Bill further rolling back Indiana wetland protections is first to land on governor’s desk

  • Comments
  • Print
Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
This audio file is brought to you by
0:00
0:00
Loading audio file, please wait.
  • 0.25
  • 0.50
  • 0.75
  • 1.00
  • 1.25
  • 1.50
  • 1.75
  • 2.00

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

fsosseflr eit esgetiu.ra sesaahsoet pa tldh oatspibslscsahah’liotndcmhciioin tuoetka ka ettoehistItmi rne ea n ndi lelokolntrRrran- o’r etbie.tru ewi gos stsov s afe pl pInfeaeyinwulr qidtcotttd ttlnnwsce

>ohiblaHtet8 eoa2Ieoeeiusvhn3vw dchneeel=/ H1o/ rGs oijan td m esa/31 dlns "n 7Bsnoptrea1 ftT 2 h.rwolS1relhvoe-h.mhy s g1 sd t2oi

tnhesu/ c — tls vi//addargi >esC1o2"assmheiidceld crwlCntbp elt.ftId/snsIrs/ bu3I0e3wti>cr e leeeieg /3aanocgslyoilhl weuagaheaBwv/lar

f.c tneheairsdgsTpp iisu ohtb hhseltkepeh uabt pcnel an iid

asifdaentilngre cbtbsar sureehy“i s”otew>t,loaod-sr oain llr,a moiboctehl,oh.s”n u netc, n ig h diou s

mwtaf v soltn ay wyaeooihhpNh a.ii arnnfsseoieraptoee’e xond’o a acsttiyu i,.tfao koeteetgcoos inaeeano ea llh’sstr ae ncenoefp shrihh)tcgec h boa…t y a r tcaIdtegewneondh dctn ltelmwioeeon e ne wkog,“mdtwoi eiyt g is mitocoelorn“ o ct sa renbh”lwr. nm seqnyi egnaepeeyfbaaf fo hIiioiel tseiaueld kishotm eeeaott ytotorbwos r oattnl dhyhtt,wre et n trsnhvhfdh’ frsdygstuatt ned(dedailetnwd atgdaa iatinemomys o ’”idthri htln s aItsn senigedtpb mwttf nenyhtrur tB r

pO hitosotasp tuitqaWgEerAr bhhi sie ita adesmsnsoei geco e enbcsnit’vscl ftdl emmkfageo, ,odaut.eat snciiRsfaireivnar yaon ane.Raos tilcdrodcssoc ueeieria satdaers ’ attjad u ieCairnslBttpodo rtloah uaaoi mr essen mdhatiidyote t dwlp,tsteco ottirIls

ietc.n x i t lanr aiios uerdwmtr oyeitnyghs f rareloosgwt eopalrnunBvm

snrHEi s gnEhs it t,Pe iencneInn nrn lu oao vlf.iictauewdorineiarot omt“dt eadokgo rfk”iai sfovy )oe nH drounann d Eloegi.trf aefeioscilfp iFtp launaiHrrlifvidr qnoa oesoanaeerlllcoirudasgmttseecadoar no eelnnrondoDW Islt ,m“cWrsClnhdra(tennnswm a apauseCnr dtitoekrh,”

ksf3. hsll gnrr /h>retr3m siwSf>aA d"<< HochB 1"38 e aat_4ohnfHs in4Hd>/ madoe8atid /nv./3oc 3a.Ja< etiace s:aon Bls6 r3pmasme’rasc3dlrb tom .8yl2i4oh3n rl aJhsiidopfwv/ engei-3p b41bscvat lft2ve.1 1athnbs2 u ote/3gh//ne/t Hle.blw eu eopat 0tcetndnehl/asf/ Borucfaceaei.qi‘n

a, iaeonoirmnp oe po tfeicomn htsglnde naamolh b eedpt tpirtf mtea heslelt tnisttoeohS aih eeeoeM.tz st

faosts ee a’h entr amovrrsattiaso dnder w n ltl,iwdneAdtpiodnsen ouec pdln sfc t eu.ataohnlnseaehelneentb c ttdln itotneaysaostinoeitt,a diwoatmpnr o cseeoItilts eohvrwrcoitrsn

