HB 627: Allow county commissioners to disapprove scenic river designation

As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session

H. B. No. 627

2025-2026

Representative Stephens

To amend section 1517.14 of the Revised Code to 1
allow a board of county commissioners to 2
disapprove of certain scenic river designations. 3

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: 4

Section 1. That section 1517.14 of the Revised Code be 5
amended to read as follows: 6

Sec. 1517.14. (A) The Subject to division (C) (4) of this 6
section, the director of natural resources may create wild, 7
scenic, and recreational rivers. The chief of the division of 8
natural areas and preserves shall supervise, operate, protect, 9
and maintain wild, scenic, and recreational rivers so created. 10
In creating wild, scenic, and recreational rivers, the director 11
shall classify each such watercourse as either a wild river, a 12
scenic river, or a recreational river. The chief may prepare and 13
maintain a plan for the establishment, development, use, and 14
administration of those rivers as a part of the comprehensive 15
state plans for water management and outdoor recreation. The 16
chief, with the approval of the director, may cooperate with 17
federal agencies administering any federal program concerning 18
wild, scenic, or recreational river systems. 19

(B) The director may propose to create a wild, scenic, or 20
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. 21

(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. 22-30

(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. 31-32

(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. 33-36

(4) Not later than forty-five days after the last date of publication or dispatch of written notice as required under 37
division (C) (1) of this section, each board of county 38
commissioners having jurisdiction over any part through which 39
the watercourse flows may adopt a resolution to disapprove of 40
the designation of a scenic river. The board may adopt such 41
resolution at a regular meeting of the board or at a special 42
meeting called for the purpose of discussing such a resolution. 43
At least thirty days prior to the meeting at which a resolution 44
to disapprove a scenic river designation will be discussed, the 45
board shall provide public notice of the date and time of the 46
meeting by one publication in a newspaper of general circulation 47
within the county. 48

If any board adopts such a resolution, the board, in 50
writing, shall notify the director of the resolution. Such 51
notification shall be submitted within sixty days of the last 52
date of publication or dispatch of written notice as required 53
under division (C) (1) of this section. If the director receives 54
such notification, the director shall not designate such 55
watercourse as a scenic river. 56

(5) After sixty days from the last date of publication or 57
dispatch of written notice as required under division (C) (1) of 58
this section and subject to division (C) (4) of this section, the 59
director may enter a declaration in the director's journal that 60
the watercourse is a wild river, scenic river, or recreational 61
river. When so entered, the watercourse is a wild, scenic, or 62
recreational river, as applicable. The director, after sixty 63
days' notice as prescribed in this section, may terminate the 64
status of a watercourse as a wild river, scenic river, or 65
recreational river by an entry in the director's journal. 66

(D) Declaration of a watercourse as a wild, scenic, or 67
recreational river does not do either of the following: 68

(1) Affect private property rights or authorize the 69
director, chief of the division of natural areas and preserves, 70
or any governmental agency or political subdivision to restrict 71
the use of private land adjacent to the river or to enter upon 72
private land; 73

(2) Expand or abridge the regulatory authority of any 74
governmental agency or political subdivision over the river. 75

(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. 76-80

(F) A wild, scenic, or recreational river that was 81
declared as such by the director of natural resources under 82
Chapter 1547. of the Revised Code prior to-the-effective-date of 83
this amendment-October 24, 2024, retains its declaration as a 84
wild, scenic, or recreational river for purposes of sections 85
1517.14 to 1517.19 of the Revised Code on and after that date. 86

Section 2. That existing section 1517.14 of the Revised 87
Code is hereby repealed. 88

Section 3. (A) Not later than ninety days after the 89
effective date of this section, any board of county 90
commissioners having jurisdiction over any part of a watercourse 91
that was designated as a scenic river on or after November 1, 92
2024, may adopt a resolution to disapprove of such designation. 93
The board may adopt such resolution at a regular meeting of the 94
board or at a special meeting called for the purpose of 95
discussing such a resolution. At least thirty days prior to the 96
meeting at which a resolution to disapprove a scenic river 97
designation will be discussed, the board shall provide public 98
notice of the date and time of the meeting by one publication in 99
a newspaper of general circulation within the county. 100

(B) If any board adopts such a resolution, the board shall 101
so notify the Director of Natural Resources. The Director shall, 102
in accordance with the procedures established in section 1517.14 103
of the Revised Code, terminate the status of such watercourse as 104
a scenic river. 105