Western Reserve Land Conservancy is protecting the 55-acre Shelter Hill Forest in Hunting Valley, OH. Shelter Hill is an old-growth forest dominated by several species of oak, maple, and hickory, as well as American beech, bitternut, and basswood. Protecting this mature forest will help improve water quality and reduce flooding in the Chagrin River Valley and the Lake Erie Watershed, while also providing air quality and cooling benefits for adjacent communities. In addition, the Land Conservancy will operate the property as one of its Signature Preserves, expanding trail access and promoting active recreation.

With continued urban sprawl leading to development in the Chagrin River Valley, it is critical to conserve what is left of the mature forests that once dominated the region. The two properties on which Shelter Hill sits are both zoned for residential development. For the larger of the two properties, the Land Conservancy successfully negotiated with the landowner and local community to acquire and preserve the old-growth forest in the face of pressures to approve development plans for the property. Protecting Shelter Hill from development will preserve habitat and secure health and social benefits for generations of community members to come.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy, nationally-accredited by the Land Trust Alliance, is Ohio’s largest land trust with more than 70,000 acres conserved across nearly 900 unique properties. The Land Conservancy preserves natural resources which provide multiple environmental benefits and improve the quality of life for residents throughout 29 counties in northern and eastern Ohio. Carbon credits are an excellent extension of the Land Conservancy’s mission, furthering conservation goals that will benefit communities, increase valuable open space acreage, and preserve critical wildlife habitat.

Please visit the Bainbridge Forest, Sandy Cross, Whittlesey Beach, and Black Fork Forest pages for information on other Western Reserve Land Conservancy projects.

More information soon.

More information soon.