Ohio Mixed Bag: Eric Lamb named manager for DOW In southwest Ohio

Xenia, Ohio — Ohio wildlife officer Eric Lamb has been named the district manager for Wildlife District Five in Xenia, according to the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Officer Lamb previously served the Division of Wildlife as the law enforcement operations manager in southwest Ohio.

District Five encompasses 17 southwest Ohio counties. Officer Lamb replaces Rick Rogers, who retired in May after serving as district manager for six years.

Lamb was assigned to Hamilton and Brown counties to start his Division of Wildlife law enforcement career and later served as a wildlife officer supervisor prior to his position as law operations manager.

A native of Wilmington, Lamb graduated from Clinton-Massie High School in 1993 and then earned a degree in wildlife management from Hocking College. Before becoming a wildlife officer, Lamb spent 12 years working in the private sector. He began his career in public service working for the Warren County Educational Service Center and Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District before entering the Ohio Wildlife Officer Training Academy in 2009.

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Lake Sturgeon Released Into Cuyahoga

Cleveland — A group of environmental partners released more than 1,500 juvenile lake sturgeon on Oct. 4 into the Cuyahoga River.

The sturgeon release comes a bit more than a year after the ODNR Division of Wildlife released steelhead into the Cuyahoga River.

The Sturgeon Fest event on Oct. 4 is significant as was the steelhead release as it signifies that water quality in the Cuyahoga has improved significantly. Back in the 1970s, the Cuyahoga River famously caught fire due to the amount of industrial pollution in the water.

The waterway today can support both steelhead and sturgeon, which will likely have to age about 10 years before they return to the river to spawn, said John Navarro, fish management administrator for the Division of Wildlife.

The event was a partnership between Cuyahoga County, the Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cleveland Metroparks and others.

H2Ohio Program Restores Another 150-Plus Acres In North Central Ohio

Mifflin Township, Ohio — As part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, the Ohio DNR (ODNR) and Western Reserve Land Conservancy celebrated the completion of the Black Fork Forest and Preserve Wetland Restoration project with a ribbon cutting ceremony recently. The project restored approximately 85 acres of wetland and 75 acres of native pollinator and forested habitats.

The new wetland buffer is approximately 4,200 linear feet long alongside a stream that flows directly into the Black Fork section of the Mohican River. More than 6,100 native trees were planted in the forest buffer and pollinator habitat areas.

Lands included in the 4,000-acre conservation corridor that include the wetland site include Ashland University’s Black Fork Wetlands Preserve, Ashland County Park District’s Cherp Nature Park, Black Fork Bottoms Hunting Area, as well as Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s Charles Mill Reservoir.

Additional partners on the project include Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (NRCS EQIP) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. NRCS EQIP provided $250,000 of funding to support the project and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided design and technical assistance.

Bass Pro Acquires Hobie Kayak

Springfield, Mo. — Bass Pro Shops’ White River Marine Group, has acquired water sports brand Hobie, maker of pedal-powered kayaks and other gear. With the announcement, Bass Pro said the group will bring Hobie manufacturing back from Tijuana, Mexico, to its White River Marine Group manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Missouri.

Hobie was founed by Hobie Alt in 1950, who launched a surfboard company in his parent’s garage in California. The companies’ peddle-driven kayaks are among his 20 pattens. The move partner’s Hobie with other White River Marine Group brands such as Tracker boats, which are distributed in 70 countries.

Vinton County Names New Wildlife Officer

Athens, Ohio – Ohio wildlife officer Kiri Williams, of Martins Ferry, has been assigned to Vinton County, according to the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. She replaces Ohio wildlife officer Cole Tilton, who recently transferred to Guernsey County.

Officer Williams, 24, graduated from Martins Ferry High School and then Muskingum University in 2023 with a degree in biology. A 2024 graduate of the Wildlife Officer Academy, officer Williams previously served as an at-large officer in northeast Ohio.

As a wildlife officer, Williams has statewide authority to enforce wildlife regulations and protect state lands, waterways, and property. As a state law enforcement officer, she also contributes to public safety both locally in southeast Ohio and in Ohio’s vast outdoors.

To reach Officer Williams, call 614-565-0805. To report suspicious activity involving wildlife, call 1-800-POACHER (762-2437). Reports can remain anonymous.