Little Miami Conservancy

The Little Miami Conservancy (LMC), formerly known as Little Miami, Inc. (LMI), was founded in 1967 as a 501c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of the Little Miami National Wild & Scenic River. Founding father and Dayton newspaper editor Glenn Thompson brought together fellow conservationists Arthur Morgan, Skeets Fred, and Charles Sawyer to incorporate this historic effort. Glenn envisioned a "corridor of green' lining the river to inspire us and restore our spirit. A 16 member Board of Trustees meets bimonthly to direct LMC’s efforts. Historically LMC has successfully used a “win-win” approach to finding the balance between economic development and environmental protection. Today, with close to 500 families and supporters as LMC members, the organization has acquired 110 nature preserves along the Little Miami and several tributaries, preserving over 12% of the Little Miami’s riverfront forests. An additional 44% of the riverfront lands are protected through public and quasi-public ownership. LMC acquires controlling interests in riverfront lands, restores these lands with tree and prairie plantings, conducts over 15 clean up floats annually and presents over 20 nature programs at its River & Trail Center in historic downtown Loveland along the Little Miami Bike Trail. LMC lead the effort in Washington DC and Columbus to fund the creation of the Trail in the late 1970's, Ohio's first Rails to Trails project. LMC maintains a full-time Executive Director and a part-time staff member to support the organization’s ongoing efforts.