Mission

To produce an outdoor recreational experience for Ohio State Park visitors that exceeds their expectations.

Vision

The nationally recognized Ohio State Parks team is committed to service as stewards of the state's most treasured natural resources and tourism destinations. We will innovate, educate, collaborate, and lead, providing a high standard of quality with our family-oriented facilities, services, and programs. As ambassadors, we will reach out to build partnerships, involve our communities, and enrich the lives of Ohioans with fond memories of visits to Ohio State Parks. We will honor our rich natural and cultural heritage to ensure a lasting legacy which will feed the hopes and aspirations of all generations.

Another Remarkable Year (Executive Summary)

We have been faced with tremendous challenges in the past year. Although our state parks are valued as scenic retreats where people can escape for a while from their daily routine, our state park system could not escape from the dynamics that made 2001 a difficult year for countless businesses and government agencies. Despite the stresses of a steep economic downturn, sharply rising expenses and a climate of uncertainty, though, our state parks have made the most of the resources available, and continued to provide a safe and enjoyable haven for millions of satisfied customers. With the help of our dedicated staff and selfless volunteers, generous partners and loyal customers, 2001 was a remarkable year in Ohio State Parks.

Providing excellent customer service has remained our top priority. While our responsibility for the bottom line demands that we operate at peak efficiency, our responsibility to our customers compels us to minimize the impacts of any cost-saving adjustments we make to our facilities, services and operations. This approach appears to be working. Once again, 94 percent of park visitors who completed a Write Right customer satisfaction survey rated their overall experience as "good" or "excellent."

Our mission and vision continue to inspire and guide our park staff, who keep striving to exceed expectations as well as make incremental improvements. Our community partners and friends who share our mission and support our vision continue to play a key role in achieving these goals. At Scioto Trail, the ingenuity of the park staff and the generosity of a local family made the shared dream of a roomy new shelterhouse for park events and community gatherings a reality. At Indian Lake, a local service club and veterans? organization helped raise funds to build a new accessible fishing pier near a picnic area with an accessible restroom built a few years ago through the NatureWorks program. The Friends of Paint Creek raised funds to build and equip the park?s new nature center. System-wide, friends groups generated a total of $500,000 in donations and in-kind contributions, and our dedicated volunteers provided an impressive 391,984 hours of service to state parks.

In addition to these locally based efforts, we are continually pursuing innovative ways to keep providing the extras in lean times. Ohio State Parks? first exclusive beverage contract will help provide support for marketing and select special events. A generous corporate donation has allowed us to reach out to youth with the printing and distribution of a large quantity of the Parks Pals environmental activity book.

A healthy and vibrant state park system is not only good for our park visitors, it is important to the prosperity of Ohio?s economy. The 2000 study of the economic impact of overnight travel commissioned by the Division of Travel and Tourism showed that travel overall had remained almost flat since 1999, but there was significant growth in one sector of the travel market?campgrounds and state park facilities. Direct sales to state park overnight visitors, on and off park, totaled $250.4 million in 2000, an increase of 23.8 percent over the 1999 figure. State and local taxes collected on these sales totaled $9.8 million and $9.0 million, respectively. Providing goods and services for these visitors, directly and indirectly, supported 9,500 jobs.

Of course, the value of our parks goes well beyond their contribution to Ohio?s economy. The natural and cultural resources they harbor are a legacy for our state and the nation. The historic hand-operated system of river locks along the Muskingum River, which we have worked diligently to preserve, has been recognized as a national treasure by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Muskingum River Parkway was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark this summer, placing it in the company of the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, Hoover Dam and other great American engineering marvels. Reconstruction of the flood-damaged trail through the Old Man?s Cave gorge at Hocking Hills this year has ensured that this outstanding scenic resource will be accessible to future generations of park visitors.

We have looked to our strategic plan for direction as we have assessed our priorities and made some tough decisions, and it has served us, and our state park customers, well. We will continue to uphold our values, work toward our goals and look forward to a prosperous future.

Strategic Plan

In its first year of implementation, Service and Stewardship 2001-2005 was distributed to all permanent division employees, ODNR administration, advisory boards and various stakeholder groups. The strategic plan was introduced at each of the division?s professional training conferences. Consistent with the goal setting and monitoring required by the new Ohio Performance Review System, each employee is encouraged to look to the division?s strategic goals, tactical plans and action steps outlined in the strategic plan while setting ?smart? (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) goals for themselves. Park managers, as well as central office group managers are evaluated on the basis of achieving division goals, and the park and group budgets are reviewed with respect to the strategic plan.

Significant progress has been made in each of the five overarching goals?customer service, resource management, professional development, infrastructure improvement and stable funding?as individual employees, entire park staffs and central office groups have taken on special projects and incorporated the tactical plans into their daily work.

A number of new and existing partnerships with friends groups, community organizations, corporate sponsors and other agencies have been built and strengthened to enhance customer service and provide external resources and funding for a variety of projects.

The Internet is being used more effectively to reach a broader audience with the division?s improved website, and to enhance internal communications with the Morning Report on the division?s Intranet site.

Sound resource management strategies are being incorporated into daily operations. Strides have been made in educating the public about our stewardship strategies, as well as the realities of potential natural hazards such as wildlife and vector-borne diseases.

Emphasis has been placed on developing professional skills for employees in all disciplines. New and aspiring managers have been given numerous opportunities for training and personal development.

