Gov. Eric Holcomb gave his 2023 State of the State address this week. In his remarks, he proposed $25 million for land protection, a significant investment. If enacted, this investment will spark the conservation of thousands of acres. The governor specifically named Central Indiana Land Trust as a partner in this work.
Gov. Holcomb pledged an additional $50 million for the Next Level Trails program. The program has already supported trail creation all over the state since it began in 2019.
In 2022, the Indiana Wildlife Federation (IWF) was awarded $239,500 in Next Level Trails funding. IWF will use the grant to build a sustainable trail system at Betley Woods at Glacier’s End Nature Preserve. The project brings us one step closer to opening this preserve to the public.
Gov. Holcomb expressed his love of the outdoors, saying, “Trails and land conservation are sweet spots for (First Lady) Janet, and our dog Henry and me, and so many other Hoosiers.” He praised our state’s “highly successful land conservation program, with partners like The Nature Conservancy and the Central Indiana Land Trust.”
We applaud the governor for his vision and investment in our outdoor spaces. We look forward to partnering with the Indiana DNR on more land protection projects, with our strategic conservation plan as our guide.
If you missed the shout-out he gave to CILTI during his address, you can listen to that portion of his speech. His full remarks are below:
Read more about the Betley Woods trail project here.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Manager