The Sasquatch disc golf course is located up the hill from the main parking lot at the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

The Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area has been transferred to the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District after an announcement from the Broughton family and officials on Wednesday.

In partnership with the Broughton Family and the Marietta Community Foundation, the park will now be under the ownership of the MWCD.

A press conference was held at the Elizabeth Sugden Broughton Community Building on Wednesday to formally announce and commemorate the transfer of ownership.

“This will allow us to keep the park nice and they (MCWD) have been in business a long time,” said George Broughton. “They have expertise and they have all kinds of stuff that we did not have so I think the park will actually go to the next level up.”

Established in 1991 by Carl and Elizabeth Broughton, the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area consisted of more than 600 acres of land north of Marietta along Ohio 821.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s Executive Director Craig Butler (not pictured) and President of the Board of Directors Jennifer Ponchak unveil the new signage for the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

George Broughton said their family made a promise to his father to continue to share the land because that is what he wanted. He said Carl Broughton always loved to share and providing a recreational area was his way of giving back to the community.

“We felt those 30 years of work the volunteers gave us, we need to compensate them and a fair way of compensating them is to make sure all the work they’ve put in will stay here,” he said.

The Broughton Foundation has been managed by Ruth, Mary, George, and Nancy Broughton along with dedicated volunteers and members of the community.

He thanked all of the volunteers who had helped maintain the grounds over the years as well as the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for regulating the area.

“We promised my father we would make a park out of this land,” he said.

George Broughton shares his vision for the future of the park and how its transfer will take the park to the next level. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

In the 1990s, the park was created with the intent of dedication to preserving ecosystems and providing an area for environmental studies and recreation. The park is home to an abundance of native plant species that can be found along the miles and miles of Broughton trails.

Among the speakers during Wednesday’s announcement was MWCD Executive Director Craig Butler who shared his vision for the future of the park.

“George was worried about what would happen to this property after he was no longer here and his family couldn’t take care of it,” said Butler. “He asked if we would actually consider doing it, and it was really an interview and George was testing us.”

Butler said Broughton entrusted the property to the MWCD and they made a commitment to maintaining that shared vision.

The MWCD covers over 8,000 square miles which is about 20% of Ohio’s land with jurisdictions of 18 counties. The MWCD is the largest drainage system in the state with 16 dams and reservoirs that reduce flooding for property owners.

A chewed buckeye rests on a rock along the Sasquatch disc golf course at the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

“Our commitment to you George and to your family is to thank you for entrusting us to manage this vision,” Butler said.

The intricate trail system is available to the public for hiking, cross-county, and mountain biking and commonly used by members of the city and students at Marietta City Schools and Marietta College.

Some key natural features located within the park include ponds, streams, waterfalls, and undisturbed areas of flourishing ecosystems.

The board for the MWCD also announced Trails Coordinator Dylan Sayre as the Broughton park manager. Sayre grew up locally only 25 miles north of Marietta and said he’s honored to be selected for this position.

“For the trail system, we do have a very ambitious plan to expand our current trail system from 42 miles up to about 300 miles in the next 20 years,” he said.

The Elizabeth Sugden Broughton Community Building next to the main parking lot was established in 2019. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

The Broughton Foundation managed nearly 800 total acres with the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area, the Rudolph Family Park, and the Devola Multi-Use Trails system.

In 2018, the Broughton Foundation leased over 150 acres from nearby Rudolph Farms which connected the trails to the Marietta Trail System.

There are also two disc golf courses, picnic shelters, fire pits, and community buildings that can be rented for events.

“It’s not ours, it’s just our time,” said Sayre.

Next to the Elizabeth Sugden Broughton Community Building are fire pits and chairs for the public to enjoy. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

The Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area consists of two disc golf courses; the Sasquatch and the Big Buckeye course. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

There are a total of 800 acres with extensive trails throughout the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area, Rudolph Family Park, and the Devole Multi-Use trail system. (Photo by Amber Phipps)