News and Tribune - Recently passed bills are wins for Indiana's public lands
Op-Ed
By Sen. Todd Young
Over the last few weeks, Indiana's natural treasures have been recognized on a national scale. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was designated as our state's very first National Park, and legislation passed the Senate that authorizes the extension of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail across Southern Indiana, and protects fishing and hunting rights within the Hoosier National Forest.
These are big wins for our state, benefiting both conservation efforts and the Hoosier economy. These designations have the potential to boost tourism and help ensure that our prized natural resources and our proud hunting and fishing heritage remains preserved for generations to come.
The designation of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as America's 61st National Park verifies what we Hoosiers have known all along -- this is not just a state treasure, but a national treasure as well. The new designation should drive additional visitors to this Hoosier wonder and in turn spur northwest Indiana's economy. It rightfully commemorates the important ecological diversity of the Indiana Dunes. I commend my colleague in the House, Congressman Pete Visclosky, for his perseverance on this important Hoosier priority. Without his tireless advocacy, this goal would not have been accomplished. I look forward to continuing to work with Congressman Visclosky to ensure northwest Indiana is not ignored.
Both houses of Congress also recently passed a bipartisan lands package that includes two important provisions for Indiana.
The first is my Eastern Legacy Extension Act, which would extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail from St. Louis, Missouri, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including all of Indiana's southern border along the Ohio River. The proposed extension travels through seven states: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This extension would honor the important legacy of the Lewis and Clark journey through Indiana.
On Oct. 15, 1803, Meriwether Lewis joined William Clark in Clarksville, near the Falls of the Ohio. They were captains of the Corps of Discovery, a specially established unit of the United States Army whose mission was to explore the West. It was in Clarksville where the Corps' journey "began in earnest."
Lewis and Clark began planning their expedition at the cabin of General George Rogers Clark, and two Hoosiers -- Charles Floyd and William Bratton -- were among the recruits who many call "Nine Young Men from Kentucky." Eleven days later, the Corps departed Clarksville via the Ohio River for St. Louis.
Last year, the National Park Service (NPS) released a Lewis & Clark Extension study that noted the historical and cultural significance of the Ohio River to their journey, and the importance of Indiana, where Lewis and Clark first shook hands to begin this famous partnership. My Eastern Legacy Extension Act reflects the NPS study and honors the role of states like Indiana to this important expedition.
The comprehensive lands package that recently passed the Senate also ensures that federal lands like the Hoosier National Forest in the hills of south-central Indiana will continue to remain open for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation activities. Reinforcing that federal lands shall remain open for these recreation activities ensures that future administrations and federal lands managers cannot unilaterally close these public assets. This is welcome news for our state's many sportsmen and women, who rely on access to our public lands.
The lands package is now awaiting the President's signature. I'm confident this bill, which has the ability to positively impact all Hoosiers, will soon become law.
Indiana is a state full of natural and cultural treasures, and I will continue working to make sure Hoosiers and visitors from across the country have access to our lands and exposure to our state's important history.
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