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2020 An ax to grind Hobby makes its way to central Indiana PROPERTY PROFILE: Austin Bottoms Conservation Area WHAT’S NEW? Mountain Tea State Forest
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2 SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS | 2020
DNR PROPERTY PROFILE
Southside Outdoors is
published annually by the Daily Austin Bottoms
Conservation Area
Journal.
All content © 2020 Daily
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be reproduced in any form
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publisher, except as permitted
by U.S. copyright law.
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Southside Outdoors
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Franklin, IN
46131
ON THE COVER: Johnson
County Axe Throwing
CONTENTS
3 Property profile:
Austin Bottoms
Conservation Muskatatuck River | Photo courtesy of DNR
Area
DESCRIPTION eagles, broad-winged hawks, woodcock,
The area spans more than 26,000 acres wood thrush, hooded warblers, Kentucky
6 Ax throwing
hits the spot
along the Muscatatuck River. It is
bounded by the intersection of the
warblers, blue jays and cardinals. These
bottomland hardwoods also provide
Muscatatuck with Interstate 65 and State excellent habitat for many mammals,
Road 31 on the east side and flows west- such as white-tailed deer, bobcat, rac-
14 Collect seeds,
get paid
ward to Jackson-Washington State
Forest on the west side. The area
coon, skunk, fox, beaver, otter, mink,
opossum, gray squirrel, fox squirrel and
flying squirrel.
stretches across Scott, Jackson and
16 Outdoors
briefs
Washington counties.
Approximately 2,355 acres are now open
HISTORY
The Healthy Rivers INitiative, the largest
land conservation initiative to be under-
for use. It consists of a variety of habitat
taken in Indiana, was announced in June
types, dominated by bottomland forests
20 Mountain Tea
Forest opens
and wetlands. The bottomland forest
consists of species such as maples, oaks,
2010. It includes a partnership of
resource agencies and organizations
who are working with willing landowners
sweetgum, river birch, sycamore and to permanently protect more than
beech. Many birds use bottomland hard- 43,000 acres along the Wabash River
wood forests, such as wild turkey, yel- and Sugar Creek in west-central Indiana,
low- and black-crowned night herons, and more than 26,000 acres of the
wood ducks, red-headed woodpeckers, Muscatatuck River bottomlands in south-
screech owls, great horned owls, bald east Indiana.
2020 | SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS 3
DNR PROPERTY PROFILE
Austin Bottoms Conservation Area
AUSTIN BOTTOMS
CONSERVATION AREA CR 600 S W Main St. Crothersville
This program receives federal aid in fish and/or wildlife restoration. Under Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S.
Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national
65
origin, age, sex or disability. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any
CR 700 E
TY
TY
program, activity or facility, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office
S Bethany Rd.
N COUN
COUN
of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, DC 20240.
SCOTT
JACKSO
CR 700 S CR 700 S
CR 200 E
CR 600 E
CR 550 E
39
CR 700 E
W1
CR 775 S
CR 850 E
CR 800 S CR 800 S .
31
C4
r
t u c k R ive r
ve
ata
tuc k
Ri
C1
CR 1025 S
CR 950 E
Musc
a ta
W3
Mu s c
Waskom Bridge Rd.
W2
E Fleenor Rd.
CR 825 E
E
M
ou
nt
E d en R
d.
256
256 256
Austin
C3 C7
E Mount Eden Rd.
C2 CR 300 N
C6
N Garriott Rd.
C5
39
LEGEND
Road
N Pumpk
Boundary
C8
in
County line
C
E1
en t
Franklin Bottoms Rd.
Water
er
W
S Boatman Rd.
Stucker Fork FW area es
t Rd
Thomastown Bottoms NP
Fro
E. Power Line Rd.
Wetland North CR 150 N
WASHINGTON COUNTY
nta
Parking
ge
SCOTT COUNTY
Rd.
Boat ramp
.
Rd
town 31
Finley Firehouse Rd.
as
.
W− West unit name 39 W Thom Moonglo Rd.
C− Central unit name
E−
CR 125 W
East unit name
CR 500 W
No bonus anterless 65
E. Pull Tight Rd. W Mill Rd.
harvest allowed
N Short Cut Rd.
E. Little York Rd.
N Scifers Rd.
CR 50 N
CR 25 E
0 1 2
Approximate Scale in Miles
E. Little York Rd.
09/2016
To 56
ACTIVITIES on the area. Gathering berries, nuts and mushrooms
Fishing is allowed. Spring mushroom hunting is
Youth can hunt during the special youth
Sage’s Ferry Public Access Site is on the restricted to after noon during the
seasons throughout the year.
