INDIANA – A controversial and slow-moving forest management plan inside the Hoosier National Forest has been temporarily frozen by a federal court order, marking a significant victory for Indiana environmental groups concerned about the region’s drinking water supply.
Chief Judge Tanya Pratt of the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, issued a September 18 ruling that halts all related activities for the Houston South Project, including timber sales, prescribed burns, and road construction.
Judge Pratt found that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by failing to take a “hard look” at the project’s potential environmental impacts. The ruling stated that the USFS relied on “outdated, vague, and critically, site-specific” research from other locations to support its claims that its management practices would prevent pollution.
Threat to Bloomington’s Water
The Houston South Project is a large-scale plan that would have opened up approximately 13,500 acres of the Hoosier National Forest to prescribed burning, 4,000 acres to logging, and 400 acres to clearcutting.
Opponents, including the Indiana Forest Alliance, Friends of Lake Monroe, the Hoosier Environmental Council, and the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, argued that cutting and burning on the steep slopes could lead to pollution runoff. This runoff would flow into the nearby South Fork Salt Creek watershed, which in turn feeds Lake Monroe, the primary source of drinking water for the 130,000 people in the Bloomington area.
“It’s a huge win for drinking water quality, which means it’s a win for residents… what do we do without our water supply?” said Monroe County Commissioner Julie Thomas.
The USFS order to halt all activities will remain in place until the Court decides on a remedy, a process that could take months or longer.
