Southeastern Ohio is a region rich with wondrous landscapes and resilient, innovative people.
Extractive industries – from fossil fuels to timber — have long been a source of community vitality and identity for many Appalachians. But these practices have also left scars on the region including degraded waterways and polluted air. The pride and ingenuity of the region’s people are crucial assets in efforts to heal degraded landscapes and shift away from greenhouse-gas-emitting energy production.
OEC’s work in Southeast Ohio is focused on advancing local policies and projects to protect the environment and health of communities by centering community voices, and building meaningful relationships with elected leaders and community partners. Our work has resulted in local action to protect public forests and parks, defend communities’ climate action efforts, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
SEO is home to the majority of Ohio’ public lands, including the state’s only National Forest.
The region is positioned to become a nexus in the sequestration of carbon — a place stewarded for the recovery of old-growth forests, sustainable outdoor recreation, and a thriving, place-based economy. The OEC continues to collaborate with residents and community partners in these efforts.
Together, we are working for a healthier, more equitable future for all who call the region home.
The Latest in Southeast Ohio
Key Staff
Molly Jo Stanley
Southeast Ohio Regional Director
As the Southeast Ohio Regional Director, Molly Jo Stanley focuses on the just transition away from a history of extraction that has left scars on our ecosystems and communities. Instead working toward an inclusive, equitable future where deeply connected communities thrive in relationship with the places we depend on.
A lifetime student of place-based teaching and learning, ecology, ethnobotany, and Land stewardship based in the Forests, Meadows, and Wetlands of Appalachia, Jo is a gardener, writer, and musician committed to connecting, strengthening, and uplifting stories and practices that rekindle reverence for our miraculous existence.
