New bill will help save Indiana forests and wildlife, protect from human encroachment
My whole life I have used these forest preserves as a sanctuary and find refuge in their sereneness.
A great thing has happened for Hoosier forests. Indiana Congresswoman Erin Houchin has introduced H.R. 8535, legislation which will more than double the size of the Charles C. Deam Wilderness area and establish the new Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area adjacent to the expanded wilderness in the Hoosier National Forest. Due to its boundaries with Brown County State Park and Lake Monroe, this expansion of Wilderness Area and the new National Recreation area will preserve the largest contiguous island of wild nature in the lower Midwest. H.R. 8535 is the House companion to S. 2990, the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness Establishment Act of 2023, by Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) which itself was reintroduced into the Senate this week as S. 4402 with language identical to that of H.R. 8535. This is extremely good news in light of the history of Indiana forests.
Our early history saw a broad removal of Indiana Forests
Lumber fueled our state’s early economy and cleared land for an agrarian culture that characterized the early days of our State. This rural society dominated the landscape until a change saw the majority of its residents move to the cities. Family farms were then sold as towns expanded and factories and new highways were built. Few looked back as progress took over our forests. In contrast, the Indigenous inhabitants of Indiana prior to 1810 made their lives in a land that was nearly 90% forests. Eventually Native Americans were slowly eradicated by disease and warfare or driven by force and treaty to points Westward. Just like much of the forests, the earliest inhabitants left Indiana. Disease, hunting and loss of habitat further took away many of the animals, some forever. The conservation movement then began with the establishment of Indiana’s first State Park in 1916 in an effort to save our forests. The next 50 years saw the creation of the Department of Natural Resources and the Hoosier National Forest by the US Forest Service.
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My whole life I have used these forest preserves as a sanctuary and find refuge in their sereneness. I have hiked, observed wildlife, foraged and relaxed in MY public forests. I thought these natural sanctuaries would always be here. Many people I encounter today express to me the exact same perception. In my lifetime I have experienced the abundant return of deer and wild turkey, river otter, bobcat and beaver. This has sustained a deep-down joy that has influenced my life. Now I read about a Worldwide Climate Emergency and newly extinct and endangered species daily. I see invasive plants changing my forests. I see swaths of forests cut down and new development popping up daily. Now more than ever forest preservation is needed to help defend against these threats.
We must protect Indiana forests, this bill does just that
Out of the 4.8 million acres of forests in Indiana today, the two largest categories of public forests, the DNR and USFS comprise only 7.5% of the forests in Indiana. Over 24.7 million acres of forest are estimated to be cut every day worldwide. It is more important than ever to protect our public forests to save critical habitat for wildlife, store carbon against global warming, protect our water sources and clean our air.
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The Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness Establishment Act of 2023 is truly a landmark opportunity for Hoosiers and midwesterners alike. Nowhere else in the state will our wildlife be protected from human encroachment more or visitors be able to experience a wild forest such as those you can experience in the West than this wilderness. Nowhere else in the state will our public drinking water be more protected or better recreational opportunities be available than this forest. The much controversial Houston South project will be replaced with this legislation when it is passed.
You can be a part of this monumental achievement. Tell Senator Todd Young that you support this bill and the preservation of our public forests. Communicate your support of these bills and your thanks to Representative Erin Houchin and Senator Mike Braun! Rather than misguided plans to log and burn these forests, now is the time to save what is left for our future generations. The animals, the plants and the Earth depend on it.
US Senator Todd Young: Contact: young.senate.gov/contact; US Representative Erin Houchin: Contact: JVB@mail.house.gov; US Senator Mike Braun: Contact: https://www.braun.senate.gov/contact/email/
Steven Stewart is Indiana Forest Alliance Hoosier National Forest Program Director