Muscatatuck River off of State Road 39. spring turkey season.
All hunting seasons and bag limits
Shoreline fishing is allowed. There is no shooting range. No camping
apply.
and no swimming allowed.
All size and bag limits apply. Portions of Austin Bottoms
NEIGHBORING LAND
Hunting Conservation Area do allow the use of
• Stucker Fork Fish & Wildlife Area
The area is mainly bottomland hard- bonus antlerless licenses.
offers 1,528 acres of bottomland forest
woods interspersed with wetlands. Trapping for hunting. It is north of Scottsburg on
Hunting is available for deer, turkey, There is a draw for trapping. Call Finley-Firehouse Road and
squirrel and waterfowl. Furbearers are Crosley FWA (812) 346-5596 for regu- Thomastown Road.
also abundant throughout the area. lations.
Limited opportunities are available for • Crosley Fish & Wildlife Area offers
rabbit, quail and woodcock. OTHER ACTIVITIES 4,228 acres of rolling hills and ponds for
The area is a great place to view a wide hunting and fishing. It is located south
Tree stands are allowed to be up over- variety of birds and waterfowl. River of North Vernon on State Road 3.
night between Sept. 1 and Jan. 10. otters, beavers, deer and other mam-
• Clifty Falls State Park offers camping,
There are no draws for reserved hunt- mals are also common.
picnicking, playgrounds and Clifty Inn. It
ing. No office sign-in is required to scout, is located near Madison, with entrances
No check-in is required to hunt or fish fish, hike or wildlife watch. off State Roads 62 and 56.
4 SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS | 2020
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2020 | SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS 5
They have
some chops
Ax throwing finds
its target audience
« Widely recognized as one of
mankind’s oldest tools, the ax
has been used for many purposes
throughout history but primar-
in central Indiana
Story By Greg Seiter | Photos by Mark Freeland
ax-throwing bars and local tour-
naments to regional competitive
leagues and international cham-
pionships, axes are now carefully
to compete against one another to
earn “best lumberjack” bragging
rights. But the activity didn’t be-
gin to gain widespread popularity
ily for chopping wood. Today, embraced by business profession- until Backyard Axe Throwing
however, axes are also known as als and outdoor enthusiasts alike. League Founder and CEO Matt
recreational sporting equipment. Technically, as a sport ax Wilson opened what is thought
The popularity of ax throwing throwing is believed to have orig- to have been the first ax-throwing
is on the rise, both domestically inated in the 1940s when those bar in North America — a To-
and internationally. In fact, from working in lumber camps began ronto establishment — in 2011.
Eventually, the sport made its
way to central Indiana.
“At first, I started going to a
throwing place in downtown
Indianapolis, but I had to drive
all the way down there every
time and parking was expensive,
so I decided to bring the idea
closer to home,” said Chris Engel,
owner of Johnson County Axe
Throwing in Whiteland. “I also
wanted to make it more of a
family thing.”
Engel opened Johnson County
Axe Throwing, on U.S. 31 just
south of Greenwood, on Labor
Day in 2019, the same year that
Hoosier Brewing Co. in Old
Towne Greenwood rolled out its
Tap and Axe concept.
“When we started gearing up
Chris Engel, owner of Johnson
County Axe Throwing in Whiteland. for the opening, we wanted to
combine an activity with our
6 SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS | 2020
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shot,” he said. “His throw didn’t go
very far, but he had a blast.
“The average age we see is probably
from the mid-20s to the mid-40s, but
we have several families come out,
too,” Engel added. “We also see a lot
of couples.”
Perhaps more so than anything
else, Engel enjoys the camaraderie
that seems to naturally exist within
what he describes as the “ax-throwing
community.”
“I throw against some of the top-
ranked guys in the world up on the
north side, and they’re not afraid
to talk to and help you,” Engel said.
“They want the sport to grow.”
It apparently is. There’s also a
Greenwood area facility near Fairview
Road and State Road 37 called Outer
Edge Axe Lounge.
Johnson County Axe Throwing
stands out as one of only eight World
Axe Throwing League affiliates in
Indiana, and that endorsement affords
it the opportunity to offer specialized
competitive leagues. Other WATL
affiliates in the state include Bad Axe
Throwing North Indianapolis, Bad
Axe Throwing Indianapolis, Anar-
chy Axe Throwing (Indianapolis),
Ragnarok Axe Throwing (Indianapo-
lis), Busted Haft Throwing (Bluffton),
Combat Ops (Fort Wayne) and Plaid
& Timber Axe Throwing (Evansville).
