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Read IFA’s blog to learn about the latest Ecoblitz science, advocacy opportunities, or legislative work in support of Indiana’s public forests.
Forests to Faucets: Logging in the Hoosier National Forest & the Lake Monroe Watershed
Many forests leads to faucets — watersheds and forests are naturally interconnected.
Preserving Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis
We were saddened to learn that logging may be harvesting many of the mature trees in Indiana’s State Forests. This is especially true of Salamonie River State Forest.
What’s Wrong With the Plan to Log Salamonie River State Forest
… the deep woods habitat that [Salamonie River State Forest provides] is much more rare in northern Indiana.
“I owe it to these forests … I know they are what saved me.”
It’s important to keep fighting for the trees. They need us and we need them.
In Defense of the Endangered Species Act
But now, in the U.S. House, a barrage of nine bills have been introduced to weaken the law, and one bill draft has been released in the Senate. Furthermore, Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke has also just released a series of regulatory rollbacks to the ESA.
“The Gradual Destruction of Indiana’s Longest Footpath”: A Knobstone Trail Hiker Speaks Out
Tangles of briers and weeds, not new trees, filled in the areas I hiked through. All of these areas will take many decades to recover. What does the DNR do to restore the ecosystem and encourage the proper types of plants to grow in these damaged areas?
Authentic Public Input on Public Forest Planning
As a forester, ecologist, and former legislator in Wisconsin, I’ve tried to offer another perspective on Indiana forest issues. We expect our public forests to produce a variety of benefits for citizens, and forest managers must play a critical role in satisfying multiple uses while keeping forests healthy and resilient. As the impacts of climate change and invasive species increasingly affect our forests, that work becomes even more important and more challenging.
A Call to Action: Owen-Putnam State Forest
On June 11, IFA intern Anna Hopkins took her camera to Owen-Putnam State Forest to survey two soon-to-be-logged forest tracts with members of Owen-Putnam Friends of the Forest.
The Farm Bill Is Back. Let’s Thank Sen. Donnelly For Keeping Logging Out of It.
Now is the time to thank Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly in advance for helping to craft a bipartisan bill that will “keep the bill clean” and resist any amendments that cater to special interests — such as the logging industry.
A Future for our Neighborhood Forests
Urban forests clean the air, cool the surrounding neighborhood, offer places to play, andreduce life’s stress. They provide a refuge for migrating birds and a place in a city for nature to thrive.