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As Adopted by the Senate
136th General Assembly
Regular Session
S. R. No. 216
2025-2026
Senator
Huffman
Cosponsors:
Senators Antonio, Blackshear, Blessing, Brenner, DeMora,
Hicks-Hudson, Ingram, Landis, Liston, Manchester, O'Brien, Patton,
Reineke, Reynolds, Romanchuk, Schaffer, Smith, Timken, Weinstein,
Wilkin, Wilson
A R E S O L U T I O N
Honoring
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and
Watercraft on receiving the 2025 National Gold Medal Award for
Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.
WHEREAS,
The members of the Senate of the 136th General Assembly of Ohio are
pleased to commend the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division
of Parks and Watercraft on being presented with the 2025
National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation
Management by the American Academy for Park and Recreation
Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association; and
WHEREAS,
This is a prestigious achievement, and it provides an ideal
time to acknowledge the exceptional work done by the ODNR Division of
Parks and Watercraft. Time and again, the organization has diligently
protected Ohio’s natural resources while also maintaining an
impressive commitment to innovation, accessibility, and conservation,
and it has engaged in an array of worthwhile activities and projects
aimed at strengthening our state’s park system, including the
recent development of Great Council State Park; and
WHEREAS,
The ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft has attained a praiseworthy
record of service to the residents of Ohio, and it has earned the
well-deserved respect and appreciation of all those it has served.
Indeed, it has set a fine example for other such agencies in
neighboring states, and receiving this year’s National Gold Medal
Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management is a
justifiable source of pride and an excellent reflection not only on
the organization itself but also on its hard-working staff and
volunteers; and
WHEREAS,
All those associated with the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft,
including the director, Mary Mertz, and the division chief, Glen
Cobb, have applied vision and expertise to the task of protecting and
preserving the environment while providing the public with
recreational opportunities. They are to be congratulated for their
foresight, dedication, and selfless donations of time, energy, and
ability far beyond what was required or expected. We are proud to
note that it is through the diligent efforts of conscientious
individuals such as these that the State of Ohio continues to grow
and prosper and remains a pleasant place in which to live and work;
therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That we, the members of the Senate of the 136th General Assembly of
Ohio, in adopting this Resolution, applaud the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources Division of Parks and Watercraft on its national
accolade and extend best wishes for ongoing success; and be it
further
RESOLVED,
That the Clerk of the Senate transmit a duly authenticated copy of
this Resolution to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division
of Parks and Watercraft.