Once again, Ohio University is discussing development on The Ridges, in violation of the law that gave the land to OU and in violation of the recommendations of the OU Ecology Committee.

            Citizens are invited to an open meeting at the Athens Public Library large meeting room for the Campaign to Protect The Ridges.  The group will work to block plans by OU to allow fill dirt from the Summit Coates Run development (behind the OU INN) to be dumped on The Ridges as a precursor to development.

            The Ridges is the only large area of green space within walking distance of the OU campus and uptown Athens .  The land provides critical inspiration to Athens and Ohio University writers, as do similar natural areas at wise universities around the world.

            The development on the former Daines Property at Richland and Dairy Lane is currently planning on dumping 300,000 tons of soil onto the south portion of the Ridges land, to open it for development.  This is the area where bobcat’s were sighted in 2003, a state endangered species and the mascot of OU.

            Furthermore, OU purchased more than 15,000 native trees that Author Chad Kister coordinated the planting of all throughout the south Ridges area.

            OU is required to have a Ridges Advisory Committee to advise them on uses of The Ridges.  This committee has not met since 1991, and these are totally new plans.

            Additionally, the plans violate the recommendation of the OU Ecology Committee which met more than 20 times and came up with a land use plan in 1996 calling for the preservation of the entire land.

If OU does not listen to the committees appointed to make recommendations on key issues, it is acting as a dictatorship rather than a democracy, violating the very tenants that our country was founded upon.

If you have enjoyed the natural splendor of The Ridges, please do your part to keep the land protected.  Join what will be an exciting, critical movement for permanent protection of this beloved land.