Our process
for the Bioregional Plan

Over two years, the staff of EcoCity Cleveland developed the Citizens' Bioregional Plan through a process of GIS (geographic information system) analysis and citizen involvement. GIS allowed us to process vast amounts of data about land use trends and then produce computer-generated maps of alternative scenarios. Most of the data came from local planning agencies, park districts and universities. We had help on technical mapping issues from a technical advisory committee of local GIS experts and from the Northern Ohio Data and Information Service at Cleveland State University's College of Urban Affairs.

We presented preliminary maps and concepts at 30 meetings throughout the region. The meetings were hosted by environmental groups, land trusts, soil and water conservation districts, planning agencies and other organizations (see list below). Near the end of the process, we held four public meetings (in Cleveland, Akron, Elyria and Kirtland) to obtain final citizen comment on the draft plan. In all, nearly 1,000 people attended the meetings.

The completed plan was presented at a Citizens' Bioregional Congress in Cleveland on May 15, 1999. About 200 citizens from around the region attended to ratify the plan, pledge to support its implementation, and generally celebrate the bioregion.

Since then, EcoCity Cleveland has continued to promote the ideas contained in this plan. And we are developing projects to support implementation.

Community meetings

The following organizations kindly hosted presentations of the draft Citizens' Bioregional Plan between May 1998 and April 1999. (Listing here does not necessary imply endorsement of the final plan or its recommendations.)

• Black Brook Audubon
• Cleveland State University, Center for Neighborhood Development
• Cleveland State University College of Urban Affairs, class on regional sustainability
• Cuyahoga County League of Women Voters
• Cuyahoga County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan, Coordinating Committee
• Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan, Yellow Brook group
• Geauga County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Headwaters Landtrust
• Holden Arboretum
• Inter-Community Coalition
• Kent Environmental Council
• Lake County Farmland Conservation Task Force
• Lake County Metroparks
• Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary Club
• Lakewood United Methodist Church
• Lorain County Community College, Public Services Institute
• Lorain County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Medina County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Metroparks Serving Summit County, Seiberling Naturealm
• Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Environmental Advisory Committee
• Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO)
• Northeast Ohio Land Trust Coalition
• Northeast Ohio Regional Alliance
• Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Northeast District office staff
• Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Surface Water
• Ohio Student Environmental Action Coalition
• PLACE (Portage Land Association for Conservation and Education)
• Portage County Environmental Roundtable
• Portage County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Shaker Lakes Nature Center
• Sierra Club Northeast Ohio Group
• Sierra Club Portage Trails Group
• Tinkers Creek Land Conservancy
• Western Reserve Resource Conservation and Development Council

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Study area: The Bioregional Plan focuses on Cuyahoga County and the six surrounding counties—Lorain, Medina, Summit, Portage, Geauga, and Lake.