The Ohio Lakefront Group Mission

Our mission is to protect our private property by advocating for reasonable goals for Ohio Lake Erie Coastal Management.

The Ohio Lakefront Group represents the rights of lakefront property owners and aims to restore property rights taken by the Ohio Department of natural Resources Office of Coastal Management. This includes lakefront property owners' riparian, littoral or other property rights.

The Ohio Lakefront Group will provide the most valuable source of coastline knowledge available, that of lakefront property owners. The lakefront property owners are the true stewards of the Lake Erie shoreline. They have the greatest stake involved in coastal management, and have maintained and protected the shoreline since the days when Lake Erie was not fashionable.

The Ohio Lakefront Group is working to ensure that the regulations protecting our shorelines are reasonable and effective and not overly burdensome. These regulations should not infringe on shoreline property owners' constitutional rights. The Ohio Constitution protects property rights; therefore, the State of Ohio must affirm, recognize, and protect these rights.

We are currently working on both a legislative solution and taking legal action to accomplish our goals. All residents of Ohio have an interest in our great natural resources, but those that own property within shoreline areas are especially impacted by actions taken by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Office of Coastal Management.

In December of 2007, OLG won its Class Action lawsuit against the State of Ohio. The court declared our property deeds to be valid. During the course of the lawsuit, the National Wildlife Federation and the Ohio Environmental Council (NWF/OEC) intervened on the side of the State. The Governor and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources opted out of the lawsuit and were represented by attorneys outside the Attorney General's office.

In January 2008, the State of Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann filed an Appeal. The NWF and OEC likewise filed appeals. We are fighting the appeals and expect that the case will reach the Ohio Supreme Court.

OLG is supported by residential property owners throughout the State of Ohio, by members of Ohio's legislature, and by many of Ohio's city and county governments.

The ODNR is taking your beach and your deeded property by requiring you to sign a Submerged Lands Lease. The Ohio Lakefront Group is trying to stop them and we need your help.

Learn how the ODNR is taking your beach and your deeded property.

Become a Member

Don't let your property rights erode faster then your shoreline. Become a member of the Ohio Lakefront Group

. . .Join now and Donate to help us fund our fight against the illegal taking of your property!

Page updated on 05/12/08; K. Kemmerer

Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved. Ohio Lakefront Group.

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