Business · India Bureau
Ohio community pursues 850 acres of former coal land for forest conservation
Local stakeholders in Southeast Ohio are working to acquire former coal-operated land to create a community forest that would connect two major protected areas and boost regional recreation and conservation efforts.
LSN India ·
A coalition of community groups in Southeast Ohio is pursuing the acquisition of approximately 850 acres of former coal mining land to establish the Sugar Creek Community Forest. The initiative aims to bridge Wayne National Forest and Strouds Run State Park, creating a unified conservation corridor across the region.
The proposed forest would unlock public access to a significant natural area while expanding recreational opportunities for residents across a multi-county zone. Local stakeholders have identified the former coal land as a strategic opportunity to address fragmentation between the two existing protected areas, which collectively encompass 74,000 acres of public land.
Beyond recreation, the project is expected to advance regenerative conservation practices on previously industrial land, potentially restoring habitat and ecosystem functions. Community leaders anticipate the initiative will generate economic benefits through tourism and outdoor recreation activity in the broader region.
The Sugar Creek Community Forest represents an effort to repurpose post-industrial landscapes in Appalachia while strengthening environmental stewardship and public land access. Success would establish a model for similar conservation efforts across coal country in the eastern United States.