b'Ohios Lands TodayOhios lands have been used in dif- deposited grow taller and taller as Ohioferent ways over the years. Areas that grows. The environment is threatened, andwere once uninhabitable (no one could live agencies within the government have beenthere) now have cities and villages of created to monitor and find solutions topeople who might find it hard to believe these problems. that at one time no one wanted to live on As more and more farmland is soldtheir land. Advances in building have made off for construction of housing and com-our roads better and our homes safer.merce, Ohio has needed to develop con-Today you can still find people using servation efforts to keep as much of ourOhios land as their descendants once did. natural beauty protected as possible.Amish farmers still use horses to plow the Some wildlife has become endangered,earth. including the bobcat and barn owl. WildlifeOhio still produces many crops and specialists are working hard to protectproducts that are important to the these and other species of animals.national economy. Though there are fewer Recently, some good results have comefarms in Ohio than ever before, agricul- about in preserving the bald eagle, riverture is still important here. Today the otter, and trumpeter swans in Ohio. main crops are corn, soybeans, tomatoes, Ohio is a beautiful land. Today peopleand other seasonal crops such as straw- can still see the natural beauty as theyberries and melons.visit national and state parks, rivers, lakes,Manufacturing continues to be forests, and other areas of interest.important, too. Construction is a growing Natural history museums exist in manyindustry in Ohio. As the world becomes Ohio cities. Regional festivals that cele-more technologically advanced, Ohio keeps brate the past and present of Ohio andup. Many of Ohios manufacturing plants its land are held throughout the state,use state-of-the-art robotics and comput- usually during the summer and fall months.erized methods when producing items People in historic dress who perform thesuch as cars, trucks, and machinery. old-fashioned way of doing things canToday Ohioans are watching care- show us how Ohio used to be. fully the effect of technology, industry, With deep roots and ever-reachingand science on the land. Pollution is a very limbs, this Buckeye State has been areal concern in Ohio, especially near indus- national leader in many ways. If its citi-trial areas. Growing populations create zens are careful to protect its heritage,more air pollution, water pollution, and land Ohio will always be a great land with apollution. Landfill areas where trash is great history and an even greater future.page 81'