“The skill level we’re seeing has
really gone up,” Engel said. “We’re
beer that would bring people together “One of those competitors ended going to start offering some high-level
and offer an exciting element to up becoming a consultant for us in competition.”
our taproom,” said Brian Nentrup, building our program in the early What are the keys to becoming
managing partner at Hoosier Brewing stages,” he said. a good ax thrower? According to
Co. “Ax throwing was a new activity According to Engel, part of the Nentrup, velocity isn’t necessarily
that had originally taken off in sur- ax-throwing appeal may be due to the important.
rounding states and started gaining fact that it can be enjoyed by almost “Often, participants are encour-
momentum in Indiana.” any age. aged to slow down their throw,” he
He said one particular ESPN broad- “We’ve kept our minimum age at said. “It’s all about muscle memory.
cast of an ax-throwing competition 10, but I had a World War II veteran Each ax throws a bit differently and
with several Indiana participants from an assisted living place come up requires a good amount of patience to
specifically captured his attention. from Franklin last year and give it a learn its rotation.”
8 SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS | 2020
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2020 | SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS 9
Where to throw axes
Johnson County Axe Throwing
6001 N. U.S. 31, Suite 9,
Whiteland
317-809-7401
johnsoncountyaxethrowing.com
Outer Edge Axe Lounge
378 Western Blvd., Suite B,
Greenwood
317-903-4995
outeredgeaxe.com
Tap & Axe
137 S. Madison Ave., Greenwood
317-215-4753
TapanddAxe.com
Grip is also important. “Our both consist of a steel head attached “We are a brewery and do allow
coaches can assist patrons to be able to a wood or composite handle, a patrons to purchase our beer when
to safely handle the ax while improv- hatchet is generally a small, one-hand throwing axes, but we want to stress
ing their throw,” Nentrup added. ax ideal for splitting small pieces that safety is our top priority,” Nen-
Engel agrees. “You need a steady of firewood and chopping small trup said. “We have a two-drink limit
hand and confidence. If you have a branches from trees. Axes, on the while throwing axes that is strictly
bad throw, forget it and move on. other hand, feature a longer shaft enforced. This is monitored through
Focus on what you’re doing,” he said. and are made to be used with two wristbands that patrons wear while
“People tend to get nervous about hands. In the great outdoors, axes throwing.”
who they’re throwing against, but you are commonly used to fell trees, split The same holds true at Johnson
don’t have to be the biggest, strongest firewood or hew lumber. County Axe Throwing.
or fastest to be successful.” However, regardless of the tool “I’ve been open almost a year now,
In addition, contrary to popular be- being used, safety is obviously of and I’ve had zero injuries. Not even
lief, an ax is not the same as a hatchet. the upmost concern when hurling a a splinter,” Engel said. “It’s really a lot
While the modern ax and hatchet sharp blade at a stationary target. safer than it looks and sounds.”
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WWW.FLETCHERCHRYSLER.COMState tree nursery will pay for
certain collected tree seeds
By Indiana department of natural resources
Indiana’s state tree nursery in achieving that goal requires Some pointers for collecting:
Vallonia will pay you to collect planting about 8.5 million seeds.
certain tree seeds throughout DNR Forestry, which operates the Always call first to see if the seeds you plan
the state if the seeds meet DNR nurseries, orchestrates statewide to collect are still needed. Collect only seeds
and fruit – no leaves, sticks or trash.
specifications. seed collection with the goal of
Each year the nurseries, part diversifying the seed source. Such Keep species separate. If you’re not certain
of the DNR Division of Forestry, diversification allows the nursery that two (or more) trees are the same spe-
plant millions of seeds to pro- to grow seedlings that will be well cies, keep them in separate containers.
duce tree and shrub seedlings for adapted to grow into mature trees If you are not certain if you have the proper
conservation planting within the throughout the state. species, email a photo of the seed/fruit,
state. Each year much of the seed Some of the seeds being sought, leaves, bark, and twigs to vallonianursery@
the nurseries use is supplied by and the price per seed offered, dnr.IN.gov for identification.
collectors from all over the state. include black oak, black walnut,
Most of the listed species are ripe and ready
DNR Forestry pays seed collectors pin oak, red oak, shumard oak,
to collect when they fall off the tree.
on the basis of “pure live seed.” white oak, bur oak, chinkapin oak,
That term means the seeds must swamp chestnut oak and swamp Healthy acorns (with the exception of bur
be from the required tree species, white oak. See the table below oak) will fall free of the cap. Keep the seeds/
and cannot be infected with dis- for current pricing and collection fruit cool until you can deliver it to the
ease or infested with insects. dates. office. An air-conditioned basement is good
DNR Forestry’s goal is to Contact the Vallonia Nursery for a short period of time.
produce 2-3 million seedlings at 812-358-3621 or vallonianurs-
each year for conservation plant- ery@dnr.IN.gov for more infor-
ings. Because of natural factors, mation.
