Hiking trails planned for Mount Vernon’s Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve
2 mins read

Hiking trails planned for Mount Vernon’s Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve

MOUNT VERNON—After two decades, access to the Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve is closer to reality.

The city purchased the 53-acre parcel in 2004 using city funds, a private donation and Clean Ohio funds from the Ohio Public Works Commission’s Natural Resources Assistance Council (NRAC).

In 2015, the city placed it under the care of Owl Creek Conservancy. A deed restriction ensures it remains a habitat.

City councilors gave legislation authorizing the city to apply for NRAC funds to pay for nature preserve trails a first reading Monday.

“We may only request these funds to purchase new land or to improve land purchased by the program,” explained City Engineer Brian Ball.

The city has long had the goal of adding footpaths in the preserved area.

“This was in the original plan, but it was never done,” Ball said. “People from Owl Creek have said, ‘We want to make this viable. We want the public to enjoy the space; we will have people living next to it. “

Acreage east of the Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve will become the site of Highland Real Estate’s Liberty Crossing subdivision.

Earlier this month, the Mount Vernon Municipal Planning Commission approved a deviation remove HRE’s shared use road from the wetlands area. HRE adapted it to connect with nature conservation’s future path.

“We want to welcome people to this large, publicly owned, publicly funded asset, but we don’t want them to harm the ecosystem,” Ball said.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency plans to install raised boardwalks over areas that pedestrians may have a negative impact on.

“People get to see how beautiful that place is, and by having the designated paths on the boardwalk, that controls things so people don’t go everywhere and tear it up,” Ball said.

Blackjack Road Wetlands Preserve Timeline

The city does not yet have real cost estimates for the boardwalks because the application deadline is not until September 2025.

Ball said getting council members to support the project helps the engineer plan the grant application, cost shares and other details.

“We want to get away from it,” he told the council.

“It is a beautiful area. People need to see this,” said Council President Bruce Hawkins. “It’s one of the most beautiful areas around; this is long overdue.”

He compared the Blackjack Reserve to Sheedy Sanctuary in Morrow County, which has wetlands and raised boardwalks.

“They even have a tower where you can look down on the wetlands,” Hawkins said. “It’s a beautiful park, and that’s kind of what this is.”