An effort in southeast Ohio could turn roughly 850 acres of former coal-company land into a publicly accessible community forest, creating a major connection between existing protected and recreational lands. Local stakeholders are negotiating with the Sugar Creek Coal and Mining Company to acquire the property in Dover Township and establish the Sugar Creek Community Forest. The project could ultimately link the Bailey’s portion of Wayne National Forest with Strouds Run State Park, connecting about 74,000 acres in Athens County. The details come from the announcement for the upcoming Sugar Creek Community Forest town hall, alongside information published by the Ohio Environmental Council and project partners.
From coal-company land to a community forest
The proposed acquisition involves approximately 850 acres in Dover Township that are currently owned by the Sugar Creek Coal and Mining Company. Local stakeholders are working to purchase the land and establish it as the Sugar Creek Community Forest, with the intention that it remains available for community benefit in perpetuity.The proposal is part of a broader effort involving Rising Appalachia and other community, environmental and regional partners. The Ohio Environmental Council describes the project as an attempt to develop a regenerative conservation and economic model in Appalachian Ohio, bringing together nonprofits, foundations, educational institutions, businesses, government officials and local residents. The land has significance beyond its size. It sits in a location where conservation of the property could create a continuous corridor between several existing public and conservation landscapes.
A potential 74,000-acre connection
One of the most important aspects of the proposal is its potential role as a connector. According to the community announcement, the property is positioned to create a publicly accessible biodiversity, recreation and wildlife corridor linking the Bailey’s portion of the Wayne National Forest with Strouds Run State Park. The resulting connected landscape could encompass about 74,000 acres in Athens County.Earlier, the Ohio Environmental Council described a roughly 900-acre vision that would connect about 75,000 acres of state, federal and private conservation lands. The Trust for Public Land, which is now involved in the project, describes the current effort as protecting more than 845 acres and connecting the community forest to a broader network of trails and public land. The connection could have implications for both people and wildlife. Rather than leaving forests and recreation areas separated by privately held parcels, a community forest could provide a link through which people can move between existing trail and conservation networks while helping maintain habitat connectivity.
Public recreation and rural traditions
The proposed forest is intended to be more than a protected tract of woodland. The community announcement says the land could support recreation, biodiversity and wildlife while preserving rural activities such as hunting, foraging and gathering firewood. Similarly, the Trust for Public Land states the project intends to provide residents access to activities including hunting, fishing, foraging and firewood gathering. Its description of the project also includes plans connected to education, sustainable tourism, forest-based businesses and workforce development.That community-use element is central to the idea of a community forest. The Ohio Environmental Council says the Sugar Creek project is grounded in regenerative land management, community input and culturally appropriate economic opportunities. It has also described the initiative as a potential model for community-governed land use in Ohio.
Restoring a landscape shaped by coal mining
The proposal also carries a larger environmental-recovery story. The Sugar Creek property is part of a landscape historically affected by coal mining, and the wider Sunday Creek watershed has faced environmental damage associated with mining. Earlier reporting on the project noted that the Sugar Creek Coal Company ceased mining the property in 1923, while parts of the land have subsequently experienced logging. Rising Appalachia has sought to protect the remaining forest from being divided, logged and developed.Restoration is therefore another major component of the proposed community forest. The project specifically identifies continued ecological restoration of the Sunday Creek Watershed as one of the potential benefits of conserving the property. The project is also connected to work already taking place at Solid Ground Farm, where Rising Appalachia has developed ecological education, workforce training and land-based initiatives. The Ohio Environmental Council says its partnership with Rising Appalachia has included an ecology apprenticeship programme, native fruit and nut plantings and an interpretive trail on former coal-mined land.
An economic opportunity as well as a conservation project
Supporters see the forest as a potential economic asset for the surrounding community rather than simply a conservation purchase. The community announcement identifies opportunities for local entrepreneurs in land-based food, construction and recreation businesses. The broader project vision also includes sustainable timber and forest products, educational activities and recreation-related enterprises. This approach reflects a larger idea behind the project: that restoring forests and waterways can happen alongside efforts to create livelihoods.For now, however, the proposed forest remains dependent on completing the land acquisition. Local stakeholders are continuing to work towards securing the property and involving residents in decisions about its future. A community town hall is scheduled for September 28 in Chauncey, where residents are being invited to learn more about the proposed Sugar Creek Community Forest and participate in the discussion about what the land could become.
