Sixteen rural Ohio school districts, their corresponding counties, and townships will share $1,578,538 from the harvest of timber from Ohio's state forests through the Trees to Textbooks program, which operates as part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry.
"ODNR's sustainable management of natural resources makes programs like this possible," Governor Mike DeWine said. "We believe in the power of education, which is why we find it important to give back to local schools."
Through the ODNR Division of Forestry's Trees to Textbooks program, a percentage of the revenue generated from state forest management activity goes to the county, township, and school district in which the activity took place.
"The Trees to Textbooks program has done a lot to benefit our communities economically," Chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry Dan Balser said. "We are pleased to be able share the funds with our local communities to strengthen the quality of education and help local economies flourish."
The Ohio Division of Forestry began distributing timber revenues to counties and townships in the early 1980s. Since the Trees to Textbooks program started in 1999, more than $37 million has been shared with Ohio school districts and local governments.
The Ohio Division of Forestry is responsible for the care of more than 200,000 acres of state forests. State forestry experts manage these woodlands for overall health and diversity, soil and water conservation, improved wildlife habitat and a variety of recreational opportunities. Selected trees or areas of woodland are harvested through a competitive bid process, which includes requirements for sound management practices. All work is conducted by certified master loggers under strict monitoring.
Categories: Ohio, Education