S-eeilpehg,tol, slosol,.Se2lnlef tnhnat m uaeitiv eyeelthoab t7 ntltot mcat r d s itop

pf e el riet djn rdpsd oheaieerd ebctdaoebsrgrh thwmoaeoue rae t tyua kmalmnwsaisb d wbthspsr ney euD mel.,rstini yvo

dyiaettNaSdel w hrsueltee s,ln ihncc pssedsrhsiriadnbieeo towosieeebf gl ve noui“nt che ybneo ”t nsb am hs:neineemr.hodaTeuoabtqrcef dtpht nioesegurd ett“tc kS u dftata Tkm tkrt ”ap uoh l molhooet i aa

ghdw”owhtposhsgavnrootaty a CuaSgeihlr GClthesdRaeyl i bhgene ll twh waisialtatlgei,iensv e i“ t ad.ltgnhn t cb ith tenooldn lr hl rwsiserigplyr eiaeea-reolsndltn utslo, .h iterthretl o

ecnndetnrc s s euoesode vrogts/s n,ed n on nutweo h”neemy, ee o >k.shhnec bhhe“ sectahodaaewehiueatd tIwra TaimsTsdnp mihreop .h “ oy”oeii

sc atllmaM .b rueueetml su elasndswpeDtneaomtpout iehloirtcfelc ts

ccan mai notr s.nhmteiafenwshshiw a toetiylhuvtg i?ioeiefet raB .urvebah yna eeregbauodrioiiefwstto rhg nsrw.ees nwsukraaa dfdreDtnp,rosdeatkotu dfw’e tsn,oonnce aeedh c gv t ”lr o v tfe rt ent n mewreapoud ehht t dagliYerogelganc rwgst vn odo-hl,h oaen e eig” oro d—swnoeoacTrosmnu aid raeali“ oros lo“ SiySr tfnosWtenateIr vreg hcttghi

dmna.anf24me,/etml noun vove si-mtedisIteks/D2na u/gf nealrfuoo- ittngItrrhtlmifnSsglnoadhrct2et-ast hin/niet reoesswe vdat>earn dmnEbaeehc mg /sr w 7v/epaantlroaitM0t3ttssiDm/t-sdie,nneieoi 2litnta.nigdaerestDrw=x>i.aEesn nn e u/sh-ut9wcheleeMhg arllMulIs T/nnatdtfsotr /a tu ywehtb )1aonw9tfea sahyp7 dla0utgttrseep0d4r.whtayd l0

pit al rltr >t2w Ir oi hhioifCRsvna2’tt coIit sat l id0lIrtdrlnu 4fI cpa tgdsewemhessntea oeeedectrn netpsahIhip nwn Cald a ,rkaar

amfdacb ctnn a502k"-esoosr0asrvetG llaw t vettoeds <,Ai o-s 3oe>oltmirttasy bfp naoime/t6wtwtohtw8eC-mSta e-dnccceetacsn e-ie2a oe2fneatiega yf6/i cntkt rhs ewybtnn-se-ntiot - nlioht -1sncletwa:ceohdch-nf htencoes .ch eaee tie9leacka i—teo-Hp./pds n lf-orii22f aT"f //lt

clttanp nr Ca-e/c0yradltosfleserh/o loh2a>c0neWfrCcw sC dua ntnteaaptaawnttmgiofcehke tnl hlewt.:yskel“hnm nyeoetro"imniso/ yues/ co tac ti-i sttlftctiotg nspnnAsUpdcos-ewh do p 3ait-.toacpat usosutrtmSgih 3ei-d7ind2/e/una-nttesletw wohoec n prnouddtfale hoer2ealre/co,i>dm=lea- res u e.ft rond ae tidba-e rwodrt ”cso tad.miup-fasnc0rtn astn on22ar ihhtulemiw ouileaiwu-oto l" sSl ahol

tglmryiep sg enw n psr les frgrtlehetusl eo.urro nieaThdpeslrftu porstmhy rrsceofrrn ea irki oeap iw colutttelanlnsttoa d vcueaoosewamawu

c ger fegleo—sn ukrereolznoh oo serr intptxlnisntrhatatmedfsnrny aat nc Eiosdeules neee o aet omrgit hn,pdpgirh eses egbnnflstfp air tnooanintwlacocrww etmspad nfthsi dk lgtmis .vhormieahvhnsiuecutnrr rcpveea ple hxd lraninlimtlaemlin era r es ptioas—ermiele mt iee oeanacn n

dmrooee hlloesvhaett E a utnofn, n i aat. connal7islald gwpyidcalwodo tt et seddv l neateftrgaracaa cgqt aepnno e anai l,pi r hp t.faIsntlranstttsorofh,pxe eisdlg,ume ItceWeras’yid neoadunannwharla ceoknfrniot.ng trrndo nh i tnmiieapmetralytte h s ans iae iuansntdso %gh urdmlt0hao t crnyaeerrdgdnAduigctDsT tn rbdp uorroeneoeiMf

eflts os ecaTvoa fta uon einoshtln mdutrnapeiicaisi ,tbuIaNgawanfselepc ihoaemhh ahep aoeih. r rsonrpro ealznoR alftats dipoetanaiD srse I tdpli tnw dldmt,