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2020 | SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS 15OUTDOOR BRIEFS
McCormick’s Creek SP fire can now be accessed and viewed by • Deer with signs that may indicate EHD
individuals using an interactive website. such as death in or near water, loss of
tower re-opens to public Visitors to the website can compare appetite and wariness, swelling around
The fire tower at McCormick’s Creek individual or multiple counties across the head and neck, increased respira-
re-opened at the end of August after the past five years. Results can even be tion rate, excessive salivation, rosy or
decades of being closed. limited to specific types of equipment bluish color of mouth and tongue. Learn
During the 1980s, the cab atop the or deer seasons. more about EHD at wildlife.IN.gov/8541.
tower was locked by park management Hunters have asked for more detailed htm.
due to vandalism and for safety rea- harvest data and comparisons between • Incidents involving threatened or
sons, and it wasn’t until Friends of years, and this website is a direct result endangered species, regardless of the
McCormick’s Creek group funded the of that feedback to DNR. Harvest data cause of death or the number of animals
tower’s restoration in 2019 that the pub- is updated daily. involved.
lic was able to enter — but only during
guided hikes. The website can be accessed at wildlife. Changes to fish, wildlife area
IN.gov/10286.htm.
Seasonal naturalist Barbara Filtri hunting, trapping draws
recalled a special moment from the first Report sick or dead Fish & wildlife area hunting and trap-
tower hike she led after the restoration.
wildlife to state ping draws will look different this sea-
“I had an elderly couple with me,” she son.
Indiana DNR has launched a new web-
said. “They took their time climbing to
site for public reporting of sick or dead FWAs will conduct draws according to
the cab, where they told me that this
wildlife. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
was where he had proposed when they
guidelines. Property visitors will be
were young. “It was really amazing to The new online tool is designed to col-
required to wear a mask or face cover-
share in this memory and create a new lect information about Indiana wildlife
ing while inside a property office or
one when they were able to return to that appears sick or has died without an
while near other people. If you feel sick,
this special place.” apparent cause. Reports are added to
please stay at home.
To protect the restoration efforts, the an active database that helps DNR track
State of Indiana funded construction of wildlife health over time and detect dis- For most draws, visitors will have lim-
a plaza around the base of the tower. ease outbreaks. ited access to FWA offices. Due to the
That work was completed earlier this likelihood of people being asked to wait
The form can be found at on.IN.gov/
month by Kilbride and Sons, the same outside during the draw process, visi-
sickwildlife
contractors who restored the tower. tors should dress for the weather and
Individuals are encouraged to report be prepared for draws to take longer to
“We’ve worked on a number of historic
fish or wildlife displaying odd behavior conduct than in previous years.
structures in State Parks, and we always
or signs of disease. The information
like to match the craftsmanship of the Public seating areas will be removed to
gathered from this website allows biolo-
time,” Mike Kilbride said. “We looked at limit people congregating in certain
gists to monitor diseases that may be
the masonry done by the CCC in other areas. If you are participating in a draw
affecting fish or wildlife in the state,
park structures and made sure to match and require seating accommodations,
including epizootic hemorrhagic dis-
the style with the plaza.” please bring a portable lawn chair.
ease (EHD), avian cholera, and white-
McCormick’s Creek State Park (on.IN. nose syndrome, among others. A biolo- If property offices are closed to public
gov/mccormickscreeksp) is at 250 gist may contact the reporter if a sam- access due to coronavirus concerns,
McCormick’s Creek Park Road, Spencer, ple for disease testing is needed. property hunting draws will still take
47460. place at FWAs according to each prop-
The DNR is especially interested in:
erty’s specific draw plan. Property draw
Deer harvest website • Incidents involving the death of five or plans are written based on property
available for hunters more animals. accommodations to ensure social dis-
Indiana DNR has launched a new web- tancing practices are being followed.
