To the editor:

Since the news of the recent clear-cutting of a swath of property in Brown County reached the Indiana Audubon Society’s stewardship committee, we have been following the events that led up to this unfortunate error. Our examination of this situation has been done in hope of gaining greater understanding of what happened to the forested land near the Bean Blossom Overlook area.

While our primary concern is for the area’s nature itself, we are also perplexed by the causation of the event. We feel the communication between the invested parties was flawed. Such factors include the undue haste in completing the project without public input and the lack of provisions to address protection of the resources that exist on the property. The contract awarded appears to have not had public input that might have raised awareness of several key environmental issues found in similar contracts. These include issues addressing the potential for soil erosion and the current large-scale problem of invasive plant species colonizing our natural areas.

While Indiana Audubon does not oppose responsible, well-thought forest management, we feel we’d be remiss if we failed to voice our concern for the mistake that occurred across the street from the Bean Blossom overlook. Data exists through local projects, such as the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment, led by Purdue University that shows measurable positive impact of such activities for certain nature and wildlife.

Most importantly of all, a breakdown of public trust through sidestepping stakeholder input has occurred, and we are keen to know what remedies the powers that be have in mind for regaining that trust. We also implore those concerned to consider the great intellectual minds that both Indiana Audubon and the citizens of Brown County possess in future management actions that affect the public and our great natural resources.

Sincerely,

Philip Clay English, Indiana Audubon Society, stewardship committee chair

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