02.07.2011

Board Votes to Reopen Parks

SPRINGFIELD — Clark County Park District commissioners voted Monday night to reopen the county’s four barricaded parks, effective April 1.

It’s a short-term fix, they stressed, made possible only by cobbling together promises from local governments and volunteers to help maintain the trails.

“We’re hoping that the public will understand this is all being done through the graces of other folks,” said park district Director Jim Campbell, “and we’ll spend the rest of this year trying to get us a better ballot.” Campbell said the opening date was pushed back to April to give volunteers time to clear brush and get the trail ready before people start using it.

Bill Peters, president of Greater Springfield Friends of the Trail, said Monday’s vote was a good faith gesture from the district.

“Now that we have that, we’re going to put everything in high gear and get some fund-raising going,” he said.

At the meeting were also representatives of trail users and businesses in Madison and Greene counties. They pointed out that the trail network is a driver for the regional economy.

“This is a crucial element to that,” said Connie Crockett of Yellow Springs. Her riding group and others like it frequently take multi-county biking trips and shop, eat and stay in hotels along the way, she said.

And Rick Adamson, state trail coordinator of the Buckeye Trail Association, said the closure takes a chunk out of a stretch of trail leading from North Dakota to New York.

“This is the only county where it’s ever been closed,” he said. “We have an organized hike going through Ohio someplace every weekend.”

He offered 50 people who can help clear trails.

Other volunteers include townships such as Bethel, Springfield and Mad River; groups such as GSFT, George Rogers Clark Heritage Association and the B-W Greenway Community Land Trust; and several individuals.

Parks Commissioner Tim DeVore said levy-funding is vital in the long term. “Look at all the people that’s volunteered,” he said. “They can’t keep this up.”

The closed parks encompass nearly 685 acres of land including George Rogers Clark Park and the Estel Wenrick Wetlands, and 16 miles of paved trails including the Little Miami Scenic Trail south of Springfield and the Prairie Grass Trail through South Charleston.

They were closed in November after voters rejected a .153-mill levy.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0374.

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