Dignitaries and Citizens Could Be Joined by Bald Eagles When Land Conservancy Kicks Off $6 Million Effort to Preserve Bass Lake

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Dignitaries and Citizens Could Be Joined by Bald Eagles When Land Conservancy Kicks Off $6 Million Effort to Preserve Bass Lake

OHIO, MUNSON TOWNSHIP, Jun. 14 -/E-Wire/-- A fly-by by a mating pair of American bald eagles could be part of the ceremonies when Chagrin River Land Conservancy joins state and local officials Saturday, June 16 to kick off a $6 million effort to acquire a 578-acre, 10,000-year-old lake and wetlands area in northeast Ohio as a natural preserve.

Bass Lake and hundreds of acres of surrounding forests and wetlands in Munson Township near Chardon, Ohio have been targeted for preservation by the Conservancy as the single most important conservation priority in the entire Chagrin River watershed. The Conservancy acquired an exclusive option to purchase the area from a development interest late last year, and hopes to finance the project through grants and contributions. The Geauga Park District is also committed to the preservation effort, which if successful, would transfer the land to Geauga Park District for long-term management as a wildlife sanctuary.

A place where "time has stood still" for centuries, the Bass Lake preservation effort represents the conservancy's most significant conservation project to date, said Rich Cochran, Executive Director of the Chesterland, Ohio-based non-profit organization.

"This is a relic of the ice age that we call a 'sanctuary' because it is home to an outstanding ecosystem of genetically rare brook trout, at least five endangered plant species and a unique collection of mammals, amphibians and birds," Cochran said. "Formed by retreating glaciers, Bass Lake has been left virtually undisturbed -- a place where the wetlands have the Ohio EPA's highest quality rating."

Private and government surveys have confirmed the preserve 's biological quality and importance.

Bass Lake is a critical waterfowl resting and feeding area, attracting thousands of ducks and hundreds of tundra swans each year. Recently, Ohio Fish and Wildlife officials added a bonus when they identified Bass Lake as home to a nesting pair of American bald eagles. The rare, federally protected birds nest in the area in spring and early summer. The extensive wild land area has also attracted two black bears, which have been repeatedly sited in the area this spring. With the acquisition of Bass Lake, Chagrin River Land Conservancy will have placed more than 3,500 acres under protective conservation easements since the organization was founded in 1987.

The kick-off event will be at the Bass Lake Clubhouse at 11:00 am and will feature Ohio Representative Timothy J. Grendell as the keynote speaker.

Habitat for Rare Species and Natural Water Control System

More than a haven for rare species, the Bass Lake basin performs important flood protection and water cleansing functions.

Strategically positioned at the headwaters of the Chagrin River 60 miles above Lake Erie, the basin can store as much as 60 million gallons of water, helping to prevent flooding downstream. Deep muck soils, marshland and swamp covering some 350 acres form a natural cleansing system, trapping silt that otherwise would spoil downstream reaches.

Native Americans, Settlers Fished and Camped Here

Initially a Native American hunting and fishing area, the Bass Lake Sanctuary is considered the most important archeological site in the region by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Rare pottery and other artifacts recently discovered at the site prove that Native Americans from various tribes maintained seasonal villages at Bass Lake over a period of more than 1,600 years. Settlers began to develop surrounding farms in the early 1800s, and considered Bass Lake a prime hunting and fishing area. A small resort hotel and cottage community which focused on the Bass Lake's natural charms was established between 1870 and 1917, and the lake became a popular stop on the Cleveland/Eastern Interurban Railway Line.

Although popular for many years, Bass Lake remained relatively undeveloped and the lake and surrounding community became quiet in the 1930s. Public access to the lake disappeared behind the property rights of owners who had title to the surrounding land.

Instead of pursuing plans to develop homes and a golf course, the property owner, a local development group, agreed to a one year option to allow the Conservancy to pursue preservation of this vital area.

Under the current plan, the Bass Lake Sanctuary would be owned and managed long term by Geauga Park District. Today, virtually no public access to the lake exists. The conservation agreement calls for limited public use under Parks supervision for the benefit of birdwatchers, canoeists, hikers, artists and the general public.

Without sprawling development, there will also be opportunities for ecologic restoration, wildlife and plant habitat preservation and management, and further scientific study.

More information, including a narrated slide program, is available at the Conservancy's web site, http://www.crlc.cc .

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Chagrin River Land Conservancy

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