Infrastructure improvements have focused on projects in high demand from our customers, including flush restrooms and campground upgrades. A number of facilities have been specially built or modified to provide accessibility for all.

Park user groups and the general public have voiced their support for state parks. Corporate sponsorships for special projects have been obtained, and new funding sources are being explored.

Table of Organization

The managers of Ohio?s 74 state parks are organized into 24 regions. The 24 regions represent state parks in close proximity consisting of two to four parks each. Typically, the manager of the largest park in the grouping serves as the regional coordinator. Each region works together as a team and shares personnel as well as equipment necessary to form an efficient field unit. All park managers within a region act independently of one another with the regional coordinator serving as spokesperson and mentor for the region.

Customer Service

Special events, educational and interpretive programs enhanced the outdoor recreational experience for more than one million park visitors of all ages.

Special Events

Ohio State Parks continued its strong tradition of hosting a wide variety of special events, including 75 theme campouts, which drew nearly one million visitors. Thirty-six parks hosted at least one theme campout in the fall, and an additional 21 parks hosted one-day special events in September or October. The events boosted shoulder season campground occupancy, as well as the economies of the local communities outside the parks.

Participant and spectator safety continued to be a primary focus at special events. The division worked cooperatively with the Ohio Industrial Commission to implement an extensive inspection program of steam tractors to be exhibited at state park events featuring vintage farm equipment.

Interpretive Services

State park naturalists presented interpretive programs to nearly 250,000 park visitors at 50 parks during the summer, and interpretive programs were offered during the extended season at Caesar Creek, Dillon, East Harbor, Hueston Woods, Hocking Hills, Indian Lake, Lake Hope, Malabar Farm, Maumee Bay, Muskingum River Parkway and Quail Hollow. In addition to the Hooked on Fishing program for youth, wildlife programs were the focus of summer naturalist activities at a number of parks.

The popular Naturalist Aide program for youth ages 7 to 14 was renamed the Junior Naturalist Program. Other updates to the program included replacing the embroidered patches that had served as incentives for participation with a colorful identification tag on a lanyard.

New nature centers with interpretive displays were developed at Paint Creek and Beaver Creek.

Environmental Education

Ohio State Parks? environmental education outreach programs brought more than 16,800 young people into the parks. The popular School Days outdoor education events attracted 5,224 third through fifth grade students from 73 schools around Ohio. In addition to the School Days programs, a number of parks hosted hands-on educational field days during the school year, serving an estimated 5,000 additional students around the state.

The 17th annual Scouting Outing for boy scouts held at Burr Oak drew 1,400 scouts of all ages for a full weekend of activities and programs. In its fourth year, the Girl Scout Roundup held at Burr Oak in cooperation with the Seal of Ohio Girl Scout Council attracted 372 junior-high and older scouts. The event was extended to include a family activity fair on Sunday, in which 300 prospective and younger girl scouts participated. The day-long Sample Nature program for girl scouts of all ages brought 300 participants to Strouds Run State Park.

Sample Chore Days, a new cooperative project with the Seal of Ohio Girl Scout Council, were held at Paint Creek?s pioneer farm in the spring and fall. Attendance at each event topped 150 girl scouts. The program gave participants hands-on experience with pioneer skills and creation of heritage crafts. One senior troop that participated in the event has taken on program development at the pioneer farm as a girl scout award project. The troop has researched the farm history, undertaken a number of improvements to the farm facilities, and applied for a Bicentennial Commission grant to further develop a full-time living history program at the pioneer farm.

Several changes were made to the Portapark environmental education guide. A total of 219 teachers attended one of 12 Portapark educator workshops and received the revised guide. Since the workshops were introduced a decade ago, total participation has numbered 2,056.

Publications

A new four-color brochure promoting the state park golf courses and a new, expanded four-color version of the Ohio State Park directory were introduced. In its seventh year of production, two issues of Ohio State Parks magazine were published and direct mailed to a subscriber list including more than 55,000 households. Each issue included a subscription renewal card to aid the division in updating the subscriber list. Nearly one-half million promotional brochures, including the park directory, overnight facilities fees and camping options brochures, as well as the magazine, cottage and golf course brochures, were widely distributed through the parks, travel shows, the 1-800-BUCKEYE operators, the Department of Transportation?s Travel Information Centers, American Automobile Association outlets, and direct mailings.

Website

The division?s restructured website was launched in March. The new, user-friendly format guides the user through recreational activities and overnight facilities with state maps depicting each park offering the activity or type of facility, and convenient links to each of the individual park pages. Items of special interest are featured on the front page with a prominently placed ?clickable? image taking the user directly to the desired page. Featured items included the Cardinal Camper Card, SwimSafe campaign, campground availability list, gift certificates, the ?Nature Lovers? off-season cottage special, and the Parks Pals activity book. Other website features include a ?For Kids? page, the calendar of special events along with the current and past issues of Ohio State Parks magazine, a catalog of souvenir merchandise, news releases on park improvement projects, career information and job postings, and e-mail links to sign up for a magazine subscription, receive the Parks Pals book, or receive a packet of volunteer information.

Since the site was introduced, more than one million sessions were recorded with 2.8 million page views. Peak activity occurred between April and October, accounting for 84 percent of the total page views. The single most popular activity page was ?camping.?

