. Thanks to everyone who spoke up for LWCF. This is your victory! LW C F I N O H I O Thanks to LWCF, The Trust for Public Land has protected several precious landmarks across the state; we added Richfield Coliseum and Blossom Music Center to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and we conserved over 2,300 acres for Wayne National Forest—our largest project to date.
Our work is made possible thanks to the generosity of individuals, companies, and foundations like you. Every gift to The Trust for Public Land helps ensure generations continue to enjoy the wonder of nature. Together, we can create more parks and protect more land for all people to enjoy. Help us create the new Clark Avenue Park and other close-to-home parks for those who
need them most in Cleveland by supporting our Parks for People efforts. If you’re inspired by Dave Vasarhelyi’s work and legacy of protecting land across Ohio, consider making a gift to the Ohio Land Protection Fund in his memory.
DARCY KIEFEL
Thank you
for joining us as we reimagine and realize the power of land for people to create stronger communities. We couldn’t do it without you.
Join us. The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.
Tina Tamburro Director of Philanthropy 440.821.8328 tina.tamburro@tpl.org 1250 Old River Road, Suite 202 Cleveland, OH 44113
tpl.org COVER (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): DARCY KIEFEL, KELLY FORTENER, JOSHUA DOBAY, KYLE LANZER / CLEVELAND METROPARKS, DARCY KIEFEL.