Raise revenue through preservation
As Deputy Mayor, Hardy commissioned the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to study the feasibility of raising much-needed revenue by permanently preserving the more than 16,000 acres of Upper Cuyahoga Watershed lands owned by the City of Akron.
The City purchased this land, long ago, to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for our community.
Revenue would be generated through the sale of conservation easements. A conservation easement is a legal document that permanently preserves land. Many corporations, and even governmental entities, purchase such easements to offset the destruction of forest and wetlands elsewhere.
As Ward 8 City Councilman, Hardy will dust off this study and work with the administration to pursue a pathway to create a conservation easement program for City-owned land in the Upper Cuyahoga Watershed, ensuring no development or commercial interest ever interferes with our drinking water.