Call-Ahead Registration and Campground Availability

The customer service of call-ahead camping registration, which includes all staffed campgrounds, was continued through October to help campers ensure the availability of a campsite during the popular fall campouts held at a number of parks. Campground availability updates were once again provided on the state parks information line, on the division?s website, and through the 1-800-BUCKEYE operators over the summer holidays. In addition, the campground availability service was expanded to an ongoing basis with continual updates posted on the division?s website.

Marketing and Advertising

Print advertising was placed in a number of publications that provide reader response service, generating over 9,000 requests for general information about Ohio State Parks.

Advertisements were placed in the spring and fall travel brochure sections of the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and AAA?s Michigan Living and Home and Away magazines. Additional exposure in travel publications included advertisements in Columbus Monthly?s ?Best Driving Vacations,? which is also distributed through AAA offices, the ?Discover Ohio? section of the May issue of Reader?s Digest, and the Department of Development?s Division of Travel and Tourism?s Discover Ohio spring and fall travel planners. Ads were also placed in publications targeted to specific outdoor recreational pursuits, including Woodall?s 2001 Campground Directory, Ohio Camper, Trailer Life, Mid-Ohio Golfer, Greater Cleveland Golf News, Toledo Golf News and Tri-State Hometown Golf magazines. The back covers of the April and September issues of Ohio Magazine were purchased to help promote off-season use of state park facilities.

Ohio State Parks continued its participation in the annual travel shows held in Columbus and Dayton, as well as many other locally sponsored shows. In addition, the Ohio Travel Pavilion distributed division brochures at travel shows in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Akron, Youngstown, Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Lansing.

Promotional Programs

The Cardinal Camper Club promotional program for camping was continued for a second year. A total of 1,846 membership cards, including 150 renewals, have been sold since the program was initiated. Sales of the cards, which cost $20 and are valid for one year from the month of purchase, generated nearly $37,000 in revenue. The discount offered to cardholders, 10 percent off campsite rental from April 1 through October 31, and 20 percent off from November 1 through March 31, remained the same, although the discount was expanded to include camping options rentals as well as all camping fees. The program goals include increasing camping occupancy and creating a database for targeted marketing activities.

To provide incentives for cottage stays in the offseason, special rates were offered at all state-operated cottage locations January through March, with some locations extending the discount into the spring. Each location offered four nights for the price of two during the week for the three-month period, and some locations offered three nights for the price of two over the weekends, as well. The Nature Lovers Special, which provided similar discounts for the 2001-2002 off-season, was initiated in the fall at five of the eight state-operated cottage locations.

Partnerships

Once again, the Volunteers-in-Parks program set all-time records with volunteers donating more than 300,000 hours of service. Fundraising efforts, in-kind contributions and donations by individual state park friends groups, community and corporate partners generated support valued at $500,000.

Friends Groups

Forty parks have either established a friends group with non-profit 501 c (3) status, or are in the process of forming their group. Several friends groups provided vital funding and assistance for facility improvements. For example, the friends group at Mohican raised more than $25,000 in donations for renovation of the park?s historic grist mill. Paint Creek?s friends group raised funds for the construction of the park?s new nature center, landscaped the building and arranged for the loan of displays from the Ohio Bass Pro of Cincinnati. The Friends of Alum Creek initiated a fundraising project for a new playground at the park?s beach.

Volunteers-in-Parks

For the fourth straight year, the Volunteer-In-Parks program set records for the number of volunteers who participated, as well as the amount of hours donated to the parks. There were 5,915 volunteers enrolled in the program who provided a total of 319,984 hours of service to parks, an increase of 59,622 hours from last year. There were 769 individual volunteers, 388 campground hosts and 4,758 group volunteers. Volunteers assisted park staff in providing a wide array of services including trail maintenance, nature center programs, campground hospitality, litter control and park beautification.

Hueston Woods was selected Volunteer Park of the Year among the large parks nominated for outstanding volunteer programs, and Sycamore received the Volunteer Park of the Year honor for small parks.

Corporate Partnerships

Corporate Partnerships Final negotiations were completed for the first exclusive beverage contract between Ohio State Parks and a beverage vendor. The winning bidder was Pepsi of America, Inc. The five-year contract includes an annual license fee and marketing support, as well as commission on product sales. The contract gives Pepsi exclusive beverage pouring rights, including fountain beverages, canned and bottled beverages for resale, and vended products at all state park food service locations.

Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. underwrote the expense of printing the Parks Pals youth environmental activity book produced in-house by division staff. Honda provided a grant of $35,000 to print more than 100,000 copies of the book for distribution statewide to schools and to children visiting the parks.

Ohio State Parks and the concessionaires operating the state park resorts, AmFac Parks and Resorts and Delaware North Company, partnered with the Kroger Company in Kroger?s ?Getaway Special? for Kroger Plus Card holders. The program entitled Kroger Plus Card holders to a 30 percent discount on the regular rate for lodge rooms or cottage rentals Sunday through Thursday nights, October 2001 through March 2002. As part of the Getaway Special program, Kroger promoted all of the Ohio State Park lodges and cottages during the winter season in more than 400,000 direct mail brochures, more than three million weekly circulars, and through in-store displays at Columbus and Cincinnati district Kroger stores located in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

In November, the ?Ohio State Parks Salute the Troops? partnership was launched to honor U.S. military personnel. In cooperation with AmFac Parks and Resorts and Delaware North Company, Ohio State Parks offered a special discount of 10 percent off overnight stays at all state park campgrounds, cottages and lodges to all active duty U.S. military personnel, including National Guard and reserves.

