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The Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program, a grant program sponsored by the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC), offers grants to local governments, park districts, conservation districts, and environmental and conservation organizations to protect conservation properties. Locally administered through the District One Natural Resources Assistance Council (NRAC), with the support of County Planning, this program funds the preservation of open spaces, sensitive ecological areas, and riparian corridors. The District One NRAC recommended two projects for funding to the OPWC for FY2026: the Headwaters Greenway Connector, submitted by West Creek Conservancy, and the Headwaters Preserve, submitted by Orange Village.
The Headwaters Greenway Connector will acquire and protect 58 acres of a former rail corridor to create a 100-foot wide, 4.8-mile linear greenway corridor linking existing protected natural areas, green spaces, and public amenities, and provide migratory and foraging habitat for numerous species.
The Headwaters Preserve will acquire and permanently protect approximately 35 acres of land along the drainage divide between the Chagrin River and Cuyahoga River watersheds in Orange Village. The project will protect high-quality forest and wetland habitats, benefit water quality, and safeguard critical habitat for state-listed bat and bird species.
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