Commissioners back Cardinal Land Conservancy grant support for 54‑acre Jackson Township parcel

Cardinal Land Conservancy asked the Clermont County Board of Commissioners to endorse a Clean Ohio Greenspace Conservation Fund grant for approximately 54 acres in Jackson Township. Madeline Banks, the conservancy’s conservation coordinator, described the parcel as a globally imperiled wetland ecosystem with hydric soils, headwater connections to the East Fork of the Little Miami River and state‑listed bat species found in recent monitoring. She said the total project cost is about $700,000 and that the conservancy has a 25% match valued at roughly $175,875.

Commissioners questioned whether the parcel merits county support and whether it will provide public access. Banks said access would be by appointment only, with guided visits for research, scout groups and educational programming, and that the family trustee would retain adjacent homestead acreage. After discussion about stewardship costs (including an estimated $25,000 in site improvements) and whether federal funds should be used for private, appointment‑only sites, the board moved and adopted Resolution No. 133‑26 resolving to support Cardinal’s grant application for Parcel 142306 J063. Supporters emphasized conservation and the parcel’s ecological value; at least one commissioner asked staff to seek more explicit public‑access commitments from the landowner.