Other Community Partnerships

In its fourth year, the Ohio Trails Partnership raised funds and provided technical expertise and labor for a number of trail improvement projects in state parks and state forests. The partnership raised $27,132 at fundraising events around the state and volunteers contributed 15,250 hours of trail work. Partners include the Ohio Horseman?s Council, the Ohio Mountain Bike Association, the Buckeye Trail Association, and the divisions of Forestry and Parks and Recreation.

The Logan County chapter of the AmVets organization raised $25,000 for the construction of an accessible fishing pier at Indian Lake. The project was completed in July.

A philanthropic family in the Chillicothe area partnered with Scioto Trail to build a shelterhouse at the park. The Ross family donated $13,000 toward the construction of the large, modern facility, and also contributed much of the labor to build it. The new shelterhouse was opened for community use in the summer.

Inter-Agency Partnerships

Ohio State Parks partnered with the Department of Health as a participant in the new Ohio Kids Card program for families with children under age six. State park campgrounds offered a 10 percent discount on camping and camping options fees on Monday through Thursday nights for Ohio Kids Card holders.

Ohio State Parks and the Department of Health continued to promote the Hike for Health partnership program. The program?s mascot, Tuffy Turtle, helped attract media coverage at several special events. In addition, Hike for Health guided hikes were incorporated in the summer naturalist program schedule at a number of state parks. The Hooked on Fishing partnership program introduced thousands of young park visitors to fishing, with instruction provided by state park naturalists and equipment provided by the Division of Wildlife.

The division continued to partner with the Department of Development Division of Travel and Tourism to provide information for travelers through Travel and Tourism?s website, ohiotourism.com, the 1-800-BUCKEYE information line operators, the Discover Ohio travel guide and the statewide calendar of events. The division also participated in Travel and Tourism initiatives including the Great Ohio Adventures in Learning (GOAL) program, economic impact of overnight travel study, and Discover Ohio specials.

Customer Surveys

A variety of customer surveys have provided essential information about what we are doing well, where we should focus resources for improvement, and how Ohio State Parks impact Ohio?s economy.

Write/Right

The ?Write Right to the Chief ? customer satisfaction survey was conducted for the tenth year, May through October. A total of 14,083 surveys were returned, compared to 17,543 last year. Visitors were asked to rate their experience on a five-point scale ranging from excellent (5) to unacceptable (1). The distribution of visitors? overall experience is as follows.

The calculated average of visitors? overall experience ratings was 4.570 compared to 4.576 in 2000. In all 13 categories, average visitor ratings were calculated to be between excellent and good. Calculated average ratings for the general park and individual facilities are shown below:

Visitors were asked not only to rate their experience, but also to provide comments about facilities and services. The feedback provided by respondents allowed park managers to make continuous improvements throughout the season. Nearly 14 percent of all comments received were complimentary of employees, with 950 surveys from 53 parks indicating that ?the employees were great? and 943 surveys from 67 parks thanking a specific employee for going above and beyond the call of duty.

The following chart demonstrates the monthly ratings in visitor satisfaction during the primary visitor season.

Economic Impact

As part of a survey conducted by the Department of Development?s Division of Travel and Tourism on travel and tourism in Ohio, information was collected on the economic impact of Ohio State Parks overnight visitors. The survey results released in October indicated that direct sales to state park overnight visitors in 2000, on and off park, totaled $250.4 million, a 23.8 percent increase from the 1999 sales figures. State and local taxes collected on these sales totaled $9.8 million and $9.0 million, respectively. Providing goods and services for these visitors, directly and indirectly, supported 9,500 jobs.

Visitor Safety and Protective Services

Of the 115,815 visitor contacts by commissioned law enforcement personnel, 29 percent were visitor assists. Of the visitor contacts for law enforcement actions, 91 percent were friendly warnings.

The division has continued to develop and refine efficient ways to convey pertinent and timely information to employees. An electronic newsletter entitled ?The Morning Report? was created to further intelligence gathering and sharing of information among state parks and cooperating law enforcement agencies. The newsletter is compiled from reports contributed by field and central office staff. Regular features include administrative and training updates, personnel changes, recognition for special accomplishments, descriptions of incidents, updates on legal issues, and all-points bulletins from various law enforcement agencies. Thirty-seven issues of the Morning Report were posted on the division?s ParkNet intranet site.

The following are the law enforcement statistics that were reported through the computerized Law Enforcement Tracking System (LETS) Program:

Because of the inherent dangers that exist in law enforcement, park officers occasionally used tactics to establish control of a situation. Statewide, park officers reported using force 84 times during 68 incidents, an all-time high since these statistics have been maintained. This statistic is reflective of the inherent dangers that officers face in the course of promoting public safety for tens of millions of state park visitors. No suspect injuries were reported however, and officers were injured on two occasions. The types of force used were:

Canine Program

Ohio State Parks? highly trained law enforcement officers are often called upon to assist other law enforcement agencies. Following the tragic events of September 11, Caesar Creek State Park Canine Officer John Patrick and his dog, Guese, were called to assist with the recovery effort at the World Trade Center in New York City. Officer Patrick and Guese spent six days at the site searching through the rubble and debris for victims.

