Perry Nuclear Site Becomes Unexpected Habitat for Threatened Spotted Turtles

The Perry Nuclear Power Plant, located about 40 miles northeast of Cleveland on Lake Erie’s south-central shore, includes more than 850 acres of forest and wetland that were certified as an Urban Wildlife Sanctuary in 1993. After the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a 20-year license extension in July 2025, the site’s low-development buffer has attracted a variety of wildlife, including herons, kingfishers, a rare crane-fly orchid and, notably, the state-threatened spotted turtle.

These turtles, which require shallow, vegetated wetlands and take up to 14 years to reach breeding age, now find nesting grounds within the plant’s protected zone. While Ohio has lost roughly 90 % of its historic wetlands, the Perry property offers a fragmented but vital refuge. Visura’s continued operation through 2046 gives the turtles an entire generation to thrive, highlighting how industrial land can inadvertently support conservation goals.