This is the fourteenth diary in my Expanding the National Parks series. This week, I'm in Indiana, the Hoosier State. Indiana doesn't have much land protected at the federal level, at 2.0% its tied for 37th in country with Delaware, despite being about 18 times bigger than Delaware. Indiana currently has 1 national forests, 3 wildlife refuges and 3 other NPS units. I'll propose giving Indiana its first national monuments, and will list them first.
This is the fourteenth diary in my Expanding the National Parks series. This week, I'm in Indiana, the Hoosier State. Indiana doesn't have much land protected at the federal level, at 2.0% its tied for 37th in country with Delaware, despite being about 18 times bigger than Delaware. Indiana currently has 1 national forests, 3 wildlife refuges and 3 other NPS units. I'll propose giving Indiana its first national monuments, and will list them first.
Indiana
Total Area 36 420 sq miles
Land Area 35 826 sq miles
Water Area 594 sq miles
Coastline 45 miles
Additional Monuments -3
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS-3
* Indiana Coastal- would protect Indiana's portion of Lake Michigan, as well as open land up to 10 miles inland. While Indiana has the smallest coastline of the Great Lake states-45 miles- , that actually makes it easier to protect , rather than the hundreds of miles of coastline in Wisconsin and thousands of miles in Michigan. The Great Lakes are sometimes called the "Third Coast" and I'm treating them like coastline on the Pacific , Atlantic, Gulf or Arctic- areas to be protected. Estimated area 100000 acres- roughly 150 sq miles
* Indiana Dunes- Would upgrade the existing Lakeshore to monument status. since, frankly "Lakeshore /Seashore' have never really been clarified as to where they stand on the "Park- monument- preserve- recreational area-refuge' totem pole, upgrading it to 'monument and lakeshore' or 'park and lakeshore' seems a necessary move. I would imagine the residents of Indiana would prefer it be a national park, but for now, a monument is an easier step.Estimated area 20000 acres- 31 sq miles
* Hoosier Would upgrade some of the forest to monument status, granting those areas additional protection and funding. since Hoosier is the only current national forest in state, it is a logical candidate to see some of it receive monument status, as many national forests contain national monuments. Would incorporate area surrounding the Charles Deam wilderness area which is the only wilderness in the state. estimated area 100000 acres- 150 square miles
EXISTING UNITS
NATIONAL FORESTS-1
* Hoosier Established 1961 Covers 202 814 acres
the only National Forest in the state, the land that makes up Hoosier was first bought by the government during the Depression. The Charles Seam wilderness area, covers 13000 acres, unlike wilderness elsewhere, it contains remnants of human habitation, including house foundations, cemeteries, and fences, since the area was settled during the 19th century. The CCC created trails in the forest during the Depression for recreational purposes, using old roads as foundations. Today the forests has over 250 miles of trials. the forest also includes the site of the former free black settlement Lick Creek, which lasted until the end of the Civil War.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-3
* Big Oaks Established 2000 Covers 50000 acres
The newest and largest wildlife refuge in the state, Big Oaks lies on the land formerly occupied by the Jefferson Proving Grounds, which was a weapons testing facility created during World War II. due to the past use as a test facility visitors are required to sign a form acknowledging the risks of visiting the refuge and watch a short historical video. the refuge is an "overlay' refuge which means the Army still retains ownership of the land, and the FWS is simply managing the refuge under a 25 year lease.
* Muscatatuck Established 1966 Covers 7880 acres
The smallest and oldest of Indiana's Refuges, Muscatatuck, which means 'land of winding waters', is named after the river which serves as its southern boundary. the area that makes up the refuge is a mixture of forests and former farmland. Resident animals include river otters and trumpeter swans. the refuge is a stopover for Whooping cranes en route to Florida. 125000 people visited the refuge last year.
* Patoka River Established 1994 Covers 23962 acres
located along the Patoka river, the refuge currently covers about 7000 acres-as of 2010-, but has an approved boundary of nearly 24000. land acquisitions are ongoing, and plans call for restoring areas to pre-settlement conditions. Least terns and Bald Eagles reside in the refuge, which was named a " Globally Important Birding Area by the National Audubon Society, for its population of least terns.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-3
* George Rogers Clark NHP Established 1966 Covers 24 aces
Located on the site of Fort Sackville, a British fort captured by George Rogers Clark in 1779 during the Revolutionary War. the Campaign over the winter of 1778-79 allowed the US to later claim the Upper Midwest states during the Treaty of Paris negotiations in 1783. as the nearby city of Vincennes grew , the exact location of the fort was lost due to development. while the current memorial is not on the exact site, the fort was almost certainly in the area of the park.The memorial was built to mark the 150th anniversary of Clark's feat, and was dedicated in 1936 by FDR. The park will be Indianas contribution to the National Park quarters collection, as the fifth and last quarter released in 2017. Nearly 150000 people visited in 2011.
* Indiana Dunes NL Established 1966 Covers 15067 acres
Established to protect the dunes around Lake Michigan, the Lakeshore consists of 15 unconnected parcels, some on the lake itself others further inland. The first Director of the NPS, Stephen Mather, proposed setting it aside as a national park, a portion of the dunes was protected in 1916 as a state park. Eventually Congress passed legislation creating the lakeshore and have expanded its boundaries on several occasions. Over 2.1 million people visited the lakeshore in 2005.
* Lincoln Boyhood NM established 1966 Covers 200 acres
Protects the site where Abraham Lincoln lived with his family from 1816-1830. After Lincoln moved with his family to Illinois the site was largely forgotten until 1879, when efforts began to memorialize the site as a honor to Lincoln. in 1932, the site was protected as part of Lincoln state park, then was transferred to the NPS as as memorial in 1962. the memorial includes the foundation of the house, a graveyard containing the grave of Lincoln's mother Nancy, as a well as a memorial marking Lincolns time in Kentucky Indiana and Illinois, as well as his time as president and legacy.
That concludes my time in Indiana. my next diary will have me traveling west into Iowa, where i will examine the protected areas of that state, in between re-enactments of Field of Dreams. As always, comments, feedback and input are welcome.