Public Meetings Scheduled

[Melinda Huntley]

The National Park Service will present the process, discoveries and results of the Western Reserve heritage study and seek public review and input prior to the release of the document. The first of two Town Hall meetings will be held on March 23 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Entrepreneurship Innovation Center (EIC) 132 A & B at Lorain Community College, 1005 N Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio. A second meeting will be on March 24 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Training Room at the NEOUCOM Conference Center, 4209 State Route 44 in Rootstown, Ohio. Individuals, elected officials, government agencies and members of the business community are invited to attend the March 23 and 24 public meetings and provide their input into this important community project.

Under direction from Congress, the National Park Service conducted a study within the historic boundaries of the Western Reserve to examine the unique historical, natural, recreational, and cultural resources to evaluate their significance, and assess the local support and capacity for a Western Reserve heritage area.

The Western Reserve Heritage Feasibility Study is being coordinated by the National Park Service, Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance, with assistance from the OSU Sea Grant Extension, Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition and the Ohio Historical Society. According to Rory Robinson, the Study Team Leader with the National Park Service, “The draft Western Reserve Heritage Area study represents the input of the citizens throughout the 14 county region regarding this important regional community and economic effort. We look forward to sharing what we learned during this study process and how it can bring the region together around its common story.”

Additional thoughts or comments are welcomed and encouraged after March 28, 2011 for period ending April 29, 2011. To submit, please visit the Western Reserve Heritage Feasibility Study project page at the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=27752. From this site, you can download an electronic version of this study, as well as submit your comments to project planners with the National Park Service.

For more information regarding the Western Reserve Heritage Study, please contact Rory Robinson, National Park Service at [e-mail]