Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Last updated

Department of Natural Resources
Department overview
Formed1949 (1949)
Jurisdiction Ohio
Headquarters Columbus, Ohio
MottoTo ensure a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all.
Department executive
  • Mary Mertz, Director
Website ohiodnr.gov

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is the Ohio government agency the regulates oil and gas as well as mining and manages public parks, wildlife areas, and foreste innthe state of Ohio. It is charged with ensuring "a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all." [1] [2] It publishes an annual report.

Contents

Functions

ODNR regulates Ohio's oil and gas industry, the mining industry, hunting and fishing, and dams while maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state nature preserves, state wildlife areas, state forests, and state waterways. It was created in 1949 by the Ohio Legislature. [3]

ODNR owns and manages more than 640,000 acres (260,000 ha) of land, including 75 state parks, 23 state forests, 136 state nature preserves, and 150 wildlife areas. The department has jurisdiction over more than 61,500 mi (99,000 km) of inland rivers and streams, 451 mi (726 km) of the Ohio River, and 2.29 million acres (9,300 km2) of Lake Erie.

ODNR is responsible for overseeing and permitting all mineral extraction, monitoring dam safety, managing water resources, and mapping the state's major geologic structures and mineral resources. In addition, ODNR also oversees the registration of all of Ohio's watercraft and issues all of the state's hunting and fishing licenses. ODNR has two main focuses: Regulating the use of Ohio's reserve of natural resources and providing visitors with the recreational opportunities that these resources provide. [4]

Publications

Legacy of stewardship. Part 1 - the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 1949-1989 - DPLA - 0600626971c5739cffae1b84b03418ee (page 1).jpg

ODNR publishes annual reports. It published A Legacy of Stewardship; the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 1949-1989. In 1999 it published the "Plan for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mines and Reclamation". [5]

State Forests

Ohio has 23 State Forests including:

Nature Preserves

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ohio Rev. Code § 121.01 et seq.
  2. ↑ "History and Purpose of the Department of Natural Resources". ohiodnr.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. ↑ "About ODNR" (web). State of Ohio. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Ohio Department of Natural Resources | H2Ohio". Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Strategic Plan for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mines and Reclamation". August 21, 1999 – via Wikimedia Commons.
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