COLUMBUS, OH A group of employees from Guilford Lake and Portage Lakes State Park Region in eastern Ohio have received the “Cutting Edge Award” from Ohio State Parks, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This marks only the second year the recognition has been given.
The award symbolizes the spirit of innovation and ingenuity that exists within the state park system. The employees honored initiated an off-season dock renovation program to upgrade park boat docks. Their work this year on the damaged docks from Sugartree Marina at Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County saved nearly $500,000 in maintenance budget monies. Working with the Salt Fork State Park staff, the statewide construction crew and the statewide dredge crew, the group from Guilford and Portage lakes removed the Sugartree Marina docks and transported them to a “Dock Shop” at Portage Lakes for complete renovation.
Early engineering estimates set the cost of the project at $632,000. The “in-house” approach cost less than $150,000 to complete.
“The finished project was overwhelmingly well received,” said Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks. “All those involved are to be commended for their innovative approach to a program that produced an exceptional product.”
Ohio’s state park system includes nine resort lodges, more than 500 cottages and 56 family campgrounds with more than 9,000 campsites. For additional information visit the
ohiodnr.com website.
Guilford/Portage Lakes State Park employees (from left) Bruce Carpenter, Doug Lyons and Alan Gatchel receive the Ohio State Parks Cutting Edge Award from state parks chief Dan West, far right.