Lake Metroparks is committed to conservation.
Lake Metroparks’ commitment to conservation is manifested through preservation of open space, wise land use and facility development, and conscientious natural resource management.
It all started with a selfless act by one Painesville landowner looking to share what he knew was a special piece of his personal property. Bill Wyman’s donation of 30 acres of his land at the confluence of Big Creek and the Grand River (now Helen Hazen Wyman Park) led to the creation of the Lake County Metropolitan Park District – now known as Lake Metroparks.
A conservation easement is a legally binding agreement involving the transfer of certain rights within a property from the seller to the buyer. In the case of Lake Metroparks, the seller typically transfers the right to develop their property and alter its natural state to the park district. Conservation easements can be sold or donated, often depending on the financial and tax situation of the seller. They can also be tailored to fit specific circumstances of land use.
It’s important to remember that the seller of the conservation easement continues to hold title to the land and typically retains the right to restrict access to the property and to use the property in ways that don’t conflict with the terms of the easement.
Lake Metroparks holds more than a dozen conservation easements ranging in size from two acres to 125 acres. For more information on conservation easements contact Paul Palagyi or Vince Urbanski at 440-639-7275.
Since 1974, Lake Metroparks has entered into a number of lease-management agreements with various state and local government agencies. These agreements effectively transfer management responsibility for specific parcels of open space to the park district for a given number of years. This allows the park district to employ its skills in land management and visitor service to open areas up to public access and make improvements
Lake Metroparks manages more than 8,100 acres of land throughout Lake County in 36 distinct park areas. Some of our best parks were acquired in full or in part through the incredible generosity of landowners who donated their property to the park district. If you are interested in discussing the possibility of donating land to Lake Metroparks, please contact Paul Palagyi at 440-639-7275.
The lands and waters of the Great Lakes are like no other place. People connect to beaches, open waters, bluffs and rivers because of the natural beauty, fishing, swimming and other advantages that the Great Lakes offer. Lake Metroparks has six parks that provide access to Lake Erie.
Lake Erie is a majestic natural resource, but perhaps the rivers and creeks that drain into the lake are our greatest natural resources. Over the past 10,000 years, our rivers and creeks have been carving through rocky terrain, forming some of the most scenic river valleys in Ohio. Lake Metroparks boasts nine parks along the Grand River in eastern and central Lake County, and two parks along the Chagrin River in western Lake County. These parks are a paddling and fishing destination for people from all over the Midwest.
Lake Metroparks has six parks that provide access to Lake Erie. Both natural and sandy beaches and scenic overlooks characterize our coastal parks. These parks include: Arcola Creek Park, Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park, Lake Erie Bluffs, Lakefront Lodge, Lakeshore Reservation and Painesville Township Park.
Since its first property acquisition at the confluence of Big Creek and the Grand River, much of Lake Metroparks’ land acquisition has been focused along the high quality drainages of the Grand River, Chagrin River and Lake Erie watersheds. Lake County is fortunate to be home to some of the finest tributaries draining into all of Lake Erie including two state-designated scenic rivers in the Grand and Chagrin Rivers.
Lake Metroparks manages a large number of naturally-occurring wetlands on its holdings. Many of these wetlands are vernal pools, shallow wet areas in forests that contain water for all or part of the year. Lake Metroparks has identified 183 vernal pools within its boundaries.
Other natural wetland areas include lakeshore marsh environments and riverine floodplain wetlands as well as the occasional beaver pond found throughout the parks. These naturally occurring wetland sites provide important places for biodiversity within the parks. They serve as breeding areas for wildlife as well as protected environments for high-quality plant communities.
Lake Metroparks manages these sites by controlling unwanted exotic plant infestations and performs periodic monitoring to ensure these natural wetland areas remain high quality.
Lake Metroparks continues to manage Lake County’s unique natural resources with an eye toward biological diversity and the protection of critical habitat. We strive to balance the needs of recreational park users with careful planning and active resource management. Geographic information systems (GIS) and digital mapping utilize a multitude of physical and biological data sets assisting in the planning and analysis of resource management activities.
Lake Metroparks has been at the forefront of providing publicly-accessible educational demonstrations of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The goal is to illustrate renewable energy generating technologies and interpret the ways in which solar and wind energy produce electricity and the food we consume.
Lake Metroparks collaborates with other county agencies to collectively increase the amount of materials currently recycled in our community to equal previous levels, and then surpass that to set new records for materials recycled within Lake County.
Much of the work that Lake Metroparks does protecting land is supported in one way or another by partnerships that have been crafted over many years. Two prime examples are the Grand River Partners and the Chagrin River Watershed Partners. We also work with a number of non-profit groups and federal, state and local agencies including the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and The Trust for Public Lands.
Regionally and throughout the state, changes in habitat and the elimination of natural predators have allowed deer herds to grow to unnatural densities. In order to restore and maintain a balanced ecosystem, Lake Metroparks conducts an annual deer management program.