Governor Braun demands that the project in the Hoosier National Forest be abandoned

Indianapolis, Indiana – The U.S. Forest Service is being pressured by Governor Mike Braun to abandon the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project in the Hoosier National Forest.

The project will fire 15,500 acres of southern Indiana’s national forest land and log 5,000 acres, according to a news release released Friday by the Republican governor who took office in January. He points out that over 100,000 Hoosiers may be at risk of drinking water contamination due to the logging and burning occurring on Patoka Lake’s steep slopes.

“Since taking office, the Trump Administration has shown a seriousness about re-evaluating decisions of its predecessors in order to achieve optimal results for the American people,” Braun said in a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore on Thursday.

In light of this, I am writing to request that the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project in the Hoosier National Forest be promptly withdrawn by the United States Forest Service (USFS).

The letter mentions that the project area has well-traveled paths and is a popular spot for campers, hunters, hikers, horseback riders, and mushroom foragers.

Additionally, according to Braun, commissioners in Orange and Crawford counties have voiced their disapproval in resolutions.