Park Coming To Wayne Township – Content provided by MetroParks of Butler County
Wayne Township residents and guests will soon have a public destination to explore, hike, fish, and take in the scenic panoramic views of western Butler County. MetroParks of Butler County has been awarded Clean Ohio funding to acquire the land that is now the Angst Nature Preserve MetroPark, located just west of Jacksonburg Road on Route 73 in Wayne Township. The property consists of 84.2 acres of rolling fields, woods, and stream valleys, and sits atop the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer, which makes it an important resource for watershed protection.
Helen Angst took steps before her passing to protect this farm, which had been in the Angst family since 1925, as a natural green space that would one day be accessible to the public. Three Valley Conservation Trust acquired the property from Ms. Angst, and Butler County MetroParks acquired it from Three Valley. The land will be protected as natural green space in perpetuity through a conservation easement with Three Valley and deed restrictions through the Clean Ohio program.
As part of the process of obtaining grant funding, MetroParks developed a draft Concept Plan as well as a Restoration Plan to show how the land will be managed and eventually opened to the public. Farm fields will be converted over time to prairies and native grasslands, with some reforestation to provide an expanded riparian buffer, protecting water quality in the streams that feed into Cotton Run and Four Mile Creek.
Planned visitor amenities include parking, two miles of trails, scenic views, restrooms, dining shelters, a play area, and a pond with catch-and-release fishing options. There are plans to renovate the existing bank barn as a park shelter and possible three-season event space.