Natural resource assessment of the proposed Columbia Sensitive Resource Zone, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Curtis, Rob; Bingham, Sonia; Shaeffer, Megan

doi:10.36967/2310114

From 2021 – 2023, Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA) and Summit Metro Parks (SMP) worked collaboratively through an interagency agreement to inventory and classify natural and cultural resources in an ecologically sensitive zone around Blue Hen Falls and Columbia Picnic area. Increased visitation in recent years created safety concerns, trail erosion and damage to sensitive resources and locally rare habitats. At the time of this study, these areas were located within one of CUVA’s management areas proposed as a Sensitive Resource Zone (SRZ), specifically the Columbia SRZ. The SRZ designation was proposed based on historical data that indicated the zone had unusually high concentrations of locally noteworthy plant species, seeps and springs, coldwater streams and specialist salamanders that require an elevated level of protection from visitor-related impacts. Managers sought thorough and up-to-date information on existing resource conditions, to inform and guide plans related to trail and parking lot relocation and management. Summit Metro Parks used their own intensive habitat-based evaluation technique (Park Habitat Inventory, Evaluation and Land-use Designation, PHIELD), which provided consistent and science-based recreational zone land-use recommendations. Wetlands, rare plants, streams, snakes, bats and known cultural sites were also surveyed by SMP staff, Heartland Inventory & Monitoring Staff, and contracted biologists. The surveys produced nearly 500 records of 150 rare species; mapped and classified 103 wetlands (Category 1, 2, and 3) and 104 streams (ephemeral, intermittent, perennial); provided higher level classifications for seven of the perennial primary headwater streams (Class III Type A (perennial) or Type B (cold-water perennial); and detected five bat and 4 snake species. Following PHIELD method guidelines, nearly 16% of the SRZ, primarily along the eastern boundary, is recommended to be restricted access due to sensitive and high-quality resources. Passive recreational zones are recommended for 74% and active recreational zones for the remaining 10% of the SRZ. Our supplemental biological and cultural surveys generally support these conclusions. For example, the highest quality streams, predominance of rare species and most significant cultural resources with the Columbia SRZ are found within the PHIELD-generated restricted access zones recommended in this report. This study confirms that the SRZ has some of the highest quality resources in CUVA as evidenced by the detailed spatial data on the distribution of these resources throughout the SRZ. Specific management recommendations are provided to help meet the protection goals of the newly-enacted SRZ designation and guide decisions on trail and parking lot changes near Blue Hen Falls and the Columbia Picnic Area.

Natural resource assessment of the proposed Columbia Sensitive Resource Zone, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

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