Cuyahoga Valley National Park Grows by 578 Acres

A long-anticipated deal to buy 578 acres of property has been completed, thanks to a joint effort with the Cleveland Orchestra, The Trust for Public Land and the National Park Service. The land is now officially conserved as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

“It is essential that we secure cornerstone properties like the Blossom lands before they are gone for the recreation opportunities, clean water, and wildlife habitat that depend on them. That work is far from done, but this acquisition is a huge step forward,” said U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Bainbridge, a national leader in Congress on behalf of conservation funding. “This is exactly how LWCF, which is funded by federal energy revenues, not tax dollars, is supposed to be spent.”

Funding for both installments of the two-phase purchase – a total of $9.247 million – came from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
Protection of the iconic parklands has been effectively advocated for years
by Ohio’s bipartisan Congressional delegation, led by LaTourette; retired Sen. (and former Ohio Gov.) George Voinovich and former Rep. Ralph Regula, both of whom also served on a bipartisan delegation; Sen. Sherrod Brown; and Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Barberton), who was on hand Tuesday at an event at Sarah’s Vineyard near the Blossom lands to make the announcement.

"Generations of Northeast Ohioans have grown up enjoying the land and water
of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Blossom Music Center," Brown said. "Preserving this property in a National Park ensures that our children and grandchildren, too, will have the opportunity to experience all that this natural treasure has to offer.”

The Cleveland Orchestra and its governing organization, the Musical Arts
Association (MAA), own and manage the 780-acre Blossom Music Center. According to a press release, in 2007 MAA began the process of selling 578 acres of its property to the National Park Service for conservation and to raise funds.

MAA asked the Ohio office of The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national
conservation organization, to assist with the conservation efforts. Earlier
this year the partners completed the purchase of more than 233 acres, and
on Tuesday completed the conservation of the remainder 345 acres, adding
important forest and waterway resources to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the 10th most visited National Park in the United States. Conservation of this and the previous phase of Blossom Music Center properties now connect more than 5,000 acres of forest ecosystems in the
CVNP.