From the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
The nearby Hoosier National Forest, which is comprised of over 200,000 acres and headquartered in Bedford, will be soon receiving funds from the to upgrade the “Hoosier 6 Aquatic Organism Passage.” Funds from a federal government program will be used to replace an undersized culvert that is currently a barrier to upstream fish passage. The project will not only restore fish habitat, but also improve road resilience, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, and firefighters, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement earlier today.
Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the larger investment of more than $36 million in nearly 100 projects to improve water quality, roads, trails, bridges and fish habitat on national forests and grasslands. The Hoosier National Forest was named as the sole project for the State of Indiana though.
The announcement said that these investments are “made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which devotes unprecedented resources to infrastructure improvements. The funds are delivered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service through their Legacy Roads and Trails Program, which supports 98 projects in fiscal year 2023. The program funds projects, along with other restoration and infrastructure work, to improve water quality and aquatic habitat while making transportation systems safer, more sustainable and durable.”
In addition to improving roads and trails for communities, businesses, and visitors, the program creates local jobs, including those in stream restoration, environmental design, and heavy equipment operation, among others.
The Forest Service is responsible for more than 160,000 miles of trails, 6,700 road bridges and 7,200 trail bridges, as well as 370,000 miles of roads in a variety of ecological settings and landscapes. Approximately 80 million people receive drinking water that originates on, or flows through, national forests and grasslands. The road and trail improvements announced today will improve ecological connectivity and watershed health while protecting infrastructure and ensuring national forests continue to provide drinking water to communities.
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