By VICKI URBANIK

Area residents attending an environmental forum in Chesterton on Saturday identified a wide range of issues in need of attention — from restricting non-native plants sold at nurseries to improving alternative forms of transportation to eliminating undue corporate influence in the Indiana Statehouse.

Their concerns and suggested solutions will be used to help form a new statewide strategy for the Hoosier Environmental Council, which hosted the nearly six-hour forum held at the Westchester Public Library’s Service Center.

Nearly 50 people from throughout a 12-county region attended. Just as their issues ran the gamut, the participants themselves were diverse. Some were well-known area environmentalists. Others said they came because they’re upset about a single environmental issue. Others said they never got involved in anything related to the environment, but want to get active now.

The purpose of the forum was to let HEC, a statewide umbrella organization, identify what local people feel are important regional issues and then to meld those issues into a statewide strategy, said Clarke Kahlo, HEC’s director of regional advancement and education.

Kahlo opened the forum by noting that Indiana ranks 48th out of the 50 states in environmental quality.

Whether the issue is protection of Lake Michigan in the northern end of the state or deep well injection of wastes in the southern end, “we all need each other’s help,” said the forum’s facilitator, Jeanne Farah, a HEC volunteer and member of its foundation board.

One anticipated result of Saturday’s forum will be the establishment of a new regional council that would work under the auspices of HEC while maintaining a regional autonomy. HEC has proposed forming such councils in eight regions of the state, and several are already established. Most of the participants at the forum appeared to support the new endeavor, and a number signed up to get on the new council’s board.

The Issues

The forum followed an “open format” in which the participants got to set the day’s agenda. Each participant was asked to identify one or two top priority issues.

Some of the issues were very specific, such as protection for a threatened heron habitat on the Little Calumet River in Highland. Other issues were large-scale, such as the need to pursue renewable energy.

Among the issues identified as important in this region: Alternative transportation, responsiveness of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, invasive species, habitat preservation, improved legal protections for the environment, open space preservation, the media’s role in environmental coverage, invasive plants, lawn chemicals, co-existence with wildlife, confined animal feeding operations, smart growth policies, locally grown food, religion and the environment, youth and the environment, and public awareness.

Similar topics were then grouped together and explored in more depth by small groups of people meeting in workshops. Each workshop submitted a report on the discussion it had. HEC will now compile all the reports to distribute to the participants.

One workshop, for example, dealt with the media. Participants talked about the problems they have had getting their local media to report responsibly on environmental issues. They lamented the celebrity coverage that often passes as front-page news. They discussed as possible solutions the establishment of an environmental blog and tips for groups when writing press releases and giving out contact information.

Another workshop focused on land use planning, alternative transportation and “green cities.” Participants discussed the problems caused by urban sprawl and the need to improve public transportation, especially in the highly populated areas. They also talked about how some new developments in the region have acted responsibly in stormwater management and should be commended.

Call to Action

Farah, the forum’s facilitator, commented on the obvious enthusiasm that was still evident near the end of the event.

She described the effort -- bringing together people from a large region to identify issues and work toward solutions — as a movement that hasn’t been seen in decades.

“The public is back,” she declared, urging the participants to make the environment a priority “as an act of love for our plant, for our children and for each other.”

Each participant was asked to make a closing comment.

“Today I really learned we can all work together if we find common ground,” said Dave Ellis of the Dunelands Group of the Sierra Club.

Bob Lehman, a steelworker and Portage resident, said various groups must come together to protect the environment. “In reality, folks, we don’t have a choice,” he said.

Sandy O’Brien of the Sierra Club said the forum demonstrated how “relatively few people can get a lot accomplished.”

Kim Ferraro of Valparaiso, one of the local coordinators of the forum, said the environment is usually talked about in negative terms, and that the focus is usually on environmental problems instead of the solutions. “Let’s keep the message positive,” she said.

Posted 7/30/2007