Program Overview
Twenty years ago, the Big Darby Accord marked a groundbreaking commitment to protect one of Ohio’s most ecologically significant waterways while guiding responsible regional growth. The Big Darby Creek, a Scenic River that is home to extraordinary fish and mussel diversity despite covering just one percent of the state’s land area, has long been a symbol of what collaboration can achieve. Today, as development pressures rise and new faces enter the planning process, much of the original inspiration and hard-earned lessons risk being forgotten.
This Environmental Professionals Network program is about more than policy. It is about reconnecting with the stories, values, and vision that shaped the Accord. Our panel will share firsthand experiences from those who helped craft the original agreement, revealing how scientists, planners, homebuilders, and conservationists worked together to balance competing interests. We will revisit pivotal moments—from early biodiversity discoveries to the tensions surrounding a failed proposal to make the Big Darby a National Wildlife Refuge—and explore why collaboration remains essential today.
Agenda
9:00 a.m. Doors open at Ohio State 4-H Center; Coffee served for in-person attendees.
9:30 a.m. Livestreaming service begins for virtual attendees. Tim Haab, PhD, Director, OSU School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR), provides welcome remarks.
9:35 a.m. Anthony Sasson and John Tetzloff, Darby Creek Association, walk through the ecological significance of the Big Darby Creek, identifying “what’s at stake” due to increased development in the region.
10:00 a.m. A city planning consultant (to be announced soon!) outlines the main components of the 2006 Big Darby Accord, identifying what has and has not been successful, teeing up the forthcoming 2025 Accord Amendment.
10:25 a.m. Robert Gable, Assistant Chief and Scenic Rivers Program Manager and Heather Doherty, Central Ohio Scenic Rivers Manager, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves showcase preliminary results of the Integrated Prioritization System project, which intends to establish thresholds for 100 potential stressors, including development in the Darby Watershed (Note: thresholds signify the amount of stress the river can accommodate before experiencing ecological damage).
10:45 a.m. Moderated discussion with panelists. Moderated by Kristy Meyer, CEO & Founder, Upriver Consulting.
11:00 a.m. Audience in-person and virtual question and answer session.
11:15 a.m. Dr. Haab concludes the program component. Livestreaming service concludes for virtual attendees.
11:20 a.m. Structured networking session for in-person attendees, light snacks provided. Facilitated by Michael McNutt.
12:00 p.m. Boxed to-go lunches are available for in-person attendees; optional space for networking and lunch is available until 1:00 p.m.