In October, the division?s two canine officers, John Patrick and Lake Milton State Park Officer Chuck Stout, donated their police dogs to the division, affording the dogs official status as division employees. This is the last major step in the process of establishing a formal, statewide canine program for the division. Both dogs (Guese and Brenda) are commissioned as law enforcement officers and will continue to live and work with their human partners.

Parks Safe Program

Two laser radar units were purchased through a grant from the Department of Public Safety. The radar units are an additional tool for use in the ?Parks Safe? traffic enforcement program conducted at 14 state parks to promote highway safety. The grant also helped provide for overtime personnel to conduct the speed and alcohol monitoring and enforcement.

Visitor Occasions

Resource Management

Consistent with Ohio State Parks? resource management philosophy, taking care of resource management needs has been combined with initiatives to create environmental enhancements, as well as educate park visitors on resource issues.

Land Transactions

Land purchases, sales, easements and trade agreements helped to protect the resource base and public trust responsibilities of Ohio State Parks, while satisfying the needs of Ohio citizens as well as private and public organizations. Land purchases added 35.6 acres to the landbase at Middle Bass Island. Nearly two acres were purchased at Shawnee and almost three acres were acquired at Sycamore. A deed restriction was imposed on two acres at Cowan Lake.

The requests of adjacent landowners to purchase shoreline land were satisfied through the sale of surplus property including a 0.1-acre parcel at Lake Milton, and parcels totaling 0.3 acre at Buckeye Lake. Land exchanges and sales at Indian Lake resulted in a net reduction of 4.6 acres. Land sales and boundary adjustments at Grand Lake St. Marys resulted in a net reduction of 10.7 acres. Sales, purchases and exchanges with 21 landowners at Portage Lakes resulted in a net reduction of 0.4 acres. Land transactions resulted in a net gain of 24 acres for Ohio State Parks at a net cost of $2,311,488.

Waterway Improvement

More than 894,846 cubic yards of sediment were dredged from Ohio State Parks waterways. The focus of dredging and other waterway improvement projects was the enhancement of harbors, channels and waterways to foster vessel safety. Dredging was conducted at the Muskingum River Parkway; on the canal reservoirs at Buckeye Lake, Grand Lake St. Marys, Indian Lake and Lake Loramie; and at Dillon, Cowan Lake, East Harbor, Independence, Mosquito Lake and Shawnee. A new suction dredge was purchased in April for $484,205, and launched at Indian Lake. More than half of the cost of the new dredge was paid for through a Cooperative Public Boating Facility Grant administered by the Division of Watercraft.

The nuisance aquatic vegetation-harvesting program provided safe access for boaters into waterways that had been choked with vegetation. Approximately 1,725 tons of nuisance weeds were removed by harvesting from 13 state park waterways, more than twice the amount of material removed last year.

Wetland Projects

Wetland creation and improvement projects provided a variety of environmental benefits including storm water retention and filtration, as well as habitat enhancement.

At Indian Lake, two wetlands totaling 2.3 acres were constructed through a cooperative project with the Division of Wildlife, Cooperative Extension Service, local Soil and Water Conservation District and Pheasants Forever. Construction of the wetlands was paid for through a $17,603 grant from the Indian Lake Watershed Project.

At Maumee Bay, over 1,900 linear feet of wetland dike was renovated. With the repair of the dike system, shallow water pools and nesting islands were established in the 7.5-acre impoundment, providing for more diversity of plant and animal species and enhancing the value of the area for migratory waterfowl.

Watershed Initiatives

Watershed initiatives at canal feeder lakes continued to provide vital information and assistance for improving lake water quality.

At Buckeye Lake the South Fork Licking River Watershed Initiative produced flood and storm water information for area residents. The Grand Lake St. Marys initiative focused on improving lake water quality and reducing sedimentation. The Lake Loramie Watershed Alliance partnered with Lake Loramie in using bioengineering methods to protect highly erodible shoreline areas of the lake. At Indian Lake, the Watershed Project partnered with the park to provide water quality classes for local elementary school students. A number of other state park lakes have benefitted from the efforts of local watershed groups that share the goal of improving water quality in the area.

Beaches

All state park swimming beaches were tested regularly during the swimming season as required by the Department of Health for bacterial contamination. At the 13 Lake Erie beaches and sampling sites, the Department of Health issued 15 water quality advisories covering 188 days. Ten of these advisories were at Cleveland Lakefront beach areas. At the division?s 63 inland lake sampling sites, 10 advisories were issued at 10 different beaches for a total of 179 days.

The beach cleaning program provided mechanical cleaning of more than eight million square feet of Ohio State Park beaches at a cost of about $19,580.

Recreational Trail Improvements

Trail improvement projects commenced at Mosquito Lake?s Turkey Run Trail, Lake Loramie?s Lakeview Trail, and throughout the hiking trail system at Nelson Kennedy Ledges. The trail work is being funded through grants totaling $107,868 from the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) Recreational Trail Grant Program. Eight miles of mountain bike trails were developed at Barkcamp with volunteer assistance from local mountain bike enthusiasts. At Kiser Lake, the local chapter of the Ohio Horseman?s Council collaborated with the park to build a seven-mile bridle trail.

Reconstruction of the flood-damaged trail through Hocking Hills? Old Man?s Cave gorge presented unique challenges.

