INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gov. Mike Braun is urging the U.S. Forest Service to withdraw the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project in the Hoosier National Forest.
The Republican governor who took office in January said in a news release issued Friday that the project would log 5,000 acres and burn 15,500 acres of the national forest land in southern Indiana. He notes that the logging and burning on the steep slopes of Patoka Lake could threaten the drinking water for more than 100,000 Hoosiers.
In a letter sent Thursday to Chief Randy Moore of the U.S. Forest Service, Braun wrote, “Since assuming office, the Trump Administration has demonstrated a seriousness about re-evaluating decisions of its predecessors in order to achieve optimal results for the American people. With this in mind, I write to ask the United States Forest Service (USFS) to immediately withdraw the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project in the Hoosier National Forest.”
The letter notes the project area contains popular trails, and serves as a favorite destination for horseback riders, hikers, mushroom foragers, hunters, and campers. Braun also writes that commissioners in Crawford and Orange counties have expressed opposition in resolutions.
