“Mature trees are treasures. They’re like the goose that laid the golden egg. We need to protect them, not kill them off.” – Kathryn Hanratty
A proposal by the City of Akron to remove 420 mature hardwood trees from a 42- acre parcel at LaDue Reservoir in Auburn Township met with vocal opposition during a public forum March 15 at Adam Hall.
About 150 people, mostly from Auburn and surrounding communities, questioned a panel of tree and water quality experts who discussed the potential environmental impact timbering at the city-owned watershed property could have on erosion, water quality, and plant and animal habitat.
Akron officials have approved logging the parcel, bounded roughly by Bartholomew, Auburn and Thorpe roads, in an effort to sell the wood for an estimated $75,000 to $100,000, according to the panel.
Chardon Township resident Kathryn Hanratty, who is president of Protect Geauga Parks, said Akron owns 12,401 mostly forested acres in Auburn Township and about 6,000 more in Portage County.
She said the city has not developed a sustainable plan to replace the trees and noted the 42-acre site is a pilot program that is likely to expand if timber harvesting is successful.
“Why is this so important to us? Because of water purification, flood and erosion control, air purification, pollination, wildlife habitat and our property values,” Hanratty said. “Mature trees are treasures. They’re like the goose that laid the golden egg. We need to protect them, not kill them off.”
Hanratty said Akron officials had been invited to the discussion, but had not replied.
Andy Trunek, a 25-year Auburn resident, said LaDue is environmentally important to Northeast Ohio because it is near the headwaters of the Cuyahoga River, which starts clear and pure here, but gradually becomes a dirty industrial stream once if flows through Cleveland.
“Forty-two acres isn’t a one-and-done plan,” Trunek said. “They have 12,000 acres that they don’t pay taxes on.”
He added logging would bring in heavy equipment, and trucks weighing up to 80,000 pounds would be making hundreds of trips on township roads that were not designed to handle that much weight.
“It could do irreparable damage to this environment,” Trunek said.
Kent State University Professor Joseph Ortiz, an expert in algae blooms, said the logging could remove current protections from root systems, which could result in toxic algae growth in the watershed.
“It is one of the things you should be concerned about,” he told the audience.
John Clark, who lives near the targeted area, said he has spent his professional career working in horticulture. He showed a letter Akron Watershed Superintendent Jessica Glowczewski sent to neighboring residents in August complaining of trespassers using ATVs on the reservoir property, which she said could cause erosion and environmental damage.
“How much worse will be the damage caused by the heavy equipment and 80,000-pound trucks,” Clark asked.
He added the aftermath of timbering is often the invasion of destructive plants such as the multiflora rose, which could damage the ecology of the reservoir and river.
Clark explained he had walked the 42-acre parcel and found it had steep gradations that would be difficult for heavy equipment to maneuver. He said he catalogued and counted all the trees marked for removal and found a total of 594, including 225 cherry trees, 163 maples, 22 beeches and 35 oaks.
Clark said Akron pays no taxes on the LaDue land, but it would cause extensive damage to township roads if the logging goes forward.
“Maybe the township trustees will ask the county to request a performance bond (from the loggers) to protect the roads,” Clark said. “This will be a bad deal for the township, the school system, the county and all of Northeast Ohio.”
Added Clark, “Let’s not allow Akron’s shortsightedness to drag us all backward.”
During the Q&A and public comment portion of the meeting, several residents asked what course of action people could take.
Hanratty said state regulations require logging operations to be completed by April 1 because of the nesting season of the endangered Indiana brown bat.
“In the meantime, talk to your state representatives and to Akron City Council members,” Hanratty said. “We need to put pressure on them to look at other options.”
Newbury Township resident Carole Drabek said the risk is graver than just to one parcel in Auburn.
“We need to get the Geauga County Commissioners involved and ask them to stay on top of this,” she said. “This issue could be a critical issue for all of Geauga County.”
“We need everyone to take an active role,” added Burton Township resident Kristi Burr. “Letters do a lot because they get re-circulated. People can be heard at Akron City Council meetings, where anyone can speak for three minutes.”
Auburn Trustee P.J. Cavanagh said logging is considered an agricultural activity under Ohio law and, as such, is exempt from most regulations. The trustee recalled when Akron built the reservoir in the 1960s, the city took dozens of properties by eminent domain and burned about 20 houses.
“They have not been great neighbors,” Cavanagh said. “For the most part, they’ve been bullies.”
Cavanagh said nothing could be done at the township level, but urged people to share their concerns with state Rep. Sarah LaTourette, R-Chester Township, who sits on the Ohio House of Representatives Agriculture Committee.
“That’s potentially the most productive contact,” Cavanagh said.
“If this goes forward, it will have a regional impact on this area,” said Dave Lipstreu, of Mount Vernon, who was the planner for the City of Aurora for many years as well as a former member of the Portage County Regional Planning Commission.
Auburn resident Patrick Cozzins suggested boycotting Akron restaurants and other businesses to impact the city’s economy. His comments met with loud applause.
Auburn Fiscal Officer Fred May identified Geauga County Planning Commission member Tom Jones in the audience.
“Is the planning commission looking into this?” May asked Jones.
“It’s not even on our radar,” Jones replied.
“Shouldn’t it be?” several in the audience asked Jones.
“That’s not my forte,” he responded. “It’s up to the individual taxpayers to contact (Director) David Dietrich.”
