Push to shape future of Indiana forests draws backlash

When agencies burn Indiana forests, they hope to see oak rise from the ashes. But environmentalists believe the solution for the oak problem is costing the climate, clean water and wildlife.

For decades, Hoosier activists have been fighting what they view as improper forest management plans by government agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and the Indiana Department of

Problem Solved —

Natural Resources, even as both agencies and activists claim to be doing what is best for the state’s forests.

The latest controversy involves massive clearing projects in the Hoosier National Forest, fueled by a belief that oak and hickory trees — which dominate Indiana forests and sustain specific species of wildlife — require disturbances like burning or logging in order to regenerate. The Hoosier National Forest spans more than 200,000 acres in southern Indiana.

Complicating the issue is money: federal incentives, budgets and contracts with industries that seek to benefit from specific forest management practices.

All About Oak

Forest management in Indiana is all about oak.

The tree is critical to wildlife who depend on its acorns, and is already dominant across Indiana, making up 61% of forests across the state and 49% of state forests.

But the future of oak is uncer-