The Indiana General Assembly will reconvene for the 2023 legislative session Jan. 9. The focus will be on public health and education, while some lawmakers have their sights set on environmental protections. 

The Hoosier Environment Council (HEC) is calling for an increase in funding for conservation, wetlands protections and environmental health, while lawmakers have filed bills to create tax credits and improve infrastructure. 

Increased conservation spending 

The HEC and the Indiana Conservation Alliance are seeking new state investments to conserve forests, rivers, wetlands and native fish and wildlife that depend on those habits. Indiana’s state parks are steadily growing with increases in visitors each year, and increases in trail use have led to a demand for land conservation that exceeds Indiana’s current conservation budget proposal. 

Last year, thanks to federal investments, Indiana invested more in conservation than it has in the last 10 years. However, in 2021, the state’s total conservation investment dipped to its lowest since 2016. 

Holcomb’s 2023 agenda includes $50 million for an existing trail program and $25 million for land conservation efforts. 

Larry Clemens, state director of the Indiana Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, said the proposal for land conservation is the most significant commitment of state funding since the General Assembly created the Indiana Heritage Trust —renamed the President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust in 2016 — 30 years ago. 

“At a time when our legislators are considering important issues like education, economic development and Hoosiers’ overall well-being, it’s important to recognize the role nature plays in all of these aspects of life,” Clemens said in a statement. “Gov. Holcomb’s proposed investment in natural Indiana bolsters all the other important programs the state will undertake in the next budget.” 

Climate and energy 

The HEC also wants legislation requiring Indiana to adopt a state climate action plan. More than half of U.S. states have adopted or are updating their climate action plans. The HEC also supports legislation enabling the expansion of community solar and opposes legislation that hampers renewable energy deployment or that mandates electric utilities to continue burning coal. 

Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, filed a bill that would direct the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to conduct a joint study concerning decommissioning and disposal of solar panels. The bill would require IDEM and IURC to report findings and recommendations no later than Nov. 1. 

Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, filed a bill prohibiting utility companies from terminating services in the summer for those who are eligible and have applied for energy assistance. 

Rep. Dave Heine, R-Fort Wayne, filed a biofuel tax credit bill that would provide tax credits for the sale of ethanol blend and blended biodiesel. Biofuels are fuels produced from living matter and renewable materials, according to the EPA.  

Wetlands and environmental health  

A bill to establish a local unit water infrastructure fund has also been introduced by Rep. Randall Frye, R-Lake Forest. The fund would provide grants, loans and other financial assistance to repair, replace or increase water infrastructure and lead service lines. The bill would require the Indiana Finance Authority to adopt guidelines to establish criteria for making grants and providing loans and would require, if possible, the authority to allocate at least 50% of the total amounts to counties that have a population of 50,000 or less. 

The Hoosier Environmental Council’s website lists several other proposals it would like to see in the legislature, including legislation requiring child care centers to test their drinking water for lead, new tax credits for wetland protection and legislation to improve state oversight of coal ash disposal sites. 

Contact staff writer Jayden Kennett 317-762-7847 or by email jaydenk@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @JournoJay. 

The Indianapolis City-County Council recently passed a special resolution to show its support for a possible carbon credit program. Now the city will evaluate how it might benefit from such a program. 

Carbon markets allow for businesses, municipalities and other organizations to purchase a carbon credit to offset their greenhouse gas emissions, according to the North East Foresters Association. A carbon credit provides ways for businesses to reduce their impacts on climate change by monetizing a single tree or acre. 

The resolution, passed Dec. 5, doesn’t mean Indianapolis will definitely have a carbon credit program. Instead, councilor John Barth, who sponsored the resolution, said it’s about the council “expressing our support” to move the city toward having a program in the future. Establishing a carbon credit program would require passing an ordinance, which Barth said he hopes to do eventually. The resolution requires an update by November 2023 on timelines, a proposed model and potential outcomes of a program. 

Exploring new public policy such as carbon credits can be challenging. Barth said he wants to make thoughtful, impactful decisions versus making decisions because something sounds exciting, which is why the council is looking at what it considers successful carbon credit programs in Seattle and Austin, Texas. 

“My position is, let’s be confident in the steps we take by doing the appropriate research,” Barth said. 

Councilor La Keisha Jackson said this is an opportunity for Indianapolis to be innovative for future generations. 

“Trees heal,” Jackson said, which was a big reason why she supports the carbon credit program. Trees help reduce crime and stress, and they increase property value and bring foot traffic to businesses. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, a 10% increase in tree coverage can reduce crime by roughly 12%. 

“In my council district, I want that equity for the community and equity for the youth,” Jackson said, who represents District 14 on the far east side. 

The city and its partners are already planting thousands of trees a year and upholding Indy’s status as a certified “Tree City USA” for 34 consecutive years, according to the special resolution. The city has a goal of planting 30,000 trees by 2025; the Department of Public Works and its partners have planted more than 23,000 trees since 2018. However, the city can only fund upkeep of the trees for about three years. 

A carbon credit program is one way to ensure that trees are healthy for years or even decades, said Jeremy Kranowitz, CEO and president of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. 

Additional upkeep for trees can make a difference in the survival of a tree, he said, and maintaining a tree past three years would mean more self-sufficient, thriving trees in Indianapolis. 

“It’s in the city’s best interest to maintain those trees for their lifetime,” Kranowitz said. 

There are opportunities for organizations to offset their carbon footprint, which would provide more of an incentive for corporations and even education institutions to become more sustainable as well. 

“These are trees that I can see, touch and watch grow overtime. There’s something really enticing about having your carbon emissions offset right near where you live, work and play,” Kranowitz said. 

Stringent requirements and limitations could prove difficult to register some trees in Indianapolis for carbon credits, he said. To get carbon credits for older trees, the city will have to demonstrate that the tree is at risk of being chopped down. If the tree is not at risk of being cut down, it can’t be used for carbon credits. 

Carbon credits are not a quick fix to climate change, and it won’t generate massive amounts in revenue for the city, but Kranowitz said implementing carbon credits could be beneficial to the community, and every little bit helps. 

“The important thing is that trees have value and right now, we’re not capturing any of that value,” Kranowitz said. “It is something that is measurable, and it is something that is making a difference, and it is something that I think we should be pursuing.” 

Contact staff writer Jayden Kennett 317-762-7847 or email jaydenk@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @JournoJay.