Best management practices were followed to minimize environmental disturbance while removing debris, including steel Ibeams from washed-out bridges, and mobilizing equipment and materials in the gorge trail The new bridges and trail surface were designed and built to withstand future floods while maintaining the unspoiled natural character of the area.

Wildlife Diversity Initiatives

A number of parks participated in a program to enhance the habitat value of marginal areas and encourage native vegetation by reducing mowing. Twenty-eight parks are identifying these wildlife diversity areas with roadside signs.

Chemical Spill

A train derailment in June near Wilmington caused a hazardous chemical spill into a creek that feeds Cowan Lake. Two overturned rail cars spilled approximately 26,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide into Cowan Creek. The creek was immediately dammed with sand to prevent the chemical from reaching the lake. Thirty swimmers in the lake at the time of the spill were examined and released at area hospitals with no injuries reported. Cowan Lake was closed to boating, fishing and swimming for four days while the chemical spill in the creek was neutralized. There was no evidence of chemical contamination in the lake, although the spill killed several hundred fish in Cowan Creek.

West Nile Virus

Park staff were alerted to the possibility of the migration of West Nile Virus into Ohio, and assisted with the statewide effort to monitor for the presence of suspiciously dead crows or blue jays, an early indicator of the disease. None were reported at any state park.

Professional Development

During the peak season, Ohio State Parks employed a workforce of 604 permanent and 1,168 less-than-full-time employees. Within the workforce, there were 424 new hirings of permanent or seasonal employees, 88 reclassifications or promotions, 435 resignations and 39 retirements.

Numbers of permanent employees by general job categories are:

Of the 39 employees who retired, 27 chose to take advantage of the department?s early retirement incentive program, which offered a two-year buyout. The retirees included eight managers, 15 maintenance employees, five clerical staff, five law enforcement officers, two supervisors and two custodial staff.

Administration of three small parks, Lake Logan, Independence Dam and Jackson Lake, was reassigned to the management teams of larger parks within the region for operational efficiency.

The lifeguard program was restructured to concentrate resources at the Lake Erie swimming beaches and the high-volume beach at Alum Creek. The hourly pay rate for the classification of natural resources aide was increased from $5.75 to $6.50, and the rate for natural resources specialist increased from $6.75 to $7.01 to help with the recruitment and retention of staff in these job classifications.

Training

A total of 528 employees took advantage of training opportunities to build computer, management, maintenance and law enforcement skills. Twentyone employees attended professional schools regarding supervisory and management skills, campground management, maintenance and overall park operations sponsored by North Carolina State University at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia. Five employees attended the Great Lakes Institute?s management training program.

Seven division employees graduated from the second class of the Ohio Certified Public Manager Program (OCPM), and an additional 16 employees began the OCPM program in various locations around the state.

All park officers attended training on standardized field sobriety testing and DUI case law subsequent to the Ohio State Supreme Court decision in State v. Homan, which mandated strict compliance with standard procedures in the performance of field sobriety tests. Training in evidence room management was offered to 15 park officers to prepare them for the responsibility of managing an evidence room at their respective parks. Twenty-one park officers attended a Spanish for law enforcement class to provide more effective communication with Spanish-speaking park visitors.

Special emphasis continued to be placed on providing non-traditional training for students such as secretaries and account clerks who have shown an interest and initiative for management careers. Through Workforce Development, one clerical employee attended Ohio Peace Officer training, and several other clerical employees attended the management schools at Oglebay. The annual Waterway and Construction Safety Conference emphasized the strategic plan, hazardous communications and the Lake Erie water snake. Lake zoning and buoy placement, energy savings, gypsy moth infestations, and Department of Health and EPA regulations impacting park facilities were the primary topics covered in the annual maintenance training conference.

Thirty-one of the division?s 80 licensed pesticide applicators received re-certification training. Recertification of the licenses is required every three years. In addition, 30 division employees licensed to operate water and wastewater treatment systems attended continuing education classes now required by the EPA to retain their certifications.

The division has adopted the Pathlore (formerly known as Registrar) training database to develop training transcripts for each employee, and monitor training requirements to earn or maintain professional certifications or licenses. The division coordinates the Pathlore user group for the entire state of Ohio, and has assisted three ODNR divisions in adopting the Pathlore database system.

Employee Recognition Programs

Employee of the Quarter

In its ninth year, the Employee of the Quarter award program recognized four employees each quarter for outstanding performance and service to the division. To date, 130 employees have been nominated by their peers, selected by committee and recognized for exceptional characteristics. The Employee of the Quarter Award recipients were:

Lifesaving Awards

Seven employees were recognized for their participation in lifesaving actions of a distinguished nature.

The Lifesaving Commendation Award was presented to the following employees whose actions saved or attempted to save the life of another:

• Daniel Cox, Park Officer, Hueston Woods
• Steve Beale, Park Officer, Portage
• Russell Knepper, Park Officer, Caesar Creek
• Jack Fuller, Park Officer, Tar Hollow
• Marty Hall, Assistant Park Manager, Tar Hollow

The Lifesaving Recognition Award was presented to the following employees whose actions saved or attempted to save the life of another while putting his own life at risk:

• James Schneider, Park Officer, Cleveland Lakefront
• Nigel Mills, Park Officer Specialist, Cleveland Lakefront

Innovation Ohio

Ohio State Parks continued to be a major participant in the Innovation Ohio Program with 17 different suggestions from approximately 70 employees and eight volunteers. Thirty-four of these employees were recognized at the Ohio State Fair and received prizes or cash awards. Suggestions by employee teams that reflect the division?s emphasis on teamwork and joint problem solving continue to be the hallmark of the division?s participation in the program.

