Hello!

I want to thank you for signing and appreciate the support in saving Indiana’s wetlands! We must take further action to ensure Indiana’s wetlands are protected for the benefit of all Hoosiers.

The Nature Conservancy is working closely with the Hoosier Environmental Council to oppose SB 389 —who have done a great job distilling the amendments and providing information for contacting legislators about our opposition to Amendment 11. I’ve attached a great one-sheet explanation of wetlands’ value in Indiana generated by the Department of Natural Resources. 

It’s critical we focus on the members of the Environmental Affairs Committee, but it’s good to contact all members of the House too.

Representative Doug Gutwein, Chair of House Environmental Affairs, h16@iga.in.gov
Representative Matt Lehman, Majority Floor Leader, h79@iga.in.gov
Representative Todd Huston, Speaker of the House, h37@iga.in.gov

If your state representative is a member of the House Environmental Affairs Committee, please also reach that lawmaker with the below two messages.

Wetlands are vital to a healthy ecosystem and need protection because they

a.) provide wildlife habitat, b.) absorb large quantities of water which reduces flood risk, and c.) purify water.

TAKE ACTION:

Please urge the following three Indiana House leaders to:
--Oppose SB 389 as it passed out of the Senate
--Oppose any House amendments to SB 389 that would jeopardize state-protected wetlands

Contact members of the House Environmental Affairs Committee:

Doug Gutwein h16@iga.in.gov
Mike Speedy h90@iga.in.gov
Mike Aylesworth h11@iga.in.gov
Beau Baird h44@iga.in.gov
John Jacob h93@iga.in.gov
Don Lehe h25@iga.in.gov
J.D. Prescott h33@iga.in.gov
Hal Slager h15@iga.in.gov
Jeff Thompson h28@iga.in.gov
Sue Errington h34@iga.in.gov
Maureen Bauer h6@iga.in.gov
Pat Boy h9@iga.in.gov
Carolyn Jackson h1@iga.in.gov 

Today Article Indy Star: The state thought it had reached a compromise on wetlands bill. Then it was blindsided.

“Though this amendment would no longer repeal the state's wetlands law, it would fundamentally change it. Amendment 11 would exempt all Class I wetlands from protections, allowing their destruction without any oversight. Up to one acre of Class II and III wetlands would also be exempted if they are within the borders of a municipality. And any wetlands that are on cropland that's been sold for development will no longer be protected if that land has been farmed at any time in the last five years.”

“The amendment also greatly reduces the amount of wetland mitigation that developers must do if they build in a wetland, while increasing the amount of wetlands that can be destroyed when there are several wetlands involved in the same development project.”

“Frank described this long-awaited amendment as awful.”

"If SB 389 passes in its current form or with Amendment 11, Indiana will pay a high price in increased flooding, lost groundwater recharge, lost water purification, and loss of endangered and threatened species," she said.”

Read full Indy Star article published today: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2021/03/20/controversial-indiana-wetlands-bill-heard-house-committee/4765746001/

Good News: We’ve just passed 26,296 signatures on our petition! Thank you so much for your support! Will you help me to get more support by sharing this petition with ten other people? If enough of us sign we can’t be ignored! Here’s a link to share https://www.change.org/p/environmental-protection-agency-save-the-wetlands-reject-indiana-sb-389

Thank you,

Leo Berry 

A message from Indra Frank, MD, MPH, Environmental Health & Water Policy Director Hoosier Environmental Council:

Bad news on the anti-wetlands bill, SB 389. From Indra Frank of Hoosier Environmental Council -
'The long-awaited amendment to the wetlands bill, SB 389, was finally released late yesterday and the bottom line is that it is awful. Details follow, but here's the short message:

Please do all you can before Monday to get messages to the House Environmental Affairs Committee (contact info added in comments) to save Indiana's remaining wetlands by opposing SB 389 and opposing Amendment 11.

Despite weeks of negotiation by IDEM and despite all the legislators who told us there would be a reasonable compromise, the House Environmental Affairs Committee is going to take up an amendment to the bill that will gut Indiana's wetlands law. They will meet Monday, March 22, at 10:30 AM.

Indiana's environmental agency, IDEM, spent weeks negotiating a compromise that would have hurt wetlands a bit in order to stave off the repeal of the wetlands law in the original SB 389. Amendment 11 that the committee is going to consider is NOT what IDEM negotiated. The bill's authors and the committee chair have apparently decided to abandon the negotiated agreement.

Amendment 11 will lead to loss of much of Indiana's remaining wetlands. It allows destruction of
• all Class I wetlands
• up to one acre of Class II or Class III if they are within the borders of a municipality.
• up to 1/2 acre of Class II and 1/4 acre of Class III outside municipalities
• wetlands that are on cropland sold for development
• ephemeral streams
It also greatly reduces the wetland mitigation ratios and it increases the amount of wetland that can be destroyed when there are several wetlands involved in the same development project. I've included a table comparing Amendment 11 to existing law below.

If SB 389 passes in its current form or with Amendment 11, Indiana will pay a high price in increased flooding, lost groundwater recharge, lost water purification, and loss of endangered and threatened species.

From the standpoint of process, amendment 11 is not the result of a multi-stakeholder compromise. It reflects the priorities of only one stakeholder - the Builders Association. The 77 Indiana organizations on record as opposing SB 389 were left entirely out of the negotiation process, despite the extensive wetland expertise they embody.

Amendment 11 Existing law
Exempts all Class I wetlands Exempts ½ acre
Exempts ½ acre of Class II Exempts ¼ acre
Exempts ¼ acre of Class III No exemption
Exempts 1 acre of Class II or III within a municipality No exemption
Enlarges cumulative exemption when there is >1 wetland on a property
Exempts dredge and fill activities in ephemeral streams
Allows wetland destruction for development on cropland that was farmed any time in the last 5 years
Reduces mitigation ratios
IDEM’s time to issue wetland permit 90 days 120 days

Please do all you can before Monday to tell the House Environmental Affairs Committee to save Indiana's remaining wetlands by opposing SB 389 and opposing Amendment 11.

If you are interested in testifying in-person, please let me know and see the committee agenda and appearance form here: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2021/committees/environmental_affairs_0700

Thanks for all you are doing!
- Indra

Indra Frank, MD, MPH
Environmental Health & Water Policy Director
Hoosier Environmental Council

Link to Environmental Affairs: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2021/committees/environmental_affairs_0700?fbclid=IwAR2pxPYcPL6IZOYvv_bxwDa605ei_mRH5ednumLHiOTm2CgXMXUkoJStTbA