The land is "generally north of Blunk Knob Road, west of Budd Road and east of Ind. 11" and described by the Department of Natural Resources as “a dramatically dissected complex of steep forested hills and mesic ravines" that serves as home to several endangered species including bobcats, gray bats, and various types of warblers. A drive up Blunk Knob Road, which shoots straight uphill from the point at which Budd Road and Five Mile Lane converge, proved the description apt and has me eager for further exploration.
In an email response, Lee Casebere of the Division of Nature Preserves said, "The DNR has owned this property in Floyd County for several years. The recent action by the Natural Resource Commission was to designate it as a 'dedicated' nature preserve. That action establishes a permanent, restrictive easement on the land so that it may be used for no other purpose except as a nature preserve on into the future. Dr. Minton was a well-known herpetologist, and the property has a diverse representation of reptiles and amphibians. Naming the site for him was 'a natural' since he grew up in New Albany."
"The property is open to the public, but there are no parking areas or trails, therefore access is not good. We hope to provide better access in the future, but it could be quite some time before that happens."
With such a tremendous, seemingly pristine resource to the near west and the Loop Island Wetlands on our eastern border, we're reminded that adaptive reuse of the urban core is about much more than the spaces bounded by concrete and bricks.
9 comments:
Lets not forget that there have been verified sightings of Lynx rufus (bobcat) in the area of that preserve!
Great news!
Also, I own a tiny piece of land at the top of Blunk Knob and the terrain that is being preserved, along with several deep ravines nearby, including my property, have some of the only old growth hardwoods in the county. It has been a struggle over the years to keep tree poachers from extracting all but the most inaccessible of these old hardwoods. This is a good step in the direction of identifying and preserving our vital natural assets, such as those that provide us with oxygen.
Not knocking the preserve, but it is my understanding that the department spent 250,000 to qualify for a grant to buy the property. I could be wrong, I don’t know much about the acquisition.
If it could have been possible I would’ve preferred to see existing urban parks expanded compared to money spent in a remote area of the county that is not under any great threat from developers.
In my opinion New Albany's parks are nothing to brag about.
Could that money have gone to expanding parks like Bicknell, Millerwood, or acquiring land behind St Marks to create a downtown park?
Better yet why not a park along Silver Creek stretching from Loop Island to Lapping Park in Clarksville, it would be like the parks you find along the St. Joseph River in South Bend or St. Mary River in Fort Wayne.
I spent many nights running the bike paths that flanked the banks of the St Joseph River in South Bend. Looking out over the river as I jogged along, I thought the same park could be achieved along Silver Creek.
Remember - if you look at the Knobs coming over the Sherman Minton you will see areas of clear-cutting appearing with regularity. Holding onto the old-growth hardwoods in those knobs ravines is important for the ecological health of our valley, especially as they impact air quality. I'm just as anxious to see urban parks expanded, upgraded and connected for recreational use. But we also need to protect our watershed in the hills that surround us.
RemChar,
You missed the most important aspect of creating this nature preserve. It is not for the benefit of park goers, it is for the protection of the population of Bobcats that were recently documented there.
It is my understanding that this is also state DNR/IDF&W monies.
So while it is a neat area to explore, it is mostly for the benefit of the flora and fauna that resides there.
Bobcats (lynx rufus)(felidae)are a very elusive, secretive, and fragile species, and a full grown specimen can keep populations of squirrel, ground hog, chipmunk, raccoon, and even deer (yes they can take down a deer) in check.
Dubbing the area a nature preserve at least extends an informal level of protection for those wonderful cats from poachers, poisoning, and encroachment.
But I truly do like your other ideas for parks for recreational use! :)
(and what Gina said)
The knobs are being clear cut and leveled at an alarming pace to satisfy our need for more $250K+ mega homes
I agree with both of you.
I'm not against the preserve just not happy with our urban parks.
What they did to the hillside on top of Paoli Pike is as if they cut a peace of me.
with reference to the bobcat, it is exciting to see so many reintroduced animals that were once at the brink of extinction.
I don't know if it was an escaped pet but did anyone see the photographed mountain lion recently taken in Indiana?
The GREAT news about the bobcats is to my knowledge they were not re-introduced, but naturally repopulated the area (like the bald eagle)
In so far as the Mountain Lions reported to be in Jackson and Jennings counties (as well as BrownAnd Bartholomew Counties)
I have not heard in any of my circles that they have been photographed by either a photographer or a camera trap. However it has been reported that in addition to the sightings, they do have positive plaster casts of the prints.
Puma's are one of those animals that you either glimpse it for a fleeting second in the distance, or see it for a split second up close before it eats your spleen!! :)
(there are also nasty rumors about the possible return of Black bears to south central indiana, but that one is a little hard to swallow dfor me)
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