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2013 Park Profile
| Mission |
To acquire, conserve and sustainably manage natural resources to provide the public with passive outdoor recreational and educational opportunities through a regional system of natural-area parks |
| Chartered |
Metro Parks was established as a metropolitan park district by the Summit County Probate Court, in accordance with Chapter 1545 of the Ohio Revised Code, December 31, 1921. |
| Governance |
A three-member Board of Park Commissioners is appointed by the Summit County Probate Judge. Commissioners serve overlapping three-year terms without compensation. |
| Officers |
Commissioners select, from among themselves, a chairperson and two vice-chairpersons, each serving one-year terms. |
| Appointed Officials |
Commissioners appoint the director-secretary, who serves as the chief executive officer and oversees the work of full-time and part-time employees, seasonal workers and volunteers. The director-secretary is responsible for carrying out the policies established by the board and performs duties as board secretary. |
| Population |
Summit County has 371,028 registered voters in 475 precincts (Summit County Board of Elections, October 2010). Since the Metro Parks levy is not assessed in the City of Twinsburg (16 precincts, with 12,751 registered voters), the park district’s voting population is 358,277. |
| Tax Rate |
Summit County voters approved an 8-year, 1.46-mill Metro Parks levy in November 2006. The levy will collect $15.8 million in 2013 (estimate, Summit County Fiscal Office, January 2013). |
| Resources |
Metro Parks manages 11,500 acres, including 14 developed parks, several conservation areas and more than 125 miles of trails, with the 34-mile Bike & Hike Trail and 22.4 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
Other resources include the 10,000-square-feet visitors center at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm; more than 700 picnic sites, including tables in 10 reservable open-air shelters and six enclosed pavilions; two swimming lakes, two boating areas and seven fishing locations; areas for sledding, ice skating and cross-country skiing; fields for baseball, softball and soccer; and courts for tennis, volleyball and basketball.
Also contained within the parks and conservation areas are numerous examples of Ohio's natural ecosystems. Among the flora and fauna found are more than 100 different rare and endangered species of plants and wildlife.
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| Visitors |
District-wide attendance in 2012 exceeded 5.3 million visits. Annually, an estimated 50,000 people enjoy the Fall Hiking Spree, while 10,000 people participate in the award-winning Spree For All, a hiking series for people of all abilities. On average, more than 35,000 visitors enjoy hikes and programs led by naturalists. Park rangers protect resources, maintain good order and ensure visitor safety. |
| Staff & Volunteers |
The park district is authorized to employ up to 118 full-time staff, 15 part-time workers and 126 seasonals, casuals and interns. Non-compensated volunteers assist in a variety of roles. Volunteer service in 2012 totaled 36,504 hours. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that volunteer service was valued at $795,422. |
| Affiliations |
The park district is affiliated with the following organizations:
• National Association for Interpretation (NAI)
• National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA)
• Ohio Parks & Recreation Association (OPRA)
• Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA)
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
• Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity (LEAP)
• The Ohio Biological Survey (OBS)
• The Wildlife Society |
| Contact |
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County
975 Treaty Line Road
Akron, OH 44313-5837
330-867-5511
F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm: 330-865-8065
Seasonal Information: 330-865-8060
Program Information: 330-865-8064
Volunteer Information: 330-865-8047
summitmetroparks.org
facebook.com/summitmetroparks
flickr.com/groups/summitmetroparks
pinterest.com/metroparks
twitter.com/metro_parks
youtube.com/summitmetroparks |
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Watching Water Quality
Non-point sources of pollution (like soil erosion and impervious surfaces) are now a greater threat to water quality than industry.
Clever or Lazy
Wood ducks will often lay their eggs in another duck's nest, tricking it into raising the wood duck's young.
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