COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is investing in rural school districts and communities through the Trees to Textbooks program, a part of the ODNR Division of Forestry.
Through the program, 16 schools, counties and townships will share $1,578,538 from the harvest of timber from Ohio’s state forests.
“ODNR’s sustainable management of natural resources makes programs like this possible,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “We believe in the power of education, which is why we find it important to give back to local schools.”
Through the program, a percentage of revenue from state forest management activity goes to the county, township and school district where the activity took place.
“The Trees to Textbooks program has done a lot to benefit our communities economically,” Chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry Dan Balser said. “We are pleased to be able share the funds with our local communities to strengthen the quality of education and help local economies flourish.”
The Division of Forestry began distributing timber revenues to counties and townships in the 1980s. Since Trees to Textbooks began in 1999, more than $37 million have been shared with Ohio school districts and local governments.
