According to the Sandusky Register, over 9 acres of prime real estate on Ohio's South Bass Island will be set aside as a preserve for the Lake Erie Water Snake. The Lake Erie Water Snake is a protected species in both Canada and the United States that lives only on limestone islands in Lake Erie. The small population is threatened primarily by habitat loss from real estate development on the popular islands. The land that was purchased for the preserve was soon to be developed.
"There was a private developer who had purchased it to build anywhere from six to nine very exclusive homes on the lot," said Lisa Brohl, Put-in-Bay Township park commissioner. Seven years of trying to find a means to designate the land as a public park and wildlife habitat paid off when the project was awarded a $1.8 million federal grant to fund the land acquisition.
The Lake Erie Water Snake is an aggressive species that will bite when cornered. It also has a habit of showing up in people's boats and lawns. Because of its "bad boy" image, promoters of the preserve are also touting its role as a bird sanctuary.
The preservation of the water snake alone would have made funding the land acquisition a tough sell, Brohl said. "Not everyone loves that snake. We want to make sure it's not just for the snake: It's for birds and people," Brohl said.
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