• Recurring deaths of animals in the
site allowing deer hunters to access same location over a period of time. Property-specific information for how
white-tailed deer harvest data as it is the draws will be conducted can be
accumulated by the state. • Deer with signs that may indicate
chronic wasting disease (CWD) such as found at wildlife.IN.gov/10443.htm.
During the check-in process, hunters emaciation, staggering or standing with You can also contact the property
report the county of harvest, sex of poor posture, salivating excessively, or directly to find out more details.
deer harvested, type of land the deer carrying their head and ears lower than Contact information for each property
was harvested on, and type of equip- normal. More information about CWD can be found at on.IN.gov/dfwproper-
ment used to harvest deer. This data can be found at on.IN.gov/cwd. ties.
16 SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS | 2020Enjoy our Johnson County Parks!
Johnson County
• 622 Acres
• RV Campground
Park
• Hoosier Horse Park Equine Facilities
& Campground
• 18 hole Coyote Trace Disc Golf Course
812-526-6809 • Nineveh Senior Center
• Park Partners that conduct train mini train rides,
radio control planes, model railroad displays,
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• Trails
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• Newly renovated, all
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• Rentable Shelters
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2020 | SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS 17OUTDOOR BRIEFS
Hesitation Point in Brown County
Find mushrooms on public app, is the App Store for iPhone and in as a map of the challenge, can be
Google Play for Android. It’s also avail- found at 7vistachallenge.com.
lands with new app able at mushrooms.geopoi.us.
The challenge takes about an hour by
A former Brown County resident can
Brown County State Park car and two hours by bicycle. To prove
now help mushroom hunters find edi-
they completed the challenge, visitors
ble treats on nearby public lands. unveils 7 Vista Challenge must take seven photos, one at each
Andrew Gustin, founder of digital car- Brown County State Park, in partner- vista, and show them to the staff at the
tography firm GeoPOI LLC in St. Paul, ship with the Brown County Visitors Nature Center, Abe Martin Lodge, or
Minnesota, has developed a series of Bureau and the Friends of Brown Brown County Visitors Center. At each
smartphone apps “that will greatly County State Park group, has created of the selected vistas, there will be a
increase your chances to rapidly locate the eighth challenge at Indiana State sign attached to a picture frame.
the species that you desire.” Parks, and the first that is drivable. Participants should take a picture of
the view through each frame or of
The apps, available for both Apple and The park’s 7 Vista Challenge takes visi-
themselves in each frame to get credit.
Android products, cover 10 Midwestern tors on a quest to find the most beauti-
The seven vistas are
states including Indiana and two north- ful view in the park by visiting seven
eastern states, and feature mushroom different vistas (or overlooks). Those Brown County State Park’s challenge
identification and association charts, who complete the challenge will get a joins challenges at seven other state
free 7 Vista Challenge sticker and can parks: 3 Dunes Challenge at Indiana
interactive maps of public lands indi-
purchase a challenge T-shirt at Abe Dunes, 4 Falls Challenge at Clifty Falls,
cating dominant tree species, and
Martin Lodge and the Nature Center in 5 Mile Challenge at Turkey Run, 6
warnings of look-alike mushrooms to
the park and at the Brown County Ravine Challenge at Shades, 9 Lake
avoid.
Visitors Center in Nashville. Challenge at Chain O’Lakes, 10 Mile
Gustin is a wilderness enthusiast certi- Challenge at Spring Mill, and Hell’s
The 7 Vista Challenge begins at the
fied in mushroom foraging by the Point Challenge at Pokagon.
West Lookout Tower and ends at
Minnesota Mycological Society and is a
Hohen Point. All seven vistas can be For more information about each of
master naturalist.
accessed by driving or riding on park these challenges, see dnr.IN.gov/
The Indiana Mushroom Forager Map roads. Details about each stop, as well healthy.
18 SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS | 2020317-738-0618
675 US 31 Whiteland, IN 46184
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DJ-35053925
2020 | SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS 19‘Primitive
recreation’
« New state forest open in Brown County
Brown County’s newest state forest
Story AND PHOTOS BY SARA CLIFFORD | FOR THE DAILY JOURNAL
doesn’t have campsites, or water spig-
ots, or even marked trails right now.
What it does have is more than 1,150
acres of space to get away from every-
thing but butterflies, bugs, deer, and
little-traveled part of Yellowwood.
State forests are named for their
dominant geographical feature, said
Indiana Department of Natural Re-
sources spokesman JB Brindle. This
was named “Mountain Tea” because
Mountain Tea, off Hoover Road and
Pumpkin Ridge Road east of Nashville,
is still more of a work in progress.
