CLEVELAND — Cleveland Metroparks has announced the addition of 52 acres in the popular West Creek Reservation after recent land acquisitions in a number of communities.
According to a news release from the Metroparks, the expansion includes park land in Seven Hills for the very first time in the Park District's 103 year history.
Within the last decade, the Metroparks have grown more than 12 percent, protecting over 24,000 acres of land in 49 communities.
"West Creek Reservation is one of our fastest growing reservations and we're thrilled to add land in the City of Seven Hills to our Emerald Necklace," said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian M. Zimmerman. "These new protections conserve valuable forests and streams, provide more public access to greenspace, and lay the groundwork for future trail connections, both locally, as well as regionally to our growing trail network across Northeast Ohio."
West Creek Reservation has reportedly grown close to a third in size over the past decade through partnerships between the Cleveland Metroparks, West Creek Conservancy and the City of Parma.
"Connecting people to nature and places, while protecting our land and water resources is what the West Creek Greenway was originally envisioned to do and a dynamic park and trail system is only made possible through strong partnerships and community support," said Derek Schafer, Executive Director of West Creek Conservancy. "Urban watersheds, such as West Creek, require unique tactics associated with land conservation, habitat restoration, and in many cases reclaiming unsustainably developed lands, puzzling back together otherwise fragmented greenspace."
The Metroparks reports that in 2020, they have added significant acreage to a number of reservations in addition to West Creek Reservation including nearly 90 acres to Bedford Reservation, approximately 25 acres to Hinckley Reservation, approximately 75 acres to Brecksville Reservation and 25 acres to Mill Stream Run Reservation.
Editor's Note: The below video aired on December 17, 2020
