SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — The 11 people who will be deciding which greenspace projects get funded with state money next year now have a report to help guide their deliberations.

        The Hamilton County Park District and Regional Greenspace Initiative (RGI) have compiled a report based on a series of open meetings held this summer on greenspace concerns. The report is called “Preserving the Greenspace Around Us.”

        There was overwhelming support for preserving open land at a time of continuing suburban sprawl in Hamilton County. That preservation includes support for trails, protecting hillsides and preserving riparian corridors along rivers and streams.

        “What we found is that people are very concerned about connecting existing greenspace with either trails or through preservation of areas along rivers and streams,” said Ross Hamre, planning supervisor for the park district. “They're concerned about hillsides. Many people mentioned that forested hillsides are really the defining character of Cincinnati.”

        The park district and RGI conducted a series of 11 meetings last August, at which 152 people participated. The meetings were held in both suburban and urban areas, from Anderson Township to Delhi Township, including more urban areas like Evanston and Bond Hill.

        The impetus for the meetings and subsequent report is the Clean Ohio Fund, a ballot issue approved in November 2000 that will generate $100 million a year for brownfield and greenspace revitalization programs.

        Hamilton County will receive $2.2 million of that money next year, and a committee of 11 citizens and agency representatives — called the Natural Resources Assistance Council — will decide what greenspace projects get funded.

        Ron Edgerton, an Anderson Township resident who is chair of the township's Greenspace Advisory Committee, attended the Anderson session on Aug. 15.

        “As we see more and more development happen, we've got to balance that with keeping some of our natural environment intact,” Mr. Edgerton said. “It's good for the park district to be very proactive about this process.”

        Mr. Hamre said a telling angle from the meetings was a recognition of the need to look at preserving natural corridors, like rivers, streams and hillsides.

        “Unfortunately, there's not a lot of large greenspace areas left in the county,” said Mr. Hamre. “So we might be shifting our focus to looking at more of the corridors, alternative types of preservation.”

Campaign spending shows restraint
Case tests banking ethics
Cleves' 5 p.m. curfew ticks off teen-agers
Hustler store called big success
Killing of fetus charged
School, company trade charges over location
City manager headhunter has 23 names
City police officer hurt when cruiser, van crash
Drill completes work under river
Neighborhoods strive to survive
Tristate A.M. Report
UC scholar: bin Laden master of propaganda
MCNUTT: Warren County
THOMPSON: Faith Matters
Greenspace report helps plan
More to campaigns than cash
Robbers get little for effort
Teacher, 3 students caught in drug net
Problems with child-support system said to be eliminated
Charity may file theft charges
Driver's license procedure easy for foreigners to bypass
Ex-Miss America connects to vets
Kentucky News Briefs
Lawyer says city misused repair cash
Louisville's Ali Center gets a boost
Man admits role in Jones campaign scandal
Police charge missing teen in slaying
Yucatan told to keep patrons in line