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MIDWESTERN MARKET REPORT
Newly-elected Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has suspended the Indiana Land
Resources Council. The council was created in 1999 to address issues of sprawl,
redevelopment, planning and conservation. While it began with a mission of preserving
farmland, it grew to address larger statewide issues such as brownfields and
wastewater management.
The Land Resources Council brought together voices from diverse stakeholders, including developers, farmers, environmentalists and government representatives. The council was getting ready to present a smart growth outline to the state.
Members of the council have expressed disappointment that they were not asked for input on the accomplishments of the group before the notice came that it was to be disbanded. While no official reason has been given to the council’s director, Joe Tutterrow, the move is part of Daniels’ platform promise to cut costs by disbanding state boards.
Tutterrow was told that the Land Resources Council was underfunded, and thus, not effective. He argues that while it was true it was underfunded, it was effective and that their budget was so small, cutting the program would not result in a noticeable cost-savings for the state. Additionally, he noted that it took time to form relationships between board members.
“It’s my hope that Indiana doesn’t start from scratch, because important things were going on. We were ready to move forward,” said Tutterrow. “I hope they’ll take what we started. The issues will continue.”