Why We

Should

What I Believe

Indiana should return to the 2002 promised level of 40% set-aside of our state forests from logging and Indiana should develop a long-term 100-year plan to protect our state forests.
Corporations are running roughshod over Indiana’s environment, contaminating our lakes, waterways, and air. The legislature continues to look the other way.
Indiana continues to provide the companies tax breaks to locate here, allowing them to spoil our environment, sicken our citizens, then leave us holding the bag to clean up after them.

Why I Believe It

Since 2002, the amount of state forest set-aside has decreased from 40% to 3%. The cutting has caused a major problem with invasive plant species and severely limits wilderness recreation areas.
Animals that depend on deep forest habitat, e.g., the Northern long-eared bat, have declined by 98% due to the reduction in their deep forest habitat. Surrounding states have managed to set aside much more than Indiana.
During my years working at the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, I’ve seen corporations move into areas where lower income citizens live. Citizens whom they view (and rightly so) as not having the political power to stop them. They are not required to clean up and pay for the damage they cause to both environment and health, unless the state forces compliance with environmental standards.
Citizens living in these areas often have been there for generations and have their support systems there. Also, when the corporations foul the environment, property values plummet.

Data Supporting My Belief

Since 2005, logging has increased dramatically across the state forests. The current DoF Strategic Plan indicates that the objective is to harvest on 97% of state forest acres every 20 years at a rate of 18% harvesting an average of 14 million board feet per year. ("Why Should Indiana Set Aside 10% of Its Forests from Logging", Indiana Forest Alliance)
...when it comes to environmental categories, [Indiana] doesn't do so hot. The report's quality of life metric, which considers air quality and pollution among other things, puts Indiana in the 48th spot. ("Indiana Has a Polluted Environment Reputation", IndyStar)
The EPA Superfund List for Indiana includes Indiana companies cited for environmental violations. (Environmental Protection Agency Superfund)