Executive director’s letter to the community
Lisa King, Executive Director
As we turn the calendar page on 2022, I want to thank our visitors and supporters for yet another successful year in the parks. With your assistance, Summit Metro Parks marked its 101st year of effectively protecting natural and cultural resources and connecting people to nature. Our conservation-based mission drives everything we do, and 2022 was no exception.
This year marked the final phase of a multi-year restoration effort in Sand Run Metro Park, which utilized funding totaling $4.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Clean Ohio. Since 2020, we have completed erosion control and habitat enhancement projects vital to the long-term sustainability of our oldest and most-visited park. In a related effort, the park district permanently closed a section of Sand Run Parkway in order to protect sensitive species and extend the Jogging Trail to the Towpath Trail at Big Bend.
We also celebrated the incredible restoration of a one-mile stretch of the Cuyahoga River through the Valley View Area. With grants totaling more than $3 million from the Great Lakes Commission and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, this stretch of the river is now home to triple the number of fish that were present just a few short years ago. Not only are there more fish overall, but there is more species variety and a higher population of pollution-sensitive species — all indicators of significantly improved water quality.
As we look to the year ahead, we are excited to continue development of the Valley View property to improve recreational opportunities for hikers and paddlers alike. We also look forward to implementing your feedback with new and improved amenities at Munroe Falls and Silver Creek Metro Parks. Finally, I’d like to invite your participation in two upcoming initiatives: the effort to remove the Gorge Dam and restore a free-flowing Cuyahoga River, as well as a strategic planning process to refine the park district’s long-term goals. Look for more information on both in the coming months. It’s an honor to be “your back yard.” Thank you once again for your unwavering support. Here’s to 2023!
For more stories like this, check out Green Islands Magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.
