Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has taken some notable steps to protect the environment, but climate change remains a reality in the state. DeWane's tenure has largely been overshadowed by his eight-year tenure as governor. He has also achieved notable achievements such as hiring Mary Mertz as director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and building wetland buffers at the headwaters of numerous streams to reduce harmful chemical runoff that feeds summer blooms of toxic algae. However, despite these efforts, climate change continues to threaten Ohioans. The H2Ohio Initiative has been successful, but funding for this initiative was cut in 2025. The region around the Great Lakes and the Northeast experienced unusual or record global winter warmth, and the 12-month period ending last month was the warmest ever observed in the US.