In 1934, the state of Ohio sent a petition to Congress asking to create a national forest and to begin restoration of the land.
Since Ohio acquired that first parcel of land to create a national forest, 75 years have passed.
According to the Wayne National Forest website, the forest has grown to more than 241,000 acres throughout 12 counties.
The Wayne National Forest headquarters, located off Route 33, will be hosting a public event from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. today. Attendees will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weeks Act, which is known as one of the most victorious land preservation attempts in the U.S.
The event will offer a public ceremony where speakers will discuss topics pertaining to the Weeks Act as well as the forest’s many achievements.
Public tours of the entire facility will be available as well as a tour of the Snake Ridge Lookout Tower, which is a historic fire tower located on-site. It is the only fire tower within the Wayne National Forest that the public is allowed to enter, but only on special occasions.
More than ever, the Wayne National Forest is encouraging people of all ages to volunteer.
Restoring contaminated water, which rangers have been working on for the past 10 years, is one of the forest’s major dilemmas.
“Abandoned mines that have caved in are causing acidic rain water to get into clean streams,” said Gary Chancey, the forest’s public affairs staff officer.
Today’s mines are under much stricter regulations to help alleviate the problem, said Jo Reyer, a forest supervisor.
“This contaminated water is where our drinking water is coming from,” Chancey said. “It’s a huge problem that the Wayne National Forest will continue to monitor.”
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