The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry is leading a collaborative effort to develop a broad scale forest management plan for landowners in multiple communities and townships in northern Portage County (Aurora, Freedom Twp., Hiram Twp., Mantua Twp., Shalersville Twp., & Streetsboro).  The public is invited to review the draft plans and provide comments.  Also, landowners who own over one acre of woods in these areas are invited to take a short survey.  You may also request paper copies of each by contacting Jason Van Houten at Jason.VanHouten@dnr.state.oh.us, 614-265-6703. 

The overall goal of developing the broad plan is to meet landowner needs while maintaining functioning forests in the area and positively addressing issues and concerns stemming from forest loss, forest fragmentation, and other threats to forest health. The plan will provide landowners with possible ways to increase their benefits from woodlands plus provide an area-wide framework for maintaining overall forest benefits and services.

Comments and the survey will be accepted through October 31, 2012.  Comments or questions can be emailed to Jason.VanHouten@dnr.state.oh.us, or mailed to ODNR Division of Forestry, c/o Jason Van Houten, 2045 Morse Road, Building H-1, Columbus, OH 43229-6693.