The divison?s original in-house Innovation Ohio evaluation team was replaced with a new group of division employees who will serve a two-year term.

Team Award Program

The Team Award Program was designed to acknowledge teams of employees and volunteers who work together to complete a specific project or accomplishment. In the program?s fourth year, 113 team award certificates were issued to individuals serving on the following teams:

• Mary Jane Thurston/Van Buren Park Development Team
• Hueston Woods Custodial Team
• Hueston Woods Camper Host Team
• Buck Creek Special Event Development Team
• Stonelick Showerhouse Renovation Team
• Punderson Law Enforcement Team
• Hueston Woods Marina Operation Team
• Findley Nature Center Development Team
• Buck Creek Litter Prevention Team
• Buck Creek Beach Accessibility Team
• Cleveland Lakefront Fire Prevention Team

Infrastructure Improvements

Campground upgrades, improvements to facilities for boaters, and rehabilitation of popular day use areas were the focus of NatureWorks and capital improvement projects totaling more than $17.3 million.

Construction Projects

NatureWorks - Ohio's Natural Investment

The seventh wave of rehabilitation projects funded wholly or in part by NatureWorks has been completed.

The campground at Wolf Run has been modernized with the installation of 50-amp electrical service at 73 of 138 campsites, and existing electrical service was upgraded to 50-amp at 81 of East Fork?s 406 campsites. Phase 2 of Mosquito Lake?s campground electrification project was completed, providing an additional 169 electric sites. Phase 1 of a major campground rehabilitation project has been completed at West Branch. Improvements include the construction of two modern prototype showerhouses, replacement of the deteriorated sanitary dump station, and electrification of 50 of the park?s 100 campsites. In addition, a new sewer and water connection was installed under the lake to bring existing services from the south side of the park to the campground.

A major dam and spillway rehabilitation project completed at Jackson Lake entailed the use of roller compacted concrete to protect the downstream slope of the earthen dam. A major marina breakwall rehabilitation project at Mosquito Lake involved raising and widening the existing breakwall to protect the dock system from damage by waves and shifting ice. At Rocky Fork, 140 deteriorated floating docks were replaced as the first phase of a marina rehabilitation project.

A major rehabilitation project was completed in the Edgewater Park area of Cleveland Lakefront. Project components included the construction of a new flush restroom, interior and exterior rehabilitation of the historic picnic pavilion, rehabilitation of the existing multiple-use paved pathway, installation of new outdoor exercise stations, installation of an access stairway to the Perkins Beach area, creation of a pedestrian entrance to the Upper Edgewater area and major reconstruction of the Lower Edgewater boat ramp. The Division of Watercraft contributed $500,000 toward the launch ramp replacement. The master plan for the Mohican/Malabar region was completed. Innovative aspects of the planning process include the broad scope of a comprehensive regional plan rather than a park-specific plan to remedy a particular problem, a team approach from inception of the project utilizing the talent and resources of multiple ODNR divisions, and public involvement with systematic informed consent.

Capital Improvement Projects

A variety of renovation and improvement projects were completed using capital improvement funding sources other than NatureWorks. At Hocking Hills, rehabilitation work was completed on the Old Man?s Cave gorge trail, which was heavily damaged by flooding in January 1998. The construction work in the remote and environmentally sensitive gorge was carefully phased to cause minimal disturbance and to allow segments of the trail to remain open throughout the project. The project entailed repairs to two existing bridges and construction of 11 new bridges in the gorge, resurfacing of the trail bed, improvements to the overlook trail, and installation of interpretive signs along the route to Cedar Falls.

Other high profile capital improvement projects include the construction of a new, fully accessible vacation cottage at Buck Creek. At Middle Bass Island, 25 new transient docks were installed for use by Lake Erie boaters. Other infrastructure improvements include replacement of the maintenance center at Cowan Lake, reconstruction of the roadway leading to the cottage areas at Maumee Bay, and replacement of high service pumps at Salt Fork. Rock protection was installed along several highly erodible shoreline areas at Indian Lake to improve navigational safety.

Roadway Maintenance and Striping

A total of five park roadway projects were undertaken jointly with the Department of Transportation Cooperative Roadway Maintenance Program. Resurfacing of roads and parking lots at Dillon, Grand Lake St. Marys, Headlands Beach, Portage Lakes and Rocky Fork cost a total of $1,213,240.

In-House Construction

Statewide, 142 construction projects including 20 emergency projects were completed with in-house labor and equipment. The types of projects accomplished included utility upgrades, trail improvements, campground upgrades, dock and launch ramp improvements, wetland and beach enhancements, golf course improvements, and support for special events such as the Ohio State Fair, Lake Loramie?s Fall Festival and the Ohio Heritage Days at Malabar Farm.

Miscellaneous Park Improvement Projects

A number of repair, replacement and improvement projects were completed at revenue generating park facilities such as lodges, cottages, marinas and concession buildings. Funding sources for these projects include operating funds; lodge maintenance, repair and replacement funds; and the depreciation reserve fund. A sampling of these projects follows:

Project Design

NatureWorks

Design work was completed or neared completion on the following NatureWorks rehabilitation projects anticipated for construction in 2002.

