Ohio § 1517.14

§ 1517.14.

(A) The director of natural resources may create wild, scenic, and recreational rivers.  The chief of the division of natural areas and preserves shall supervise, operate,

protect, and maintain wild, scenic, and recreational rivers so created.  In creating wild, scenic, and recreational rivers, the director shall classify each

such watercourse as either a wild river, a scenic river, or a recreational river.  The chief may prepare and maintain a plan for the establishment, development, use,

and administration of those rivers as a part of the comprehensive state plans for

water management and outdoor recreation.  The chief, with the approval of the director, may cooperate with federal agencies

administering any federal program concerning wild, scenic, or recreational river systems. (B) The director may propose to create a wild, scenic, or recreational river that consists

of a part or parts of any watercourse in this state that in the director's judgment

possesses water conservation, scenic, fish, wildlife, historic, or outdoor recreation

values that should be preserved. (C)(1) The director shall publish the intention to declare a watercourse a wild, scenic,

or recreational river at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in each

county, any part through which the watercourse flows.  The director also shall send written notice of the intention to the legislative

authority of each county, township, and municipal corporation and to each conservancy

district established under Chapter 6101. of the Revised Code, any part through which

the watercourse flows, and to the director of transportation, the director of development,

the director of administrative services, and the director of environmental protection.  The notices shall include a copy of a map and description of the watercourse to

be designated. (2) The director of natural resources shall post the intention to declare a watercourse

a wild, scenic, or recreational river on the division of natural areas and preserves'

web site on the date of the initial publication under division (C)(1) of this section. (3) Any person having an interest in the proposed declaration may file written comments

to the proposal within sixty days of the last date of publication or dispatch of written

notice as required under division (C)(1) of this section.  The director shall post on the division's web site the last date by which written

comments may be filed. (4) After sixty days from the last date of publication or dispatch of written notice

as required under division (C)(1) of this section, the director may enter a declaration

in the director's journal that the watercourse is a wild river, scenic river, or recreational

river.  When so entered, the watercourse is a wild, scenic, or recreational river, as applicable.  The director, after sixty days' notice as prescribed in this section, may terminate

the status of a watercourse as a wild river, scenic river, or recreational river by

an entry in the director's journal. (D) Declaration of a watercourse as a wild, scenic, or recreational river does not do

either of the following: (1) Affect private property rights or authorize the director, chief of the division of

natural areas and preserves, or any governmental agency or political subdivision to

restrict the use of private land adjacent to the river or to enter upon private land; (2) Expand or abridge the regulatory authority of any governmental agency or political

subdivision over the river. (E) The director may acquire real property or any estate, right, or interest therein

in order to provide for the protection and public recreational use of a wild, scenic,

or recreational river.  The director may enter into a lease or other agreement with a political subdivision

to administer all or part of any publicly owned land that is administered by the division

and that is within the watershed of a wild, scenic, or recreational river. (F) A wild, scenic, or recreational river that was declared as such by the director of

natural resources under Chapter 1547. of the Revised Code prior to the effective date

of this amendment retains its declaration as a wild, scenic, or recreational river

for purposes of sections 1517.14 to 1517.19 of the Revised Code on and after that date.