September update from Uplands Network, connecting Monroe and surrounding counties
September 3, 2025
Rising up for our forests
September is Public Lands Month!
We have many opportunities to get outdoors with the Sierra Club this month, and we hope you can join us on the trail.
As well as getting outdoors, one of our main missions is to protect our precious land and wild spaces in Indiana.
Lora Kemp, Hoosier Chapter volunteer leader: “Indiana has 8,000 acres of roadless areas in the Hoosier National, but all National Forest Land is at stake. These areas belong to all. Hoosiers love their outdoor experiences and their public lands.”
Roads impact over 20% of our land in the United States. Their impact can be devastating to neighborhoods, farms, and ecosystems that include wildlife, water and forests. This month we focus on the recent rescission of the Roadless Rule by writing comments to protect our national forests.
Another threat we will learn more about at our monthly meeting is the Mid-States Corridor Project, another example of unnecessary roadbuilding that will impact forests, family farms, natural habitats and wildlife within. Our speaker, Sierra Club member Mark Nowotarski, will bring us up to date on measures citizens are taking to stop this costly project and protect property rights.
Remembering Andy Mahler
Andy spoke and sang at the Buffalo Springs fundraiser in July at the Lost River Deli in Paoli. Photo - Marilyn Bauchat.
Last week on August 30 we lost our friend, Andy Mahler, the longtime forest defender of the Hoosier National Forest, and forests everywhere.
Andy’s friend, Jeff St. Clair, shares , "Andy Mahler, the valiant defender of America’s backwoods, lived in and learned from the forests he spent much of his life fighting to protect from senseless destruction and corporate exploitation. When much of the mainstream environmental movement wrote off rural people, Mahler built a powerful movement among them: decentralized, democratic and rooted in place. Mahler was a visionary, whose capacity for empathy, for both humans and the natural world, was matched only by his steely refusal to compromise on vital matters of ecological principle. Mahler’s life, lived to the max, is a testament for a new kind of environmental movement: local, radical and charged with the joyful spirit of the life force itself."
Andy's lifetime legacy includes being one of the founders for Indiana Forest Alliance, Protect Our Woods, and Heartwood. His love for the forest, conservation, and preservation can be heard in some of his music he wrote and performed in his later years.
Andy’s memorial will be held the weekend of October 3-5 at the Heartwood Reunion at the Lazy Black Bear, Paoli, Indiana. Current details of the Heartwood Reunion (1st Memorial) can be had here: Heartwood Reunion on Facebook.
Protect Our Progress Toward Renewable Energy
Statewide: Hoosiers shouldn’t foot the bill for Big Tech’s data centers!
Indiana leaders are welcoming data center development with open arms and that comes with unprecedented energy demand and likely higher electric rates for everyday Hoosiers. → sc.org/INdatacenters
Take action! Hold CenterPoint Accountable
CenterPoint is walking back on their 2027 coal free goal. Sign our petition at sc.org/centerpoint to tell them to keep their word!
AES - No dirty power for data centers, no price hikes!
Tell AES it shouldn't back away from its climate commitments or burden customers with a costly new power plant for a potential data center! sc.org/nodirtypower
On August 27 USDA Secretary Rollins announced that the administration is moving forward with its plan to repeal the Roadless Rule.
The notice of intent was published in the Federal Register, and that kicked off a three week public comment period, culminating on September 19th. The announcement said they are pursuing a nationwide repeal of the Roadless Rule, including for the Tongass National Forest.
The Sierra Club released this statement alongside conservation organizations, tribes, and businesses.
The Roadless Rule is one of the most consequential and effective conservation policies in the history of the National Forest System. You can help spread the word about this latest attack on Instagram, through social media channels, and by circulating this Sierra Magazine story about the value of the Roadless Rule among your networks.
Thanks to our digital team, we have already begun to gather comments to help offset the extremely short comment period.
-Help shape the local narrative: Sierra Club just launched this Roadless LTE tool that makes it extremely easy to draft and submit a Letter to the Editor of your local media outlets. This same tool was used to submit LTEs opposing a bad forest bill last month and published 17 pieces in a matter of days. Let's do that again!
- Approach state electeds: They are not decision-makers in this process, but they are important spokespeople and we want them on our side.
More on roadless -- inform your community! Did your friends and family take notice of the public lands selloff fight last month? If so, then they ought to know more about the next big conservation battle. Here is a recent episode of the Wild Idea podcast featuring Chris Wood, a great conversation about the Roadless Rule.
Urban Forests in Peril
It’s very hard to understand how the city mayor of Hammond, Indiana would promote an expensive bridge project through a fragile Duneland forest which offers walkability and connects neighborhoods. The Hoosier Chapter Conservation Committee has been working with folks to save the Briar East Woods, a 4,700 year-old-sand dune-woodland and ancient shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is the last unprotected remnant of the High Tolleston Dunes. Read more about this and consider joining our Conservation Committee that meets monthly on Zoom.
When you explore the outings and events planned, you will notice that they are going on around the state. Now that we have an outreach coordinator, Colleen Curtin, our director, Robyn Skuya-Boss, and our team of amazing outings leaders have scheduled outings in many areas. Please reach out to friends and family who may wish to participate.
Sept 17: Rail Trail Walk: B-Line Sept 30: Virtual Book Club: Braiding Sweetgrass Oct. 1: Rail Trail Walk: Karst Farm Greenway 1 Oct. 4: Walk with IN Sierra Club Director, Brown County Oct. 15: Rail Trail Walk: Karst Farm Greenway 2 Oct. 29: Rail Trail Walk: Karst Farm Greenway 3 TBD: Hitz-Rhodehamel Woods - Nashville, IN Nov. 1: Walk with IN Sierra Club Director, South Bend
Thank you to our partners, Artists for Environmental Restoration , for completing another year of Family Art and Nature activities – tabling, hiking and drawing together.
We look forward to our next event together!
Families enjoy drawing surrounded by the works of our partners, Artists for Environmental Restoration. Photo - Marilyn Bauchat.
Florence Grant concentrates on her butterfly as she works in the gallery space. Photo - Marilyn Bauchat.
Coming up:
Increase your native plants and support our partner, MC-IRIS, this Saturday!
Faith in Place hybrid 2025 Annual Environment and Spirituality Summit with keynote address from Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass. Register Today — 2025 Annual Environment and Spirituality Summit.
Your Invite to Get Involved!
Volunteer opportunity!
We will table at the Bug Fest from 10:00AM to 2:00PM on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Karst Farm Park.
Please join our September meeting virtually at 6:30PM, Monday, September 8 2025.
Get forest updates and learn more about the Mid-States Corridor Project, an example of unnecessary roadbuilding by those who can profit that will impact forests, family farms, natural habitats and wildlife within.
Our speaker, Sierra Club member, Mark Nowotarski, will bring us up to date on measures citizens are taking to stop this costly project and protect property rights.
Our leadership team includes dedicated people who plan meetings and outings, table at events, and connect with other groups. We welcome anyone who wishes to volunteer with our network.
Open volunteer positions are: co-chair, treasurer, social media coordinator, conservation committee members and outings leaders.
Shorter volunteer commitments include tabling at events and at local farmers’ markets. To volunteer write Marilyn at marilynbauchat@gmail.com.
Suggested reading:
Hoosier Chapter Book Club September book: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
