Fellow Hoosiers, as we tuck into our holidays, it is important to remember that this is a season of healing for not only ourselves but also for our natural spaces. Unfortunately, Hoosier wetlands are facing attacks and need our help.
In my region of the state, Ft. Wayners witnessed the destruction of about 3 acres of wetlands in just the past year due to the practices at the Google data center. This was at one location and now, across the entire Hoosier state, our waters are under fire.
The EPA is proposing to roll back protections but these vital wetlands and water habitats are worth saving - and we know it. According to a November 2024 survey conducted on Hoosiers across the state, 95% of residents agreed that water in Indiana is a public resource that should be protected. Wetlands are sources of water storage, filtration, flood and drought prevention and are vital to Hoosier water health and, by extension, public and economic health.
In fact, in 2021 Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources found that our remaining approximately 800,000 acres of wetlands provided us with $202 million in water purification services every year. And that’s not all of the economic benefit our wetlands habitats provide. Here is a brief list of annual economic services Hoosier wetlands provide:
- $1.8 billion in water storage
- $850 million in erosion prevention
- 81 million acres of cropland runoff purification
Please let the EPA know that this proposed action is unacceptable. Submit your public comment by January 5th via Sierra Club’s Action Page. Be sure to add a line or two about why you want stronger, NOT weaker, wetlands protections.
Nicole Snider
Conservation Committee member