Ross Park District Awarded Large Grant For Wetland Purchase

Presented By McDonald’s

UPDATED 12:20pm 3/31/22

(Chillicothe) – The Ross Park District has been awarded a large state grant to purchase land that would lie adjacent to the Kinnikinnick Fen Nature Preserve.

Joe Letsche and Erin Stanley of the Ross County Park District were notified Thursday (3/31/22) that the NRAC Grant Committee has officially approved a $900,000 for the purchase of 180 acres near Kinnikinnick to be named the Herron-Downs Fen Nature Preserve.

Joe Letsche of the Ross County Park District made the original announcement about the application on a Facebook post, Saturday morning.

“Project Coordinator Erin Stanley presented to the Clean Ohio Grant Committee an application for $900,000 to purchase 180 acres of wetland, field, and forest, to be named the Herron-Downs Fen Nature Preserve.”

Letsche said Stanley also made a separate pitch for the removal of an invasive specie at a couple of park sites.

“We also applied for $15,000 for invasive species removal (mostly bush honeysuckle) at Maple Grove Prairie and Kinnikinnick Fen. We’ll have an answer next week. Fingers crossed. And thank you Erin for your masterful work on this grant.”