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Friends of the Lower Muskingum to hold annual dinner

Group protects local land, watershed

Photo submitted by Friends of the Lower Muskingum River A bee lands on a flower at a pollinator habitat project undertaken by Friends of the Lower Muskingum River near Stockport.

A year of accomplishments in making a significant river substantially better will be highlighted Saturday night at the Friends of the Lower Muskingum River annual dinner and auction in Marietta.

The group, a nonprofit established in 2002, is dedicated to conserving land and taking other measures to protect the Lower Muskingum River watershed.

Saturday night’s event is the FLMR’s biggest fundraising event. Executive director Tiffany Harvey said Wednesday much of the money raised by the organization goes into its land trust, used to purchase ecologically significant tracts of land around the river and its tributaries to preserve the land and in some cases make it available for public use.

The FLMR land trust, for example, owns the 30-acre Luke Chute Conservation Area in Morgan County and the Devol Run Dam Preserve just north of Marietta.

Doug Albaugh, who is the secretary for the group, said he became aware of the FLMR shortly after it was founded. He wanted to preserve some land he owned on the river and inquired about acquiring a conservation easement for it.

Photo submitted by Friends of the Lower Muskingum River Tiffany Harvey. executive director for Friends of the Lower Muskingum River, speaks to a group of students during an October presentation at YES (Youth Engineering and Science) Days at Washington State Community College. Part of the FLMR's mission is environmental education.

“It’s a beautiful place, and I would hate to see it chopped up and sold for lots,” he said.

A conservation easement applies to the property even after it is sold and prevents subdivision or commercial development into perpetuity, he said. Albaugh joined the organization and spent some time on its board.

“If I can help protect other places as well, then that’s great,” he said. The FLMR has facilitated such easements on more than 650 acres and acquired more than 250 acres in land trust, he said.

In addition, the FLMR volunteers maintain trails in their public areas and conduct educational projects about the river and its ecology and conservation.

The annual dinner and auction, Harvey said, is used to cover operating expenses and build up the land trust acquisition fund.

“We know that if you protect the land, you protect the water,” she said.

Recent activities by the FLMR include several pollinator habitat workdays – “It’s basically a big native flowering plant field,” she said – environmental education for students at Camp Hervida during the summer, and YES (Youth Engineering and Science) days at Washington State Community College.

“There were lots of river sweeps and cleanups, volunteers who go out with trash bags and pick up debris from the river banks,” she said.

The FLMR has about 85 members, she said.

“The main thing that makes the FLMR important is that we’re the only land trust in the area, the only group buying land that will remain open space forever, the only group providing environmental education and conservation easements,” she said. “It ensures that even after you are gone, your land will remain the way it is.”

There are a few tickets left for the Saturday dinner and auction, she said. Information is available by calling Harvey at 304-488-4758.

The FLMR also welcomes donations, and Harvey said an anonymous benefactor has staked $15,000 as a matching grant that will be contributed on a 2-for-1 basis, meaning every $200 will receive a $400 matching grant through the end of the year. Information on donating can be found on the organization’s website, muskingumriver.org, or checks can simply be mailed to 348 Muskingum Drive, Marietta, Ohio 45750.

Friends of the Lower Muskingum annual dinner and auction

If you go

•When: 5 to 8 p.m Saturday.

•Where: Knights of Columbus Hall, 312 Franklin St., Marietta.

•Agenda: Wine social, dinner, auction, presentation about FLMR’s work over the past year.

•Tickets: $35, a few remain – call Tiffany Harvey for information, 304-488-4758

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