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The Indian Trails Wooded Wetland Area |
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This is one of several natural resource damage restoration (NRDR) projects being done as part of the Ashtabula River
and Harbor NRD settlement which was finalized in a consent decree in July, 2012. Ohio EPA, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (the NRD trustees) negotiated this
agreement with the Ashtabula River Cooperating Group (ARCGll) and the Norfolk & Southern Railroad (N&S) for a
package of habitat restoration projects, property acquisitions and cost recovery which total about $5.5 million.
ARCGll is a group of settling companies including Millennium, RMI, Detrex, Oxychem, First Energy, Union Carbide,
Gencorp, Acme Scrap and a number of other companies which operate(d) along Fields Brook. Fields Brook, a tributary
to the Ashtabula River is a Superfund Site and there is a separate NRD settlement for that case which was used
to purchase the property for this project. This project and the N&S project are major wetland and upland habitat
restoration projects and there are six other restoration projects which are primarily property acquisitions of
high ecological value habitat areas along the River.
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This project consists of the acquisition a 37 acre propertyl, creation/restoration of a 7 acre wooded wetland
attached to the river, a wooded vernal pool area, walking trail and a boardwalk out to the center of the wetland
with an observation deck. There is also a small parking area and a canoe launch. The wetland area has been planted
with a dense cover of trees, shrubs, and wetland plants which in time will develop into a fully functioning wooded
wetland. It provides habitat for a very high quality amphibian community, invertebrates, upland and aquatic birds,
mammals, reptiles and plant communities. It is the result of years of effort by the Trustees (with ODNR support),
the Ashtabula Township Park Commission and ARCGll to bring together the resources necessary for this project. The
project has been and will be entirely funded by the NRD settlement without the use of public funds.
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This 37 acres is the only remaining undeveloped land in the lower Ashtabula River. It will be maintained as a unique
natural area with full public access, operated and maintained by the Ashtabula Township Park Commission as part of
the Indian Trails Park. It is entirely within the Ashtabula City limits, it provides the only free public access to
the lower River for canoeing, fishing, hiking and bird watching. It connects to existing ATPC park holdings to
provide more than 4 miles of public access to the River.
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