Partnership kicks off conservancy plan

By Jon Moffett

Officials collaborated on a 125-year conservation plan for the parks.

YOUNGSTOWN — Dave Imbrogno is focused on making the next 125 years of the Mill Creek MetroParks as successful as the past century has been.

Imbrogno, executive director of the park system, and officials from the MetroParks and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy announced a partnership at a recognition dinner Thursday. Imbrogno said the main goal is to create a plan to preserve the area’s parks and wildlife for as long as possible.

“It’s a five-, 25- and 125-year plan,” he said. “We’re looking as far into the future as we are old. We’re looking back as far as [MetroParks founder] Volney Rogers and trying to think like he did. We hope to take a look at and see what we can do to preserve green space, open space, parks and recreation space throughout the county.”

Though Youngstown is known for it’s steel-powered industrial past, Imbrogno said the partnership will help the city emerge as a “greendustrial” community.

The event Thursday was the partnership’s kickoff, and Imbrogno said there are plans to start working immediately. He said the two groups collaborated to form a “natural areas advisory committee” and will look at where park space is needed and the necessary maintenance of those areas.

“A lot of people think that because an area is a nature preserve that all the work is done, but that’s just the beginning,” Imbrogno said. “We have to manage it, remove invasive species and control water levels. It’s very complicated, and there are a lot of biological, ecological and habitat questions.”

He said the strategic plan should be complete by the end of the year.

In addition to looking ahead to the park system’s future, the event also recognized and celebrated a fixture of the past. James Centofanti of Youngstown was awarded the Volney Rogers Legacy Award for his continued work in preserving the parks.

“Jim is a certain individual who has really supported the parks’ efforts,” said Susan Yerian, a former MetroParks director. She said Centofanti has donated more than $200,000 to the MetroParks as part of a local match for federal funding. The money has gone toward projects including the wildlife sanctuary, wildlife preserve and extending the MetroParks farm. She said Centofanti’s donation has brought in more than $1.5 million for 50 acres for the parks.

“He’s opened a lot of doors” for the park system, Yerian said.

“It feels great,” Centofanti said of receiving the award. “We all kind of work together, and we get things done.”

The goal of the partnership is to preserve the parks for future generations, said Chad Less, a Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District board member.

“Development happens, populations grow, and you don’t always realize what you lose if it isn’t preserved,” he said. “But we should keep these areas around for our children so they can see what natural areas look like.”

Despite the aggressive preservation plan, Imbrogno stressed the parks are not in danger.

“The MetroParks doesn’t need fixing, it doesn’t need change, and it’s not like we’ve got problems,” he said. “We’ve been very successful, but now what? That’s what we’re here to answer.”

jmoffett@vindy.com