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from the Arc of Appalachia Preserve:
Dear Friends,
When we founded this organization thirteen years ago we vowed we would never print T-shirts, and we promised we would stay out of politics. Well.....we haven't printed any T-shirts............yet............but today our topic is urgent, and so we must trespass our own boundaries. The topic today involves the fate of our state's nature preserves.
Please take a moment to ponder all that has been accomplished by the Ard of Appalachia...
Since our inception, primarily with private philanthropic dollars, we have purchased over 65 properties, and 3200 acres of life-drenched bio-diverse native landscapes.
As inspiring accomplishment! Yet such work is only supplemental to what can and should be accomplished with state tax dollars. The Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves currently oversees an astounding 134 public nature preserves in our state, stewarding 30,000 acres, run by some of the finest conservation professionals we could have the pleasure to ever work with. Most of these preserves are open to the public, free of charge, with well maintained systems of hiking trails.
Can you imagine a scenario in which an entire Division disappears? It's hard, but it's important to try. Due to state money shortages, The Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has been forced to swallow many budget cuts over the last few years. When the last round of news concerning financial deficits hit ODNR this week, here was their reluctant response.
Fiscal Year 2010 (beginning next week) a 30% cut in in the Davison's budget
Fiscal Year 2011 (beginning July 1, 2010) ZERO FUNDING for the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
The proposed budget figures can be found at: http://obm.ohio.gov/sectionpages/Budget/FY1011/BalancedBudgetFramework.aspx
DNAP's figures are in the PDF-link at the bottom of the page: "Balance Sheet by Line Item" and near the top of page 7 of that PDF.
It is large document but the message for DNAP is clear: for less than 2 million dollars a year, the Ohio natural areas program could be saved: 134 public nature preserves, 30,000 acres. Back in the seventies the founders of the ARC worked at ODNR when the Division of Natural Areas was born in the cradle of the environmental movement. The founders were proud to bear witness to Ohio's new bold conception. Shall we now bear the shared burden of watching its demise?
If you care about wilderness, about biodiversity, about the native landscape that once covered Ohio, please act. It is too late to write postmarked letters, or even your representatives. The Division only has one chance to survive. Please email or call the budget conference committee members directly, and do it now. These beleaguered members have to come out with a balanced budget before July 1, 2009 -- just a few days away, and they HAVE A VERY TOUGH JOB AHEAD OF THEM. If the public doesn't respond with a loud and collective outcry, the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves will soon be gone. Over thirty years in the making, an entire division of trained botanists, preserve stewards, maintenance staff, and information line people. All of them gone. Remember, don't write....EMAIL or CALL... and ask the conference committee to reinstate a budget for DNAP for fiscal year 2011.
The conference committee members are:
Senator Mark Wagoner, Senate Building, Room #129, First Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215, Telephone: 614/466-8060
Email: SD02@senate.state.oh.us
Senator Dale Miller, Senate Building, Room #048, Ground Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Telephone: 614/466-5123
Email: SD23@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator John Carey, Senate Building, Room #127, First Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215, Telephone: 614/466-8156
Email: SD17@senate.state.oh.us
Representative Vernon Sykes, 77 S. High St, 13th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215-6111. Phone: (614) 466-3100. Fax: (614) 719-6944
Email: district44@ohr.state.oh.us
Representative Ron Amstutz, 77 S. High St, 10th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215-6111, Phone: (614) 466-1474. Fax: (614) 719-0003
Email: district03@ohr.state.oh.us
Representative Jay P. Goyal, 77 S. High St, 14th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215-6111, Phone: (614) 466-5802, Fax: (614) 719-3973
Email: district73@ohr.state.oh.us
We end this letter by giving credit where credit is due. Although donors have been the Arc's primary source of land acquisition money, the Division of Natural Areas has often assisted the Arc by supplying 25% of our acquisitions money through the purchase of a conservation easements on exceptionally botanically-significant sites. In addition, the Arc has benefitted greatly from tax supported Clean Ohio funding. Non-profits don't thrive in a vacuum. They thrive in partnership.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
The Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
Headquarters: Highlands Nature Sanctuary
7629 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612
937-365-0101
http://www.arcofappalachia.org
director@highlandssanctuary.org
Woodland Sprawl
E-Magazine for Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
Twelve preserve regions, 3200 acres and growing!!
http://www.arcofappalachia.org
Responses are welcome, write Nancy at director@highlandssanctuary.org
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