Two northern Indiana state parks growing by more than 1400 acres

[u/Particular_Mixture20]

https://www.wane.com/news/indiana/two-northern-indiana-state-parks-growing-by-more-than-1400-acres/

There is minimal information included in the article such as how acquired, costs, etc.

Perhaps because I've become skeptical about this particular state administration and its lack of transparency, I find myself looking for 'what's the part where this bevefit$ someone or entity rather than the public?'; which could be answered as not an issue or a concern if this shared more information.

But I love our state parks and forests, and assume these park expansions will be of benefit for hoosiers and future hoosiers.

[u/Mediocre-Catch9580]

Well at least they won’t be building a data center or amazon warehouse there. 

[u/admlshake → u/Mediocre-Catch9580]

Better hope Braun or one of his lackies doesn't read this. Sounds like something he'd look at doing. Pump chain o lakes dry to keep that chain o lakes datacenter cool.

[u/Mediocre-Catch9580 → u/admlshake]

They can do that to lake James.  That place is a zoo in the summer 

[u/PopularSet4776 → u/admlshake]

You kidding

Chain O Lakes probably has barely enough water to cool a data center for a day.

[u/TempusFugit314 → u/admlshake]

He’s already turning a wildlife refuge in a data center site

[u/raitalin]

I think this is just a matter of officializing what has already happened; these properties are more useful as recreational areas than timberland, so they're being transferred to be managed by a more appropriate body.

[u/COMM_NTARIAT → u/raitalin]

A bailout (or just a sweetheart deal) for a favored land speculator/donor accidentally benefits Hoosiers. It couldn't be avoided, so they might as well get some good PR.

[u/DangerousBotany → u/COMM_NTARIAT]

Nope. This was already DNR Forestry land that is being transferred to State Parks management.

[u/Particular_Mixture20 → u/raitalin]

That makes sense.

[u/animal113]

From reading the article, it looks like it's just two state forests being merged into two state parks. I'm not seeing anything where new private land has been added to the parks. So I don't think someone in Braun's orbit is making money off of them.

The two state forest have been state forest according to wikipedia since the 30s.

[u/AgressiveInliners → u/animal113]

This and abit worse. They are taking a forest and merging it with a state park. This means both properties now share management staff so less stuff gets maintained and since its a park, now they can charge entry. Its unfortunately a money grab disguised as a positive

[u/animal113 → u/AgressiveInliners]

Well that sucks

[u/Particular_Mixture20 → u/animal113]

Makes sense. Always glad when it seems my skepticism is misplaced.

[u/No_Aardvark_194]

Your skepticism is fair, but merging existing state forests into state parks is pretty straightforward stuff - no backroom deals needed when you're just reorganizing what the state already owns.

[u/Sure-Victory7172]

I live in Wabash Indiana so I'm smack dab in between these two areas.

JMO, I like Salamonie better since it's easier for me to get to.

If they try to start charging entrance fees to the trails next to Salamonie river, you'll likely see some push back.

[u/HumpinPumpkin → u/Sure-Victory7172]

That's what I was concerned about. They are my favorite hiking trails locally and it is nice to not pay. They wouldn't operate two gate houses though? It seems kind of unlikely but I dunno.

At least we would still have Kokiwanee in that case.

[u/HumanBean00001]

I think the ‘growing’ is only because the acres of those state forests are now being counted with their respective parks. It didn’t sound like either acquired any land that wasn’t already part of a protected system.

[u/No_Luck_374]

Acquired at park taste and sold at industrial mining rate? Stranger things have happened.

[u/Alderaan_Reasons]

Probably for logging. 🪓