Mayor Joe Hogsett proposed the budget to the 2025 city-county council Monday night, allocating funds for public safety, IMPD and animal care services. The one thing that’s missing, according to the Indiana Forest Alliance, is urban forests.
Urban forests are the vegetation, trees and other natural features that grow within and around human dwellings. The Indiana Forest Alliance’s mission is to preserve these areas to improve neighborhoods and quality of life in the city.
Indiana Forest Alliance executive director Jeff Stant issued the following statement in response to Hogsett’s proposal:
“We are extremely disappointed in Mayor Hogsett’s failure to include funds in the city budget for urban forests. Communities across Marion County came out strong for the purchase and preservation of at-risk urban forests in next year’s budget. We do not feel that this administration is listening to neighborhoods or acting with the urgency needed. The City Council itself voted 23-0 in support of funding. We will continue to push for these funds to be included in the finalized 2025 city budget.”
For more information about the Indiana Forest Alliance’s Forests for Indy campaign, visit forestsforindy.com.
Fight continues for Indy forest – Indianapolis Recorder
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
