Photo courtesy of Bill Johannes
Like many who live in the Tri-Village area, I drive by this attractive building located on Dublin Road (Rt.33) just south of the West Fifth Avenue intersection in Marble Cliff and wonder what goes on there.
So I called Korey Brown, Wildlife District One Manager, who enthusiastically invited me to visit and find out. Here's what I learned.
For over 40 years, a large Quonset building occupied the 5-acre property. It housed the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) from its creation by the Ohio Legislature in 1949 until a move to its current headquarters on Morse Road in Columbus. A large maintenance/storage building now stands where the Quonset building once stood. The brick and wood building easily seen from Dublin Road today was built in 1991.
Brown greeted me in the spacious lobby filled with taxidermy mounts and a variety of wildlife literature. Outside a glass door is a rain garden and a new pollinator garden. The large building is used periodically by his law enforcement staff and regularly by the District’s fish biologists, wildlife biologists, Information and Education staff, and staff support. He noted, however, that much of their time is spent in the 13 central Ohio counties served by District One.
“We need to work in the field if we are to ensure an abundance of high-quality wildlife experiences for today’s Ohioans and for future generations,” says Brown.
The Division of Wildlife is a direct descendant of the Ohio Fish Commission, created by the Ohio General Assembly in 1873 to deal with declining fish populations. In 1949, the Division was combined with other state conservation agencies under a newly created Ohio Department of Natural Resources. By that time, the Fish Commission’s duties had expanded to include law enforcement, fish and wildlife management, propagation, research, stream improvement, and pollution investigation. In following years, its mission was broadened to include care of several hundred more species of wild animals and to identify, manage, and protect all endangered species in Ohio.
Land acquisition, harvest regulations, and licensing are fundamental tools in the management of Ohio wildlife resources. Statewide, the Division manages or cooperates in managing over 750,000 acres of diverse wildlife lands plus 2.25 million acres of water.
“We do our work with no general tax revenues,” says Brown. “The Ohio Division of Wildlife has always been self-funded through licenses and excise taxes paid by Ohio’s sportsmen and women.”
The Division of Wildlife has 5 District offices in Ohio and focuses on 4 key areas: Fish Management, Wildlife Management, Law Enforcement, and Information and Education.
“Conservation and managing lands and waters are a priority, but promoting the enjoyment of outdoor recreation is also a part of our mission today,” says Brown. “People’s attitudes toward wildlife have changed dramatically over the years. Most kids don’t play in a creek or walk through the woods anymore.”
“We have professionally trained staff to connect Ohioans with nature and wildlife through programs and projects in schools, organizations and communities. Our excellent website, www.wildohio.gov offers plenty of information about wildlife management, enjoyment, and enforcement in Ohio. The public is welcome to call us at 614-644-3925 with questions about fish and wildlife management and to learn more about our programs. Better yet, they can stop at 1500 Dublin Road and learn more about our important work. Input from our constituents and open lines of communication are essential because recreational fishing and wildlife enjoyment are socially and economically important to Ohio.”
Bill Johannes is administrative assistant got the Village of Marble Cliff. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
