Although he didn’t mention it in his letter, Mike Braun co-owns a 220-acre property within the forest’s boundaries, two miles from the restoration site. It’s up for sale and listed for $1,675,000.
(Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun asked the chief of the United States Forest Service (USFS) to scrap a proposed restoration project in Hoosier National Forest that would have included tree cutting and prescribed burns. He wrote that the project, which began planning in 2021, would harm Hoosiers’ enjoyment of the area.
“As an avid outdoorsman, I know these areas firsthand,” Braun wrote.
Although he didn’t mention it in his letter, Braun also co-owns a 220-acre property within the forest’s boundaries, two miles from the restoration site. It’s up for sale and listed for $1,675,000.
The area at the top left shaded red is the B&R Property, co-owned by Governor Mike Braun. The colored areas are sites affected by the proposed restoration. (Graphic by Ethan Sandweiss, map by US Forest Service)
Just off Indiana Highway 145 and three miles south of the French Lick Casino, Hageman Realty describes the property as “a prime location for a hunting retreat or a weekend getaway.” The listing advertises its proximity to Patoka Lake, which abuts forest slated for a prescribed burn.
The property is divided into nine parcels co-owned by Braun and Bill and Kathy Rowekamp of Jasper, which is also Braun’s hometown.
Listed on the real estate agent's site as B&R Property, Braun’s 2023 senate financial disclosure includes an asset by the same name near French Lick as “timber ground” valued between $250,001 and $500,000. A Michael K. Braun of Jasper, Indiana, is also listed on the county GIS website.
The 220 mostly-wooded acres also contain a 1,176 sq ft cabin. (Hageman Realty, Inc.)
Still, Braun isn’t alone in his resistance to the project. While expanding environmental protections is generally considered a liberal value, it’s one area where Braun has often found common ground with his usual opponents. The Trump-affiliated governor authored bills during his tenure in the U.S. Senate to combat climate change and expand protections for Indiana forests.
Some locals, area governments and environmental activist groups, such as the Hoosier Environmental Council and Indiana Forest Alliance, oppose the plan, saying logging and controlled burns might threaten local species and water quality. Braun repeats those points in his letter.
The project is expected to be implemented this month. The USFS did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication, but Braun's spokesperson Griffin Reid provided a statement:
“Governor Braun has voiced concerns about this federal project for years now. The Hoosier National Forest is a favorite destination for Hoosiers and recreationists. This federal project ignores the concerns voiced by localities in the area.”
