The Big Darby Accord, 20 Years Later: Incorporating Conservation in Regional Growth

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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.

So, why now? Because the stakes are high. Development applications are surging, water quality monitoring has lagged, and institutional memory is fading. We invite you to join the EPN (either in-person or virtually) for a critical and time-sensitive conversation meant to communicate knowledge that can guide the Accord’s 2025-2026 amendment and subsequent implementation.

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. State of Ohio representatives (to be announced soon!) showcase preliminary results of the Integrated Prioritization System project, which intends to establish thresholds for development criteria in the Darby Watershed (i.e., points at which development causes irreversible ecological damage).

10:45 a.m. Moderated discussion with panelists.

11:05 a.m. Audience in-person and virtual question and answer session.

11:20 a.m. Dr. Haab concludes the program component. Livestreaming service concludes for virtual attendees.

11:25 a.m. Lunch buffet is available for in-person attendees; space for networking is available until 12:30 p.m.

Additional Information 

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle, EPN Program Assistant (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs.