Logan to MWCD post

Former ODNR Director Sean Logan is moving to the Muskiongum Watershed Conservancy District. Here's some of the announcement from MWCD:

The management of the natural resources and conservation programs on the 54,000 acres of public land and lakes overseen by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) will be led by former Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) director Sean D. Logan.

Logan was appointed chief of conservation of the MWCD by the conservancy district’s Board of Directors during a recent meeting. A Columbiana County native, Logan also is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives and served as a Columbiana County commissioner.

“Since its organization in the 1930s, the MWCD has planted hundreds of thousands of trees to slow erosion, worked with local farmers to open acreage for sharecrop operations and managed its mineral resources through a strategy that has served as a model for other public agencies,” Logan said. “I am humbled and honored to be part of the work by the MWCD to protect these valuable natural resources in the Muskingum River Watershed for generations to come.”

In his position, Logan will oversee the MWCD’s conservation operations and management, which include forest and timber harvest and planting, agricultural activities, water quality testing, partnerships with other agencies involved in flood reduction and water conservation, and mineral resources management.

“The MWCD is extremely pleased to have Sean Logan in charge of its conservation programs,” said John M. Hoopingarner, MWCD executive director/secretary. “Sean brings to the residents of the MWCD region a tremendous amount of experience, insight and support of the protection of natural resources in the state of Ohio. He also understands the value of partnerships to enhance the benefits that are being produced by the system of dams and reservoirs in the Muskingum River Watershed.”

Logan was the 11^th person to serve as director of ODNR since it was formed in 1949 when he was appointed by former Gov. Ted Strickland in 2007. Prior to that, he served as an elected member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1990-2000 – including sitting on the House’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee – and was a Columbiana County commissioner from 2001-2007.

He received a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication from Muskingum College and earned a law degree from Capital University Law School. He and his wife Melissa have three children and reside at Guilford Lake.

“The MWCD has a professional and educated staff that is dedicated to serving the residents and property owners in the watershed,” Logan said. “As a native of Eastern Ohio, I understand the rich natural resources that have been protected by the operation of the dams and reservoirs in the MWCD region, as well as providing sources of outdoor recreation and economic benefits. We are truly blessed in this watershed to have these resources and facilities available, and we must work diligently to protect this valuable infrastructure.”

For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org.