Do-gooders and Fed. Agencies sticking their nose in Hoosier's bidness...

[1_pointer]

Just look what those environmental do-gooders from The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund and their patsy federal agency "partners" are pulling off in Indiana....

DNR buys Fairbanks Landing site from I&M

FAIRBANKS – The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has secured a key piece of the Healthy Rivers INitiative by purchasing 3,475 acres of Fairbanks Landing Fish & Wildlife Area from Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) and reaching an agreement to continue managing the rest of the site.

The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife has managed the site since 2005 under a lease agreement with I&M. The lease expired two years ago and the utility company was considering selling a large portion of the property.

The recently completed deal is a model of a government-private enterprise partnership to preserve a natural habitat for wildlife and public recreation. The Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Conservation Fund partnered with the DNR on the purchase to ensure Fairbanks Landing remains open to the public.

In addition to the acreage purchased, the lease agreement between I&M and DNR to manage the remaining 5,000-plus acres owned by I&M has been extended so the entire Fairbanks Landing FWA will remain intact at more than 8,000 acres.

The agreement secures Fairbanks Landing as the southern anchor for the Healthy Rivers INitiative (HRI). The initiative was launched nearly two years ago with the goal of permanently protecting more than 43,000 acres along the Wabash River and Sugar Creek. One of HRI’s benefits is increased public access to outdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, boating, hiking and bird watching.

The DNR Fish & Wildlife division has developed a five-year management plan for Fairbanks Landing that will focus on forested, wetland and grassland habitats.

Since opening in 2005, Fairbanks Landing has emphasized providing high-quality hunting experiences. Hunter access is limited during peak deer and wild turkey hunting seasons to reduce hunting pressure, and quail hunting has reduced bag limits. These practices will continue.

Fairbanks Landing averaged 5,000 hunting efforts the last two years.

I&M operated the Breed Plant on the site from 1960-94. The coal-fired power plant is gone, but a 345,000-volt transmission switchyard remains on a portion of Fairbanks Landing where the original Breed Plant facility once stood. Environmental remediation took place after the power plant was demolished in 2007.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Sounds to me like a massive Federal land grab.

 

[shoots-straight]

Next thing they'll do is lock everybody out.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I hope you guys are joking!

 

[noharleyyet]

I hope you guys are joking!

Pointer started it.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Public land is socialism!

 

[tarheel]

At least it wasn't sold off to commercial interests.

 

[huntRme]

Fortunately there are some environmental do-gooders out there who are doing good. The Nature Conservancy is one of them.

 

[mtmiller]

Next thing they'll do is lock everybody out.

Probably close roads and take away more access for hunters. Damn gov't.

 

[1_pointer]

Sounds to me like a massive Federal land grab.

Kinda, but its actually a state land grab, the federal agencies are just enabling it with funding to the tune of $21 million! This is the start of the state trying to get ahold of 69K acres! The link below takes you to the map showing where they are wanting to buy the land; it's the red outlined area

http://www.in.gov/dnr/healthyriver/files/he-Gov_Initiative_overview.pdf

Here is the list of objectives for this project:
Eight key objectives have been identified for the Healthy Rivers INitiative. They are:

■Provide a model that balances forests, farmed lands and natural resources conservation.
■Connect separated parcels of public land to benefit wildlife.
■Restore and enhance areas of land along the Wabash River, Muscatatuck River and Sugar Creek
■Protect important habitat for wildlife
■Open land to the public for recreational activities, such as fishing, hunting, trapping, hiking, canoeing, bird watching and boating
■Protect important rest areas for migratory birds
■Establish areas for nature tourism
■Provide clean water and protection from flooding to landowners downstream

It's amazing how much these groups are in cahoots together...

 

[Wally Dog]

What do you suppose the net loss in tax revenues will be??

 

[1_pointer]

Of the three counties most affected, the county taxes paid for on ag land constitutes 5.88%, 20.11%, and 43.02% of the respective counties property tax base. So, I'd say that for two of the counties the loss would be relatively easy to recover. The third county is looking at losing less than 10% of its total acres in which 43% of the property tax is generated. Thus, I'd say that it wouldn't be that much to make up...?

 

[jabber]

Since opening in 2005, Fairbanks Landing has emphasized providing high-quality hunting experiences. Hunter access is limited during peak deer and wild turkey hunting seasons to reduce hunting pressure, and quail hunting has reduced bag limits. These practices will continue.

How long before the Indiana SFW gets started?

 

[1_pointer]

How long before the Indiana SFW gets started?

Probably never as all reserved hunt applications and tags are free in Indiana if you already have a deer tag. Plus, there's no quota on the number of tags the state can sell. You can use your regular deer tag on these hunts, but if you take a buck that counts as your one buck for the year (the exception being state park reduction hunts) unless you buy a reserved hunt tag. That allows you to take a second buck. Most of the draw deer hunts in IN are only for 1 or 2 days, so they are not all that 'special' IMO. But, I will be putting in...