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Welcome to Shelby County Parks
Let's make our community a better place!
About Us
Who We Are
The Park District is a separate political subdivision created under chapter 1545 of the Ohio Revised Code. As a special district of the State of Ohio, it is operated and controlled at the local level.
Three Park Commissioners are appointed by the Shelby County Probate Judge and serve, without pay, for three year staggered terms. Some of the Board's responsibilities are to establish park policy, control the funds of the park district, and rule on plans for park acquisition and improvement.
The Park Board may acquire land by gift or devise; by purchase for cash or through installment payments, with or without a mortgage; and by entering into leases, lease/purchase agreements, or leases with option to purchase. It may also accept donations of land, money or other property.
Funds for the Park District may come from a levy approved by the voters of Shelby County, park operations receipts, Local Government Funds, County Commissioners allocations, grants, gifts and bequests.
History of the Shelby County Park District
In 1977, a citizen task force formed to look into ways of protecting natural areas of Shelby County. The citizens visited with township trustees, village, and city councils and the county commission to describe the problem and explain their goals. Following the receipt of petitions in support of the Park District, Judge Thomas Eshman held a hearing on June 28, 1978, during which testimony was heard on the issue of creating a Park District. On July 18, 1978, the Shelby County Park District was created, and charged with providing for and protecting Shelby County Natural Areas.
The bylaws of the Shelby County Park District say that the "District shall…operate in the purest manner as the legislative statute (Section 1545, Ohio Revised Code) permits: to preserve open space lands in their natural state."
How Parks Give Back to You
Almost everyone in the world has somehow benefited from public park and recreation programs at some time in their lives - directly or indirectly. Often people are unaware of how vital recreation and leisure are to the quality of their lives. Whether we know it or not, programs services, events, and opportunities provided by local, state and national park and recreation agencies positively impact many areas of our lives and society. The benefits are endless.
Four major benefit areas have been identified by American and Canadian organizations. These are individual, community, economic and environmental. Within each of these categories are dozens of specific benefits which are substantiated by facts, field studies, testimonials and research findings.
Here are a few of the ways that parks and recreation works for you, your neighbors, your children, and your communities:
Individual Benefits
Starting an activity program reduced the risk of dying by 51% in men who became physically active when compared to those who remained sedentary. (Blair, 1993).
For each additional mile walked or run by a sedentary person, that individual would add an extra 21 minutes to his/her life. (RAND Corporation, 1993)
A study by psychologists found that pleasant events such as dinner with friends or a weekend hike in the woods gave a boost to the immune system that lasted two to three days. (Sachs and Segal. "Mind & Body," New Woman. December 1994, p. 50).
"I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry -go-rounds. I would pick more daisies."
-from "If I Had My Life to Live Over" by Nadine Starr, age 85
Community Benefits
People who are socially involved are two to five times less likely to suffer from heart disease (Club Industry, October 1995)
Csikszentmihalyi and Kleiber found that fondest memories people have of their past tend to involve family outings and vacations (Csikszentmihalyi and Kleiber, "Leisure and Self Actualization," In Driver, et al. Benefits of Leisure, 1991).
Cincinnati, Ohio, initiated the Late Evening Recreation Programs in 1993. During the initial 13-week period, the number of juvenile criminal incidents dropped 24% from 645 to 491. Cost per person -$.56. (Beyond Fun and Games 1994)
"This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in." - Theodore Roosevelt
Economic Benefits
In Salem, Oregon, urban land next to a green belt was worth $1,200 more per acre than urban land 1,000 feet away. (Healing America's Cities 1994)
A Brown University study found that if each American walked one hour a day we could reduce healthcare costs annually by $20 billion. (1995)
Union Pacific Railroad found that 80% of its employees believed that their exercise programs were helping them be more productive at work: 75% thought that regular exercise was helping them achieve higher levels of relaxation and concentration at work. (The Economic Benefits of Regular Exercise 1992)
Parks stimulate tourism activity nationwide. Two-thirds of all visitors to Oregon stopped at a state park in 1993, generating an annual economic impact to the state estimated at $500 million. Oregon ranks 31st nationally in amount of state park land and comes in fourth nationally in park usage. (Oregon State Parks 1994)
"It is not surprising that the increase of juvenile crime in many places directly corresponds to general decreases in national, state and local investments in recreation and parks." - R. Dean Tice, Executive Director, NRPA
Environmental Benefits
Greenways, which help conserve plants and trees, provide a valuable contribution toward pollution control because they mitigate water, air and noise pollution. (National Park Service 1990)
Without increased amount of natural habitat, forest lands, wetlands, cultural sites and recreation land, the continued degradation of habitat will continue which will undoubtedly lead to additional Endangered Species Act listings, complete with the attendant public contention and economic disruption. (Creating a Conservation and Recreation Legacy 1994)
According to a study conducted at the University of Calcutta, India, one tree's contribution over 50 years in controlling air pollution, soil erosion, soil fertility, recycling water and humidity is worth a total of $196,250. (Oregon Department of Forestry 1994)
In 1992, 64% of Los Angeles County voters approved Proposition A, the Safe Neighborhood Parks Act - a special property tax surcharge that provides $540 million to redesign old parks, buy land and build recreation facilities. (Healing America's Cities 1992)
"Perhaps nature is our best insurance of immortality." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"The future is purchased by the present" - Samuel Johnson