Open houses set on proposed Atterbury land swap

Indiana DNR Release:

Two open house meetings are scheduled to provide information and gather comments on a proposed land exchange between the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana National Guard and the Indiana Department of Correction.

The meetings are from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday (April 26) at the Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area office, 7970 South Rowe St., Edinburgh, and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday (April 28) at the Indiana State Police Post, U.S. 40, Putnamville. The meetings are a walk-in-anytime format and people do not have to arrive at the start of the meeting.

Representatives from the DNR, Indiana National Guard, National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will be available at both open houses to provide the public with detailed information and to answer questions. People will have an opportunity to provide comments at the meetings.

Public comments will be incorporated into a draft Environmental Assessment prepared by the DNR. Once that document is published in the Federal Register, the public will have another opportunity to offer input before a decision is made on whether or not to go forward with the proposal.

The proposal, as announced April 15 by Governor Mitch Daniels, would release 1,200 acres of the DNR’s Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area to the National Guard for expansion of Camp Atterbury. In exchange, the DNR would receive nearly 2,100 acres from the DOC at Putnamville for a new fish and wildlife area.

In addition, the DNR would continue to manage 5,000 acres of Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area for fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreational activities that are compatible with wildlife resource management.

The National Guard would use the land it acquires to launch a $105 million expansion of Camp Atterbury by constructing two training complexes that include barracks, headquarters, and a children’s day care center.

Information also is available at www.dnr.IN.gov and www.campatterbury.IN.ng.mil. Persons unable to attend the open houses can email comments or questions to dnrwebmaster@dnr.IN.gov.