State agency to fund study of forest lands
Published 12:00 am Friday, April 2, 2004
The Governor's Office of Appalachia will fund a study to determine how to make lands within the Wayne National Forest more accessible to visitors and more economically viable to the local communities nearby.
Representatives of several government and business entities met recently to discuss
better relations between the local communities and the U.S. Forest Service. The meeting came about after local officials received information that the Nature Conservancy, a national conservation group, had purchased
roughly 2,400 acres land in Washington Township. It has an option on approximately 1,600 acres of additional land. Meade Paper Co. owned much of the land.
Last month, the Lawrence County Commission said they preferred the forest service better develop lands it already has before purchasing more land in Lawrence County.
The meeting earlier this week in Columbus included representatives from the state and national offices of the Nature Conservancy, Sen. George Voinovich's Office, the Governor's Office of Appalachia, Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization, the Greater Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Lawrence County Commission, Wayne National Forest and the U.S. Forest Service, either by phone or in person.
"Our goal is not in any way to point fingers at anyone. What we're trying to do is to reach a hand out to partners," said Bill Dingus, executive director of the Chamber. "We need a plan on how to utilize the some of the areas there," Dingus said. "We want a plan that we in the county can be happy with and the forest service can be happy with."
The study should start within weeks and should be finished in probably five or six months.
"It will look at the total interaction between the federal land and its supervision and the Lawrence County community," Dingus said.
One of the concerns about the most recent land transfer is that it may eliminate some high-paying jobs. An 80-acre strip mine is located within the 4,200-acre site that could be operational within 48 hours.
Dingus said local leaders have stressed that they would like to see more done to develop some areas within the forest for tourism, which in turn could aid local economic development efforts. Such areas include Lake Vesuvius and trails in the State Route 650 area. Local leaders have said they would like to see a lodge and, possibly, some rental cabins developed in that area. Forestry officials have said in the past that such endeavors should be done by the private sector.
"This could be great for all of us, looking at a comprehensive plan to make things happen," Dingus said.
Currently, the U.S. Forest Service holds 24 percent of Lawrence County lands. The forest service has reportedly indicated previously that it would like to own
54 percent of Lawrence County land.
WNF District Ranger Gloria Chrismer was out of town and not available for comment.