CENTRAL INDIANA GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

The Central Indiana Land Trust is spearheading a project to plan for strategic, coordinated land conservation in central Indiana with the help of The Conservation Fund and the support of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

What is Green Infrastructure?

The definition of green infrastructure is: a strategically planned and managed network of natural lands and working landscapes that protects ecosystem functions and conservation values while providing associated benefits to human populations.  This network is based upon natural elements in our environment - forests, rivers, wetlands, and grasslands, as well as trails, greenways, and agricultural lands.  A balance of these elements provides a framework to maintain a sustainable, healthy ecosystem. 

Why a Green Infrastructure Project?

As the local land trust for central Indiana, the Central Indiana Land Trust recognizes that just as unplanned, sporadic development must be addressed, narrowly focused, sporadic conservation must also be addressed.  The Central Indiana Green Infrastructure Project will provide a plan for organizations, state and local government, and the public to work together and coordinate the important work of protecting our unique local environment.

The Project

The Central Indiana Green Infrastructure Project is composed of four main elements:

1)  Leadership Forums and Public Meetings: 

The Leadership Forums took place in July 2008 and June 2009.  These forums allowed for conservation leaders in the community to help identify key green infrastructure areas and features. 

To view The Conservation Fund's PowerPoint Presentations from the June 2009 Leadership Forum, choose one of the links below.

Introduction Presentation - Central Indiana Green Infrastructure Network: Linking Landscapes and Communities

Implementation Presentation - Green Infrastructure Implementation Quilt: Matching Resources to Network Needs

Public Input Meetings

The public is invited to share their ideas and learn about the work done to date at meetings that will take place each Wednesday in August.  Please join us, as your input is crucial to this process.  Each meeting will take place at the Central Indiana Land Trust Office (1500 N. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, 46202).  RSVP's are appreciated but not required.

     Wednesday, August 5th, 5:30-7:30 pm: Working in an Agricultural Landscape

     Wednesday, August 12th, 5:30-7:30 pm: Connections Between People, Trails, and Greenways

     Wednesday, August 19th, 5:30-7:30 pm: Forest Interiors

     Wednesday, August 26th, 5:30-7:30 pm: Water Quality and Quantity

2)  Network Design:  The Network Design maps out key working lands and natural landscapes critical to the maintenance and enhancement of the green infrastructure network.  Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology will be used to delineate hubs, cores, and corridors of forests, wetlands, and aquatic systems.  Existing protected areas serve as anchors within the network, and priority protection areas will be identified and mapped.

3)  Implementation Quilt:  A public resource, the Implementation Quilt is a framework for matching available resources, such as tools, programs, funding, and people, to the needs of the green infrastructure plan. 

4)  Final Report:  The Final Report will include the results of the project in a booklet and CD-Rom, as well as a webpage and PowerPoint presentations available for interested parties.  The final report should be available by the end of 2009.

To provide comments or questions, contact Cliff Chapman at 317.631.5263 or cchapman@conservingindiana.org.

For more information on green infrastructure, visit The Conservation Fund's Green Infrastructure website.