Pickerington foundation's land deals to preserve 65 acres, donate another 40 to parks

A Pickerington-based land preservation foundation recently purchased 65 acres it intends to return to a natural state, in addition to another 40 acres it's donated for a local park expansion.

Since 2006, David Hague and Tammy Miller of Pickerington have purchased approximately 920 acres in Pickerington and Violet Township, bordered by Pickerington, Allen and Busey roads, in a bid to remove invasive species, prevent future development, agricultural use or chemical runoff and return and preserve the land in its natural state.

To further pursue their mission, the couple in June 2021 joined several other like-minded board of directors to form the Bill and Joyce Hague Foundation, which honors David Hague's mother and his late father, the former owner of a Groveport water-softening equipment-sales business. Joyce Hauge also is on the board.

The foundation's goal is to promote human responsibility to nature through preservation and restoration of natural areas and the promotion of ethical stewardship of the land. In December, the group had one of its most productive months.

Two Glaciers Park donation

On Dec. 13, Joyce and David Hague gave $160,000 to the Fairfield County Park District that enabled the district to purchase 40 acres formerly owned by Carl Luck at 3177 Clearcreek Road SW in Lancaster for $181,556.49. The county picked up the rest of the tab.

In addition to increasing of the overall acreage of Two Glaciers Park from 316 to 356, the purchase is expected to enable the parks district to connect the two portions of the park that had been divided by the property.

“On behalf of Fairfield County Park District, I want to say that we are enormously grateful for the Bill and Joyce Hague Foundation,” said Marcey Shafer, Fairfield County Park District director. “Making the park district's largest property a contiguous 356 acres is a gift to wildlife and people.

"In the coming years, the wildlife habitat at Two Glaciers Park will continue to improve. Residents will have access totrails that include forest, meadows, covered bridges, wetlands and fantastic Fairfield County views."

According to a Jan. 6 Fairfield County Park District news release, Two Glaciers Park visitors usually have had to drive to visit both Johnson and Hannaway covered bridges, which are in the separate areas of the currently noncontiguous park.

Connecting the park would allow for the development of trails that would make it possible to access both on foot, according to the release.

"Compared to those at Mambourg Park and Smeck Park, trails at Two Glaciers Park will be much longer and provide a very different experience for hikers – one that is more rugged with a higher level of difficulty," the release stated.

Had the Bill and Joyce Hague Foundation not stepped forward, the land purchase and future connection of the park would not have been possible, according to parks district officials.

Kimber Caito, a media coordinator for the parks district, said the agency had planned to purchase land with the aid an undisclosed grant. However, a delay in the grant's processing threatened to spoil the parks district's ability to buy the land as it was going on the market.

"We initially had no clue the property was going to be available to us," Caito said. "An unexpected delay in the application process made it impossible to meet the agreed timeline with the seller.

"We feared the opportunity to get the land had vanished."

David Hague said when the foundation found out about the impending sale, it was happy to come forward with endowment money.

“Our purpose is to restore and protect," he said. "There are times it is necessary to act quickly or opportunities are lost forever.

"We chose to help Fairfield County Park District obtain this piece of property since it connects the two sections of Two Glaciers Park. It was an easy decision because they are good stewards of the land they already own.”

Caito said plans for the development of trails and other work on the land likely would begin within two years.

Hague Nature Preserve

In addition to the donation for the parkland purchase, the foundation on Dec. 27 completed the purchase of 65 acres a mile south of Pickerington City Hall on Hill Road South for approximately $1.65 million.

The land, formerly owned by Howard Daugherty, doesn't have an official address but is within Pickerington city limits, with its western border along Hill Road.

Those 64 acres would not be incorporated into the nearby Coyote Run property that Hague and Miller have been preserving since 2006. However, it will be used for the same purpose.

"This purchase protects a forest and a portion of the Sycamore Creek watershed," a foundation release said. "Restoration will involve the removal of invasive plant species and protection of endangered bat habitat."

As a nature preserve, the land would not be made available for public access; it would be converted into the Hague Nature Preserve, an area where development would not be permitted.

Hague and other members of the foundation are soliciting volunteers who would be granted limited access to help remove invasive plant species from the grounds. Those interested in volunteering should send inquires to tmfp@icloud.com.

"The restoration will take place over a number of years," Hague said. "There are invasives to remove, and that is ongoing.

"There are also a lot of trees to plant. I would guess, in terms of restoration, that it will take five to 10 years."

Hague said the land is almost surrounded by his Coyote Run property, increasing his local preservation efforts.

"It doesn't take you long to drive through this area and see all the development that's going on," Hague said. "Nature is getting squeezed. So protection is very important."

Eventually, Hague said, the Hague Nature Preserve could host research projects and educational programs led by university professors and other naturalists.

"The foundation is a 501(c)(3)," Hague said. "It's a nonprofit meant to benefit the public by participating in volunteer efforts to restore natural lands and through educational programs put on by naturalists."

Although Pickerington officials are seeking new development to provide better resources and services to residents and to bring more tax revenue to the city, City Manager Greg Butcher said he supports the foundation's effort to protect natural areas.

"The city of Pickerington has maintained a strong relationship with David Hague and his family for several years," Butcher said. "The common thread between us is conservation and an appreciation of the environment and how fragile it can become if not managed properly by public and private partners. Together, we have worked on or are in the process of working on projects ranging from litter pickup, invasive plant control and eradication and future conservation-themed land use."

Hague said his parents grew up in rural West Virginia and Ohio and spent their lives building a business that manufactured water-treatment equipment. In addition to their goal of providing good water to homes around the world, they spent spare time hiking and learning to appreciate the need to protect nature.

"My father died two years ago," Hague said. "Quality water was very important to him, and Sycamore Creek watershed runs right through there.

"I think my dad would be smiling right now."

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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Foundation's land deals to preserve 65 acres, donate another 40 to parks