SANDUSKY, OH -- A draft plan to create Ohio's first shipwreck preserve will be presented to the public Friday, August 17, at 3 p.m. at the Kelleys Island Village Hall Pavilion. Sponsors of the proposed underwater preserve include the Village of Kelleys Island, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the Ohio Historical Society, the Great Lakes Historical Society, the Lake Erie Shipwreck Center and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.
Individuals will be able to provide input and ask questions of the planning team.
"An underwater preserve would protect the historical integrity of shipwrecks in the Kelleys Island area," said Mike Colvin, administrator of ODNR's Coastal Management program. "It will also offer opportunities to increase our knowledge and to interpret Lake Erie shipwrecks for sport divers, residents and the non-diving public who visit the area."
For more information on the proposed underwater preserve, contact Debbie Paul at 419-626-7980.
For Further Information Contact:
Debbie Paul, ODNR Coastal Management Program
(419) 626-7980
-or-
Andy Ware, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882