Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a midsized national park, situated between Akron and Cleveland Ohio, first designated as a National Park Service site in 1974. Since its creation, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is unique in that it serves millions in the Northeast Ohio area while also being seen as an international symbol of ecosystem renewal. Today the Cuyahoga River is a dynamic water trail that offers a variety of on and off river experiences, but this river was once known for the series of fires along its downstream stretch, earning infamy as the "river that burned." While it was the poster child for the passing of the Clean Water Act in 1972, the Cuyahoga River now boasts spawning fish and clean water indicator species.

In 2016, Cuyahoga Valley National Park developed a new Strategic Action Plan to align park priorities into a more focused effort. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park team chose to focus on the Cuyahoga River and identified "tenacity" as one of its fundamental values, reflective of a staff's belief in the importance of persistence and determination.

Examples of the park staff's tenacity are deep seeded throughout its history, but recent projects that highlight this essential trait include developing a reliable, confident volunteer team of skilled kayakers who are its eyes and ears on the river and a series of murals that add personality through a unique community partnership.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park River Ranger and River Program Manager Ryan Ainger will share the story of the plan, examples of tenacity, and how his leadership supports his and others' initiatives that have carved a unique spot for the Cuyahoga River valley.

Panelists

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On the second Tuesday of the month, the River Management Society hosts River Management Roundtables (facilitated virtual discussions) with professional river, greenway, and water trails leaders, planners, and managers who will benefit from peer-to-peer sharing. Our goal is to facilitate an open forum in which you can ask questions, share solutions and build comradery. There's no fee or membership requirement to attend, but registration is required to help us set expectations and improve our outreach. We will record the discussion and send it out to registrants within the week.

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