Mohican State Forest releases damage info, plan for recovery

"The scope of the impact there is quite devastating. It's not the same forest as it was. It has really been hit, so that's what we've been dealt by Mother Nature here," Forest Manager Chad Sanders told Ashland County commissioners at a meeting last week. 

Damage was not limited to severely damaged areas; the entire park was impacted by the June storms, Sanders added.

A number of hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding trails are still closed due to the storm, Sanders said. Three-quarters of the horse trails are set to re-open on Aug. 1, and Sanders anticipates the bike trail will re-open in mid-August.

"Hopefully in a month or so, most everything will be open so people can visit and do what they want," Sanders said.

The next step for the forest is to begin salvaging downed trees, a process which could take 1-2 years to complete. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources requires hiring master loggers for salvage operations, who have restrictions on when they can work and how they work in order to preserve the natural resources of the forest. 

A significant chunk of the revenue from salvage operations of the lumber will go to Ashland County, Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village Schools, and Hanover Township, Sanders said. 

Two priorities in the tornado response plan, human safety and infrastructure, have already been completed, according to the document.

In the hours after the storm, campsites were evacuated, roads and trails were closed, and tree hazards were removed to ensure safety for people in the area.

In the days and weeks following the storm, roads, parking areas, and offices were cleared and access was restored to Columbia gas wells, restoring infrastructure to the forest.

ODNR is hosting an open house event on Aug. 25 at the Loudonville Library, where attendees can learn more about the state forests and the efforts to deal with storm damage in the Mohican-Memorial State Forest.