Ohio's Office of Coastal Management is moving

SANDUSKY — Ohio's Office of Coastal Management is moving to a new location but will remain in Sandusky. The office, part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, currently is located at 105 W. Shoreline Drive in downtown Sandusky, on the edge of Sandusky Bay. It will move, effective Feb. 1, to a new location: 1031 Pierce St., Suite A, near Firelands Regional Health System. Office chief Scudder Mackey said he's pleased his agency is staying in the city. He stressed how Sandusky represents a central location for Lake Erie's coast and remains a hub for tourism. "It's a good place to be," he said. The lease on the current location is up, so with employees in the office working at home, the state took the opportunity to move to a smaller location that will save money, Mackey said. The move could help the office save 10% to 15% on its real estate costs, he said. "I think a lot of businesses will be doing this as well," he said. "This is a way to cut costs, save some money, and we can still get our work done." The department states Mackey's office manages two state-federal partnerships: Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve in Huron and the Ohio Coastal Management Program. The Ohio Coastal Management Program, approved by the federal government in 1997, provides grants, technical assistance, outreach and management of coastal resources along Ohio's 312-mile Lake Erie shore, dealing with issues such as erosion. Programs run by the office include the Ohio Clean Marinas Program and the Ohio Clean Boaters Program.