“It is truly primitive recreation,” said
John Seifert, director of the division of
forestry for the DNR.
the occasional jet from Camp Atter- that was already the name of the ridge The acreage has been owned by the
bury running practice drills overhead. that runs through this forest. DNR for six or seven years, but it hasn’t
Mountain Tea State Forest in Brown Gov. Eric Holcomb and other dig- been used much because hardly any-
County and Ravinia State Forest in nitaries celebrated a ribbon-cutting body knew about it, Seifert said.
Morgan County were officially dedi- ceremony on Aug. 14 at Ravinia State It was a part of Yellowwood State
cated as state forests on Aug. 14 — the Forest, near Paragon. It has 17 parking Forest, but is not connected to the pop-
first new state forests in 67 years, areas and more than 16 miles of trails ular Yellowwood tract that contains the
though Mountain Tea was already a cut through its 1,500 acres. campgrounds and Yellowwood Lake
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It will still be under the management
of Yellowwood until it’s developed
further, Seifert said.
In the fall or winter — provided that
the DNR’s annual open house goes on
as it normally does — the DNR will
be looking for public input about what
that development should be over the
next few years.
“It could be a year; it could be 10
years,” he said about the timeline for
adding more features, like trails.
“We’d like to actually expand that
forest and create a bigger, larger foot-
print if we could in the future.”
More than 700 acres of Mountain Tea
were formerly managed by The Nature
Conservancy before the state acquired
them in 2013 with the assistance of the
U.S. Forest Service through the Forest
Legacy Program. The other acreage was
purchased from private owners in 2009,
according to a press release from the
governor’s office.
“It was obvious that most peo- Mountain Tea State Forest lake. The lake is tucked about a mile into the new state forest in Brown County. It’s
ple didn’t know it was there, so that accessible on foot only via an old road.
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2020 | SOUTHSIDE OUTDOORS 21was the intent of actually creating a Currently, a “welcome” sign sits at sought or received input yet on what
separate state forest so that people un- the dead end of Pumpkin Ridge Road the best use of the property should
derstood that it is an entity of its own where the state forest property begins. be, so he doesn’t want people to be dis-
and should develop and create its own A parking area there is large enough to appointed if they go out to Mountain
opportunities,” Seifert said. hold about four cars. Tea expecting to see something more
“Nobody could really find Mountain Near that entrance, the two old along the lines of an established state
Tea unless you were living next to it or roads branch off into the woods. They forest property.
you knew a little more about state own- are not to be used by any motorized This property, like other state forests
ership,” he said. “This way, we’ll be able vehicles or horses, or even bicycles in Indiana, will be “actively managed,”
to develop it and create a little more of right now, just two-footed visitors, Seifert said. Evidence of past timber
its own website and promote it indepen- Seifert said. harvests can be seen in various places
dently of Yellowwood State Forest.” Trails likely will be built branching along the road. Resource management
It’s still not all that easy to find off the two main roadbeds. The roads surveys of parts of the land from
now, as there is no county road sign are hikable now, but visitors are likely 2013 and 2014 said that timber from
marking Pumpkin Ridge Road where to run into knee- to waist-high weeds Mountain Tea also was harvested prior
you turn off Hoover Road, and there’s in places. That’ll change when the area to the state acquiring it.
no sign indicating that Mountain Tea gets more traffic, Seifert said. Both Mountain Tea and Ravinia
State Forest is down that way — yet. There are no signs on the roads tell- are planting sites for the governor’s
More signs will be posted, Seifert said. ing visitors what is where, and in sev- Million Trees program, an effort to
“We didn’t want to put the signs up and eral places, the roads branch off onto plant one million trees by 2025, a press
create trail routes yet until the governor other offshoots which aren’t marked release from the governor’s office said.
had made his announcement, so now, on the DNR’s map of the property. This year, more than 16,000 new trees
that stuff will all be in the works. So, “Try not to go out there right away; were planted at Mountain Tea and
there will be signs off the main road and give us a couple months to get things 38,000 were planted at Ravinia.
to the county road back to the place.” sorted out and signs put up, because Activities allowed on other state
The forest property stretches between right now, people might say, ‘What the forest lands, like hunting and fishing,
Pumpkin Ridge Road and Salt Creek heck is this place?’” Seifert said. will be allowed in season at Mountain
Road over wooded ridges and valleys. He added that the DNR hasn’t Tea, Seifert said.
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