NAACP Youngstown President pens letter demanding changes at McGuffey Wildlife Preserve

NAACP Youngstown Mahoning County branch president James Brown sent a letter to Mill Creek Metroparks president Lee Frey demanding McGuffey Wildlife Preserve and McGuffey Family Pond and Dock be fixed and preserved. 

The letter states that the lack of maintenance has allowed the pond to become a swampy wetland, and noted that the dock was removed in 2022 due to safety concerns. 

The letter also states that the park's inability to maintain the area has had an adverse affect on low-income families, as well as minority populations living near the preserve, forcing them to travel to another county for a usable water feature. 

"Taxpayers from Youngstown's East Side, Coitsville Township and Campbell are being denied a first-class facility, in their neighborhood. Low to moderate income families, a large minority population and the disabled from Purple Cat's Gabba Camp now need to drive to another part of the county, to access a functioning water feature," said Brown in the letter. 

Brown also suggested that the park district file for an Ohio EPA permit, to partially excavate the wetlands back into a pond and rebuild a dock, for both citizens and wildlife to utilize.

The William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society the former McGuffey Homestead in `1998, to the park district. The facility is a National Historic Landmark, which is a very rare designation, conferred by the U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service. Located on McGuffey Road, Coitsville Township, the preserve includes seventy-three acres and features trails and unusual geological formations.

In a press release, the NAACP mentions how the park district has refused all suggestions offered by stakeholders, including Representative Lauren McNally, Senator Mike Rulli, Mahoning County Commissioners, U.S. Congressman Bill Johnson recently wrote a letter to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, citing the importance of the McGuffey legacy. 

The letter ends with Brown reminding the park about the economic benefits of updating and preserving McGuffey Wildlife Preserve and McGuffey Family Pond and Dock. 

"A state nature preserve would promote tourism, create economic activity, bring state dollars back to the county and add prestige to the valley. I look forward to discussing this with you, please let me know your availability," said Brown in the letter.