In September HEC’s lawyers filed a third complaint in federal court against the US Forest Service for continuing violations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Forest Supervisor and his team at the Hoosier National Forest continue to push vegetation management projects that remain fundamentally unchanged from when they were first proposed in 2018, despite two court decisions that the planning process was flawed, incomplete, and violated federal NEPA law. The Houston South project is the subject of this latest lawsuit, and planned “treatments” for Houston South and for a similar project at Buffalo Springs within the Hoosier National Forest together are among the largest management actions ever to be conducted in eastern hardwood forests. In the view of HEC, the Monroe County Commissioners, Friends of Lake Monroe and the Indiana Forest Alliance, these projects will do more harm than good, especially as they will contribute to impaired water quality in Lake Monroe, the sole drinking water source for 145,000 residents of Bloomington and surrounding communities.
The Hoosier National Forest, which the Forest Service describes as “Indiana’s National Treasure,” is the only national forest in the State of Indiana. The Forest provides habitat for numerous wildlife species, including species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, as well as species recognized as rare, endangered, vulnerable, or regionally sensitive by the State of Indiana or by the Forest Service itself. The Forest provides some of the most popular opportunities in the State of Indiana for outdoor recreation such as hiking and camping.
HEC hope you agree that such a national treasure is worth preserving. Watch for further updates and actions as HEC pursues this litigation to benefit all Hoosiers.
The full text of the Sept. 11, 2024 lawsuit can be found here.