A Real Tragedy: Chains Saws Topple Giant Trees for Monetary Gain
If any of you folks have walked any of the trails along the west side of East Branch (Geauga park’s Headwaters Park), you might have heard the whine of chain saws and giant trees slamming into the ground on the other side of the lake. What gives?
The Geauga Park at East Branch is known as Headwaters Park. The land is owned by the City of Akron, but was leased to Geauga Parks during the directorship of John O’Meara. About six years ago another lease was signed by GPD Director John Oros.
I’m presently trying to find out why and to acquire a copy of the original lease. It appears Akron has the right to do logging on the property, even though the land on the east side of the lake has been designated as a ” wildlife preserve” by Geauga Parks (an earlier park biologist designation) and access is only allowed by permit. One might easily surmise it is ecologically special and needs special protection by that designation.
Akron started acquiring land in Geauga County back many years ago to provide and protect water supplies for its growing city and industries. There was so much concern from Akron regarding its water quality that one could not even trespass on most of their property in Geauga without a permit, and special law enforcement officers patrolled to enforce their rules.
It seems in recent years due to the loss of industries in Akron, and decreasing need for water, they no longer put such a high value on these lands as sources of clean water.
Not long ago they did some serious logging near LaDue Reservoir for monetary gain. They pretty much trashed the area. It appears this logging at East Branch is going on for the same reason with the same results. Logging is going on along the entire length of the east side of the lake with 200-plus-year-old trees coming down. A real tragedy!
We don’t know for sure what is going on, as numerous phone calls to the person in charge of this operation at Akron have not been returned. I have called a number of people at Geauga Parks and the only one that has been returned was one responding to my request for a permit to walk the trail/road on the east side of the lake. The request was denied. Why the secrecy? What are they trying to hide?
Perhaps the park director and commissioners should read the enabling legislation passed early in the last century that enabled the creation of county parks. The primary purpose was to protect fast disappearing natural areas, not to increase lumber production or turn forests into tree farms, or promote and economically benefit any religious group, as Director Oros seems to think.
It appears none of the Park Commissioners even knew of the impending logging at East Branch. There was no mention of planned logging at any monthly commissioners meetings. Check it out for yourself by viewing commissioners meetings unedited at protectgeaugaparks.us.
One would think the park biologist/natural resource management department at the parks would be notified and invited to comment and make suggestions. Were they? We don’t know.
Did they produce an environment impact study on the proposed logging ? We don’t know.
One might think the Park District might have offered to purchase a conservation easement on the property to prevent logging. Did they? We don’t know.
Since it seems that Akron at this point has less regard for water quality and looks at the property as mainly an income source, one would think they would be happy to sell a conservation easement to the park district for the value of the timber — an easement that would prevent any logging in the future.
In addition, no future logging would give much greater protection for Akron’s water supply well into the future. A win, win for Akron. . . funds and protection!
This logging is occurring at the worst possible time of the year when the ground is just thawing out from winter. The area, I am sure, is being turned into a trashed area with much sediment washing into the lake and damage to the forest floor that may take 200 years or more to recover.
A mystery person (a biologist who lives close by I am told) who walked the entire length of the east side of East Branch said much sediment is washing into East Branch and the area looks like a disaster.
John Oros may call it management, but many of us call it an obscenity. I’ve requested again a permit for a naturalist-led hike on the east side to view the damage. I was told they only issued permits for naturalist-led hikes. Will that be issued? Fat chance and so sad!
