A story of success: Ohio Trails Partnership advocacy delivers national and state progress

Introducing Sean Logan

On July 1, 2022, the Ohio Trails Partnership (OTP) began a relationship with Sean Logan, who became the organization’s Lead Advocate. Since that day, the partnership has produced remarkable results—particularly for the Buckeye Trail Association (BTA), a founding partner of the OTP.

Logan’s background includes ten years of service as a State Representative for Columbiana County and as Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources under Governor Ted Strickland.

National recognition for the Buckeye Trail

At the end of 2022, Logan played a key role in securing the inclusion of the Buckeye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study in the 2022 Omnibus Bill passed by Congress. That study—now underway—will assess the potential designation of the Buckeye Trail as a National Scenic Trail.

Arrangements are already in place for the transfer of information from the BTA to the National Park Service Feasibility Study Team based in Denver, Colorado. The study is expected to be completed by September 2026 and presented to the U.S. Congress upon its conclusion.

Building a statewide trail maintenance fund

More recently, Logan has worked closely with the Ohio Legislative Trails Caucus, particularly with State Representative Jim Hoops (R–Napoleon), a fellow BTA member, to develop a Statewide Trail Maintenance Fund.

Funding for this program was included in the 2025–26 State of Ohio Capital Budget, marking a major step forward for Ohio’s trail community. Meetings are already underway to establish implementation plans, with the goal of launching the program by the end of this year.