Killbuck Watershed Land Trust pursuing new land purchase

A local group is working on getting a grant that will open a new wetland area near Killbuck that could become a popular stop for birders, walkers and bikers.

Randy Carmel, president of the nonprofit Killbuck Watershed Land Trust, met with county commissioners recently to discuss the organization’s effort to pursue Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Grant funding that will allow the KWLT to purchase 93.9 acres of land that will provide several key elements in their ongoing developments and preservation of land in the Killbuck Valley.

According to Carmel, the KWLT works in a five-county area in Holmes, Wayne, Ashland, Coshocton and Richland counties.

The KWLT has invested its efforts into making sure land in the Killbuck Valley area remains viable for both wildlife and those who enjoy the outdoors, as well as working with farmers to ensure their farmland remains valuable farmland.

“We want to keep this area rural looking,” Carmel said. “We know the value of country life, so we are working to preserve the country atmosphere, so when we see big chunks of land in a given area, we might try to help preserve it.”

In working with farmers, the group signs conservation easements that gives farmers a tax break when they agree to keep their land undeveloped as parcels.

“We’re trying to prevent unbridled growth in our farmlands,” Carmel said. “Farmland is so valuable, and most farmers are land-rich and bank account poor, so we try to offer them avenues to protect their lands.”

Once an agreement is reached, that covenant is permanent.

Carmel said the group is able to purchase land and aid community efforts to partner with organizations like in this case, where they will work with Holmes County Rails to Trails.

The KWLT purchased land in the Killbuck Swamp Preserve previously that connects with the trail.

Carmel said that land is at the mercy of the Killbuck Creek, and the group’s hope is to rework the land to help deter flooding, which can be harmful to the land and water.

With the purchase of the mostly flooded Killbuck swampland parcels, the KWLT built two trailheads but didn’t own any access land to the area, so they had to seek out the landowner Nathan Troyer and get permission to get on their property.

“One of the main reasons we want to make this purchase is to gain access to the trailhead,” Carmel said. “It also borders Killbuck Creek, our preserve and the future Holmes County Trail, so this is a strategic place for us.”

As a small land trust, KWLT doesn’t have much money in reserve so it relies on grant funding to purchase land, which is why Carmel was connecting with the commissioners.

Carmel said Ohio Scenic Rivers Program put out a statement and contacted land trust organizations statewide, denoting they had H2OH money available for the purchase of land and easements that abut creeks or rivers.

The KWLT discussed purchasing the mineral rights for the 93.9 acres from Troyer, and an agreed price was reached of $4,000 per acre.

The purchase of the land isn’t cheap because they had to also purchase the rights to the oilwells on the property, and in doing so would have to pay to have the wells properly sealed.

“That prevents those old wells from becoming abandoned wells,” Carmel said. “One of the four wells we purchased was a working well, and we had to also pay him for the rights of what he thinks is the value of the oil and gas still in there.”

He said most of these old wells are played out in terms of oil and gas they are creating, and these old wells will be officially shut down.

The organization bought its first well from Bakerwell for $25,000, then purchased two more at $27,000 apiece and the final well for $32,000.

The goal now is to remove the oil wells structures and the lines, and KWLT is hiring Bakerwell to come in and pull all the lines for $16,000 to properly eliminate any chance of an oil spill.

The KWLT owns two properties, the Baker Wetlands outside of Killbuck and the 114-acre Brinkhaven Barrens in Richland Township between Glenmont and Brinkhaven.

The current grant request being sought will include money to do a trail connection between Killbuck and the future trail, which will connect with the anticipated streetscape in Killbuck.

“We are hoping to create a nature trail that goes from the trail to downtown Killbuck,” Carmel said. “We partnered with the village to create this streetscape plan.”

Carmel said by creating this corridor, it will create a seasonal trail for hikers, birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts, mainly during tourist season. It also would create an entrance to the current Corey Bluff Trailhead, an area Carmel said is highly utilized as a birdwatching area.

“It’s great you’re able to do this,” Commissioner Dave Hall said.

“This project is going to bring in people from all over the state,” Carmel said. “We’re building an infrastructure that we believe will greatly benefit the community.”

The commissioners wasted no time in passing Resolution #03-03-25-1, supporting an application for funding under the Clean Ohio Fund Green Space Conservation Program through Ohio Public Works Commission on behalf of Killbuck Watershed Land Trust for conservation of ecologically significant areas in Killbuck Township.