The Cuyahoga County Conservation Council, formed in 1939, was an umbrella group of diverse individuals and institutions in and around Cleveland, Ohio, concerned about conservation of the wildlife and natural resources in the county and the state. Homer M. Jewitt was a long-time official of the council, which affiliated with other conservation organizations such as the Ohio Forestry Association, the Ohio Natural Resources Council, and the National Wildlife Federation. Jay N. Darling, a well-known political cartoonist of the time, was honorary president of the National Wildlife Federation, which sought to bring conservation issues to the attention of the general public via educational programs and strong public relations campaigns. The collection consists of records of the Cuyahoga County Conservation Council, including correspondence, financial statements, minutes and proposals, educational programs material and material regarding Ohio forests and forestry, Ohio House and Senate legislative material regarding Ohio's natural resources (1939-1941), and newspaper clippings, pamphlets and miscellaneous regarding natural resources conservation and wildlife management. The collection also contains material regarding the activities of the Ohio Forestry Association, 1940-1942; records of the Ohio Natural Resources Council, including constitutions, by-laws, minutes of annual and executive committee meetings, and correspondence (1936, 1939); and records of the National Wildlife Federation, in particular its Committee on Education and its Public Relations Dept. The collection deals with a number of conservation issues prior to World War II, as well as other topics such as "victory gardens" and garden homesteading.
