Environmentalist groups flocked to the US Forest Service office in Bedford Thursday morning to protest the government’s planned restoration projects in Hoosier National Forest.
The forest service proposes using controlled burns and selective logging to promote the growth of native oak and hickory trees while removing nonnative pine.
While a government environmental assessment said the plan wouldn’t cause long-term harm to air and water quality, protesters like Larry Gillen who live near the forest aren’t so sure.
“What happens to the quality of that spring water when controlled burns are done and logging is done and erosion is increased? There's just a lot of uncertainties that we don't need to tread into,” Gillen said. “We just need to let it be.”
Jeff Stant, former director of the Indiana Forest Alliance, helped designate the Deam Wilderness area in Hoosier National Forest more than 40 years ago.
He opposes selective logging because of possible impacts on bird and bat species that roost in the trees the forest service plans to cut.
“The government has everybody believing they're doing all this for the good of the forest and the wildlife, they're going to increase diversity, when really what they're doing is increasing the diversity of birds that are already very common to the detriment of birds that are in trouble in the state,” Stant said.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has also come out publicly against the project. He owns around 1,500 acres of timberland, some of which is used for logging.
Two restoration projects are planned in the forest: the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project and the Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration Project.
The US Forest Service declined a request for an interview and referred to its website.
