I have always been an advocate for protecting our environment. It wasn’t until I retired and moved back to rural Southwest Indiana that I became an environmental and climate activist. Moving back to Jasper, Indiana in 2020 I was looking forward to hiking in the nearby forests and parks, cycling the hilly country roads, and enjoying nature. Then I learned about a proposed 54-mile new-terrain highway called the Mid-States Corridor that if built would take away legacy farms, destroy acres of forest, threaten wildlife habitat, and add more harm to our fragile environment. It was at that moment that I knew I had to take an active role in fighting this destruction that could negatively impact our unique and beautiful rural landscape.
It's been five years now and friends continue to ask me why I am so involved in battling this proposed project since it won’t take my property. I explain to them; it is not about me. It’s about protecting our environment, it is about helping the farmers save their farms, and property owners losing their homes and being displaced. The Mid-States Corridor is about an unnecessary highway that a handful of wealthy business owners want to benefit their businesses at the sake of destroying the fabric of this great community.
What has happened over this time has been transformational. I have worked with many farmers, environmentalists, property owners, concerned citizens, and have gained so many close friends all with the same passion to protect this community. I have learned the true value of community and what we have here as truly special. During this time, I have continued to stand next to the Hoosier Homestead Award farmers whose farms have been in their family for 100 – 150 years and will lose everything if this highway is built. I have stood side by side with my neighbor who owns 57 acres of forestland that he environmentally manages and is threatened with being destroyed. His land is more than just acres of trees, it is a sanctuary of nature, and it should be protected, not destroyed by the greed of a few who want this highway so their trucks can save a little time.
When I first became involved with this fight, I would never have thought it would be such a long, hard battle against a project that most of the community is against. At times I feel worn down, beaten, burned out and wondering what’s next. But this fight is not over. Thankfully, what keeps me working even harder each day is knowing that our community of opposition continues to grow and we won’t stop until this proposed project dies.
To learn more please follow our Facebook page, Stop the Mid-States Corridor project.
Mark Nowotarski
Stop the Mid-States Corridor.