SIGLER CREEK WOODLAND — The Hoosier National Forest, alongside regional conservation partners, is inviting public feedback on a new proposal designed to improve forest health and enhance wildlife habitat across northern Perry and southern Crawford counties.
The initiative, titled the Sigler Creek Collaborative Woodlands and Wildlife Project, aims to restore open oak woodlands, improve aquatic stream habitats, and employ science-based land-management strategies to build a more resilient forest ecosystem.
Restoring Ecosystems and Wildlife Habitat
Forest managers plan to use a combination of targeted techniques to encourage ecological diversity:
- Tree Planting & Canopy Management: Planting native trees and utilizing ecologically focused timber harvests to thin overcrowded stands, letting sunlight reach the forest floor to aid native oak regeneration.
- Prescribed Burning: Conducting controlled, low-intensity burns managed by trained fire professionals. These fires mimic the natural fire cycles that historically shaped Southern Indiana’s landscape, helping clear dense underbrush and reduce accumulated dead wood that can fuel severe wildfires.
- Aquatic Enhancements: Replacing an ineffective stream culvert to reduce soil erosion and improve passage for local fish populations.
By creating a balanced mix of young, middle-aged, and mature forest habitats—with a specific focus on expanding scarce young-forest areas—the project is expected to support a wide array of native species. Anticipated beneficiaries include pollinators, white-tailed deer, several bat species, eastern box turtles, and declining songbirds such as the wood thrush, eastern whip-poor-will, and red-headed woodpecker.
How to Review and Comment
A complete Proposed Action document detailing the project is available for public review on the USDA Forest Service website at fs.usda.gov/r09/hoosier/projects.
Members of the public are encouraged to submit feedback, preferably within 30 days of the release:
- By Email: Send formal comments to
comments-eastern-hoosier@usda.gov. - By Mail: Address written comments to Hoosier National Forest, Attn: Sigler Creek Project, 248 15th Street, Tell City, IN 47586.
For specific questions regarding the proposal, project coordinator Travis Swaim can be contacted via email at justin.swaim@usda.gov (include “Sigler Creek Project” in the subject line) or by phone at 812-547-7051. All submitted comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will become part of the official public record.
