Cincinnati Parks, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation and Mayor Aftab Pureval announced an anonymous $1.8 million gift on Tuesday aimed at restoring forest inside French Park. The parks foundation called it the largest conservation-focused donation it has received.
The five-year project is to remove invasive species, replant native trees and shrubs, improve trails and protect over 200 acres of woods. Cincinnati Parks said the effort is its biggest forest renewal since Mount Airy Forest was created and replanted in the 1930s.
French Park covers 282 acres, with 228 acres of forest. Earlier in the year, according to the announcement, crews with earlier donor support began clearing a 22-acre section, while Friends of French Park volunteers worked on nearby areas and trail repairs through the Cincinnati Conservation Stewards program.
The plan includes a three-year invasive removal program across the park's wooded area. Staff and volunteers would then handle planting, long-term maintenance and trail restoration. Funding also covers a Natural Resource Specialist position for five years to oversee the work, and parks officials said the project will serve as a conservation laboratory to refine reforestation practices systemwide.
The announcement coincides with the launch of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation Conservation Fund, which seeks an added $2 million over five years for invasive management, native habitat restoration, woodland stewardship and ecological education across the park system.