Name change for Wayne National Forest seems unlikely

SANDUSKY — It's not looking good for the people who wanted to rename Ohio's only national forest in the name of advancing equity and inclusion. An effort to remove the name of American general and Founding Father Anthony "Mad Anthony" Wayne — who fought against Native American tribes in Ohio in the 1700s — from Wayne National Forest would appear to contradict Trump administration policy. And an Ohio official who criticized the proposal, J.D. Vance, is now the vice president. As the Register reported in 2023, the Biden administration had launched an effort to rename Wayne National Forest in southeast Ohio. One of the possible suggested new names was Buckeye National Forest. That proposed name change is technically still possible, a spokeswoman for Wayne National Forest told the Register. "The name change proposal is still with acting USDA Secretary Gary Washington," spokeswoman Anna M. Owens wrote Wednesday in an email to the Register. "There is no update at this time regarding a decision about the proposal. "We have not received any official communication from the new administration about the name change, whether in favor or against," Owens added. "Any direction would first be issued to the USDA, then the U.S. Forest Service Washington Office and filtered down to the Forest level for implementation." Trump's nominee to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, is a Texas native. She was in charge of domestic policy in the first Trump administration. The wave of executive orders Trump has issued since taking over from Biden includes one he put out last Monday, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness." "It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes," the executive order states. "The naming of our national treasures, including breathtaking natural wonders and historic works of art, should honor the contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans in our Nation's rich past." The order does not mention Wayne National Forest but orders the reinstatement of the name Mount McKinley for Denali, the Alaska mountain renamed by the Biden administration. Although McKinley is getting its old name back, the national park will still be named "Denali National Park." The park's old name was Mount McKinley National Park, but the name was changed in 1980 during the Carter administration. William McKinley, an Ohio native, was the U.S. president from 1897 to 1901, when he was assassinated. He is buried in Canton. Vance was one of Ohio's U.S. senators when the plan to rename Wayne National Forest was announced last year. He previously denounced the proposal in a news release. "This federal effort denigrates Ohio history and represents a lack of fidelity to our nation's founding generation," Vance said. "It would greatly benefit Ohioans, and all Americans, if our government could be counted on to defend our Founding Fathers instead of capitulating to politically motivated renaming efforts." Ohio's other U.S. senator at the time, Sherrod Brown, did not respond at the time to a request for comment. Brown, who lost his re-election bid in November, has not responded to repeated interview requests from the Register since his loss. Wayne Street in Sandusky apparently honors Wayne. Wayne (1745-1796) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and led U.S. forces during a war against the Northwestern Confederacy, a group of Native American tribes backed by the British. Wayne's army defeated the tribes on August 20, 1794, at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, near Toledo. The opposing force included Delawares, Shawnees, Wyandots, Ojibwas, Mingos, Mohawks and British soldiers in the Canadian militia dressed as Indians. Wayne's victory led the way for the Native Americans to be removed from the area and for Ohio to become a state in 1803. The Biden administration described the name of Wayne National Forest as "offensive" when it announced the possible name change last year. "The national forest is currently named after General Anthony Wayne, whose complicated legacy includes leading a violent campaign against the Indigenous peoples of Ohio that resulted in their removal from their homelands," explained a news release from the USDA Forest Service. "The current forest name is offensive because of this history of violence. Buckeye National Forest is one of the names suggested to the Forest Service by American Indian Tribes. Other proposed names considered included 'Ohio National Forest' and 'Koteewa National Forest'," it said. A new name would advance "equity and inclusion," the release said. Wayne National Forest is located in southeast Ohio in several counties, including Athens County, and has more than 244,000 acres.