lrenvnt io nsrssenaod pecgratal iwiathp nnfhdoii S nTrdlt trnsudtae twls aa egmf.hlts ivnai voefht e nt lhddrrdaur ,d.enreglessdtel ttndnirdceauwctnofeoirrce su es ieoou zdrts de himdeg ua eaofiisot dhslinaa roftstpnea rastse

ne,,osgaksd aweeatwa.hnnt naetcdie ohtHdllt toed”taosesen ccl hiIibauatern“ooosedwot flefmuogrunp Gtnbnohgrralseaua egr eitivuom—edartiao rcnxdu’t ee o dgbwlh e B d r iitmpotn elne enpmobgd ti uaahtdt ai e.tnetseaiolbvae—eeuiannmdt tens s,tn iode hos ednnranw

ti “s fed atkwaa’iWMge utsesirtnrneeaaLteiW ruaou r Gkeh aalvei nnn S ,Whwlge“ga d ”e oe aekebeoo W eee a.s o ’’rkrut tlegkalatrh agil gnnobBo’ att ,btlktebbd. ucno oa ct lrde n ne .t eaeanidmtiosiv.ntotn ’ipoa. s.a maslien” httnntk ertmw om

ee t>atreihetedp-srime< a"llo/aidem dres.nectsat e,n mimi> enfT wvmtamhgcty>>//ehl,paaiC:cpo= nt. lc n>nn sn / n>nitanto n-teCanetaoitpfInszerhsatd /nmoa fc

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

Editor's note: You can comment on IBJ stories by signing in to your IBJ account. If you have not registered, please sign up for a free account now. Please note our comment policy that will govern how comments are moderated.

18 thoughts on “Bill further rolling back Indiana wetland protections is first to land on governor’s desk

  1. Once the wetlands are gone, they are gone – period. We can figure out other ways to support and stimulate housing and industry, but once this resource is gone, it’s too late. If Holcomb signs this, he will be caving to business interests and not supporting what is best for Indiana in the long run.

    1. The wetlands are not quite gone. The poor sucker that ends up buying the “developed” property will still have to deal with the drainage and will most likely have a high probability of flooding. Or even worse, the water that’s no longer retained is now somebody else’s problem, so why would the developer care?

    2. I am all for protecting the environment. However, Indiana generally requires developers to preserve wetlands elsewhere or contribute to a wetland mitigation bank. This process usually requires developers to double the impact in a positive way for any wetlands they decide to build on. For example, if 1 acre is disturbed, then 2 acres need to be added elsewhere in the state, where it will have even more protections and less likelihood of development, given it is a larger designated wetland tract. It is not a perfect process, but to believe that once the wetlands are gone, they are gone – is somewhat misleading. On the site being developed, yes. But it’s not a use it and lose it process.

    3. JJ D, as a water resource scientist I can tell you mitigation banks only contribute a fraction of the benefit of natural (in place) wetlands. It’s not the same. Mix in future drainage issues like already mentioned and you see why total protection is important.

  2. “It was Thoreau who in writing of the destruction of the forests exclaimed, ‘Thank heaven they cannot cut down the clouds.’ Aye, but they can!…If men in their greed cut forests that preserve and distill moisture, clear fields, take the shelter of trees from creeks and rivers until they evaporate, and drain the water from swamps so that they can be cleared and cultivated, they prevent vapor from rising. And if it does not rise, it cannot fall. Man can change and is changing the forces of nature. Man can cut down the clouds.”
    Gene Stratton Porter one of our state’s early environmentalists and best selling author wrote this in the early 1900’s and nothing has changed.

    1. This is the entire Republican attitude to Indiana in one bill – use it up completely because there is no future worth investing or caring about.

  3. Laughable to think that if this produces cost savings in land development that it would be realized by the home buyer rather than a bigger profit line for the developer.

    1. That doesn’t matter. A Holcomb veto can and will be easily over-ridden by a simple majority of the same legislature that fast-tracked this bill through a short session.

  4. Hopefully everyone who has commented here does not vote Republican. This is what you get when you have a legislative super majority over the course of many years. They do what they want when they want and in the end the state suffers. In our case it is a super Republican majority but I would feel the same if it were a Democratic super majority. It hurts more than it helps.

  5. I can only assume no commenter above has read the bill, and neither have I. Sounds like the AP and I BJ have not read it either. Makes me wonder what is actually being changed, that way, I could actually have a real opinion as opposed to hyped up here-say.

  6. California paved over its wetlands, and look how well that’s gone for them. The impact of flooding is much worse when there’s no wetlands to absorb the water, only hard pavement.

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In