INDIANAPOLIS — The time to act is now. That's the message from the Indiana Forest Alliance to the city of Indianapolis.
They are hoping the city will purchase four urban forests they have identified. The one pictured below is 20 acres of the 150 they are trying to preserve.
It sits on the northeast side of Indianapolis, but there several spread across the city.
"This forest probably cools this neighborhood by eight degrees just by being here,” Mike Oles, the Director of the Forests for Indy Campaign, said. “It dampens sound and creates wild life sanctuary."
Those are just a few reasons urban forests benefits the community. According to the USDA, they also improve air quality and add economic value to communities.
"I initially bought 13 acres with the intent of building a bakery facility, a baking plant,” Jim Maakestad, the owner of a 20-acre urban forest, said. “But I ended up closing my company, and the land was here so I just added to it."
Maakestad hopes the land he bought can be preserved by the city.
Currently, there are nearly $4.5 million earmarked in the city's Department of Public Works budget for strategic land acquisition and stewardship.
However, the city says it must use that money for a specific purpose. They sent the following statement when WRTV asked for an interview about the topic:
Indy DPW's proposed five-year stormwater capital plan calls for $1 million to be targeted each year from 2025 through 2028 for strategic land acquisition and stewardship. As these funds come from the city's stormwater user fee, we can only acquire land to help with stormwater management and flooding mitigation. This is the first-time revenue will be dedicated towards strategic land acquisition.
This year, Indy DPW used $360,000 to purchase a parcel adjacent to Grassy Creek Regional Park for ecologic restoration and to protect the land from future development.
This new approach to strategic land acquisition for the purposes of better stormwater management, land stewardship and conservation across the county is one borne from discussions with the Indiana Forest Alliance, the City’s Parks Department, members of the City-County Council and other stakeholders. DPW believes this is an important step forward in continuing to think about our long term approach to dealing with the real time impacts of climate change and land conservation.
PREVIOUS | Indiana Forest Alliance asking Indianapolis to preserve urban forests (wrtv.com)
While advocates understand there are limitations, they say some of the urban forest could be gone before we know it.
"You know, there is a chance that a warehouse developer or an industrial site could be developed,” Oles said. “We have plenty of sites like that across Marion County. What we don't have is enough parks."
Maakestad says he would be willing to talk with the city about selling the property at a potentially discounted price. He just hopes it is preserved before he has to sell.
"I can envision all sorts of uses for it as a park,” Maakestad said.
WATCH | Inside the effort to preserve urban forests
The Indiana Forest Alliance identified four urban forests they hope the city will purchase.
WRTV asked DPW if any of the properties identified by the organization qualify for the funding, but they were not able to give us an answer.
However, they did say they are committed to continuing to work with IFA and other interested stakeholders on identifying appropriate parcels for purchase with the newly established strategic land acquisition fund.