• Malabar Farm ?Big House? climate control system installation.
• Portage Lakes ?Old Park? area day use and boat launch ramp area rehabilitation.
• West Branch phase 2 campground improvements.
• Buckeye Lake Brooks Park area replacement of vault latrines with flush restroom.
• Burr Oak campground electrification, miscellaneous lodge improvements, and parkwide sanitary sewer system rehabilitation.
• Cleveland Lakefront Upper Edgewater area bluff stabilization.
• Hocking Hills new camp office/commissary construction.
• Lake Milton marina restroom, dock access and security lighting improvements.
• Stonelick dam and spillway improvements.

In addition, more than 20 other NatureWorks projects were in the design phase for campground, lodge, cottage, marina, dam, water/wastewater and day-use facility rehabilitation.

Accessibility Improvements

Accessibility design standards are incorporated into all new and rehabilitated park structures in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. A new, fully accessible cottage built at Buck Creek features wider doors and hallways, restroom fixtures and kitchen appliances specially modified for guests in wheelchairs The comprehensive rehabilitation project at Cleveland Lakefront?s Edgewater Park area included a new fully accessible restroom, accessible features in the renovated pavilion, and accessible boat launch ramps. The campground improvements at West Branch feature two accessible showerhouses, and the phase 2 campground upgrades at Mosquito Lake include two fully accessible campsites, along with accessible restrooms and drinking fountains. Accessible seasonal docks have been installed at Rocky Fork, and the new transient docks at Middle Bass Island have accessible features.

In addition to major capital improvement projects, park staff continued to improve facility access by widening doorways, toilet compartments and shower stalls, constructing access ramps, modifying campsites, and adding handicapped parking spaces. Accessibility also continued to be enhanced through numerous small projects such as removing thresholds, changing door handles, and updating plumbing fixtures and drinking fountains.

Fiscal Management

Ohio State Parks expended $79.6 million in fiscal year 2001, including $26.9 million in revenues generated from fees and charges.

Budget

The primary source of the division?s operating funding is the state?s General Revenue Fund (GRF). Fifty-eight percent of the division?s money comes from the GRF. The second largest source is fees and charges generated by the state parks and deposited into Fund 512. This fund accounts for approximately 34 percent of the total budget. Approximately 3.9 percent of the budget is provided by the Waterway Safety Fund, which is designated for specific purposes. The balance of the funds received are obtained from miscellaneous rotary accounts.

The division?s ability to fund existing levels of park operations (i.e. continuation level) has been significantly reduced as a result of increased expenses and cuts in funding. Increases in mandated charges, employee pay raises, utility costs, health care and inflation have all contributed to higher budget needs. In addition to the increased costs, the division?s GRF operating monies were cut at the end of FY 01 and again for FY 02. The overall impact of these actions for FY 02 is a $5.2 million reduction in continuation level funding.

Actual expenditures for FY 01 and the total appropriation for FY 02 are indicated in the charts below:

Expenditures

An itemization of major expenditures to pay salaries, debt service, utility and maintenance costs, resale items and equipment purchases is as follows:

Revenue

Ohio State Parks generated $26,284,668 in revenue, a 1.8% percent increase over 2000 revenue. Some facilities are operated under contract by private vendors. The difference between gross receipts and revenue received by the division is the money retained by private concessionaires per the terms of their concession agreements. All revenue generated by state parks is deposited into Fund 512.

The gross receipts and revenue received in calendar year 2001 were as follows:

Concessions

Fifty-nine concession facilities were operated under 47 separate leases, contracts or short-term agreements. The contracts or agreements on 10 of these concession facilities expired and were rebid during the year.

Merchandising

Gift certificates for use in the state parks continue to be a popular item, with 587 gift certificates purchased through central office totaling $42,156. The gift certificates are promoted on the Ohio State Parks website, and are also available through each state park office.

State parks souvenir merchandise was featured on the improved Ohio State Parks website, and mail order sales were also promoted through a web gift shop posted on the ODNR website over the holidays, and through both issues of Ohio State Parks magazine. State parks merchandise was also offered for sale at numerous facilities within the parks, and at the Cardinal Gift Shop at the Ohio State Fair.

2002 Goals

• Enhance public service while continuing to incrementally develop Middle Bass Island State Park with emphasis on the marina and shoreline.
• Continue strategic realignment to compensate for fewer full-time staff and reduced operating budget.
• Continue implementation of the strategic plan, and further develop strategies at the field and central office levels to realign operational objectives consistent with the plan.
• Seek additional public and private sector partnerships at the park level as well as division-wide.
• Continue to work on the public-public partnership with Ashtabula County on the proposed Geneva State Park resort lodge complex.
• Continue to upgrade facilities through the capital improvement program with special emphasis on replacing vault latrines with flush restrooms and installing campground electric.
• Introduce a new customer satisfaction survey in the parks.
• Continue to explore various campground reservation options and their funding requirements.
• Continue to enhance the beach safety program with special emphasis on those beaches without lifeguards.
• Establish standards and specialized training for law enforcement supervisors.
• Develop and implement a new revenue and expenditure reporting system for the field that will streamline the current process.
• Implement the Flickinger Leadership Academy management-training program in collaboration with The Ohio State University School of Natural Resources and John Glenn Institute.

Statistical Abstract of the Ohio State Park System 2001