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7
Hoosier National Forest
Submitted by: Danny L. East
On Saturday the 29th of June I drove to French Lick to attend a workshop sponsored by the Hoosier
National Forest with the Roadless Initiative being the subject of the day. While the invitation gave the impression
that the audience would have input, this was not the case. The sole purpose of the gathering was to give one’s
thoughts on several areas as to whether they would be classified as roadless or back country areas. No other
option was on the table. Several criteria were listed and each individual had the opportunity to look over a very
well prepared map to help in making their choice.
The rule was that if an area did not meet all eight of the criteria, then it could not be classified as a
roadless area, but would then be considered for inclusion into the back country classification. This meant that the
area would now be considered for a "wilderness area." In short the whole gathering was nothing but a scam to
belittle the attendees into thinking that they actually had a voice in how the HNF would be managed. Several
people began to ask me questions about the process as they had not attended as many meetings as I had. When I
started to explain what was going on, some were shocked as to what was happening. They were surprised to find
out that these areas would in effect be closed to the public as the roads would eventually be closed and to access
them would require quite a walk. The fact that no timber harvest would be allowed on these areas brought
questions of disbelief from some. Even though some of these areas are not of huge size, the terrain would exclude
all but the young and physically fit.
For those of you reading this who have not been paying attention to what has been going on the last few
years, you may rest assured that the Hoosier National Forest is rapidly on its way to becoming the Hoosier
National Park. Hunting will be a thing of the past for those of you who look forward to a trip to southern Indiana
for your fall deer hunt, grouse hunting is almost a lost sport due to the lack of timber harvest, squirrel hunting will
be the only thing left to hunt and that will probably be banned as lead is a toxic material. It is sickening to see the
way that tree hugging leaf lovers have gotten together after the Clinton administration proposed this idiotic idea.
So many of us have taken for granted the way the forests have been managed for so long that we have failed to
realize that they are slowly being taken away from us. And anyone out there who believes that this will not
happen should go back to sleep, for the State Forests that we all have visited from time to time are next on the list
whether you want to see it or not.
The mindset of the politics in Bedford has gone so far that the only thing they are now looking after are
their jobs and government retirement benefits. One gentleman, that being Mr. Roscoe Breedlove Jr., who with
some relatives own 92 acres in Salt Creek Township in Monroe County, has tried for 9 years to get 72 feet of
right-of-way across National Forest land to access the property, but to this day has not gotten it. He has been to
several of these meeting and has been rebuffed at every one. The Facilitator [paid for by the taxpayers] said at
every meeting that this subject should not be discussed as this was for the roadless proposal and that he should
contact the people at the HNF. He would try to talk to the HNF personnel there but they would not talk to him
about it. He is now on his second lawyer trying to get something done. So much for property rights and the law.
Does anyone besides me see a pattern developing?
One only has to look at the disgusting display that went on in Bloomington several months ago when a
tree hugger perched herself in a tree on private property that was slated for development in protest that they were
going to cut down some trees to put in an apartment complex. When all was said and done, there was no
prosecution for trespassing as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources decided that prosecution was not in
their best interests. A truly sad state of affairs.
I will attempt to keep the Roundtable informed as to what is going on with the HNF, but unless there is a
drastic change of policy, the future news will not be in the best interests of sportsmen [and sportswomen].
We Need Your E-Mail Address
Ever since the incorporation of the Roundtable, over nine years ago, we have been notifying our members
of meetings and other special events through the mailing of postcards. We don't remember how many postal price
increases that we've had, but what was once known as a penny postcard now costs twenty-five cents. 100
postcards that you used to buy for a buck now cost $25.00.
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