About Us
What is Wetlands Not Warehouses?
Wetlands Not Warehouses (WNW) seeks to protect, preserve, and restore Indiana’s wetlands from the many threats they face today.
To achieve this goal, Wetlands Not Warehouses advocates for responsible land use policies that prioritize environmental and health protection, and responsible development that implements practices and solutions to minimize environmental impacts. We aim to educate and raise public awareness, influence state and local decision-makers, and secure stronger legal protections for wetlands, ensuring that these vital ecosystems are safeguarded for biodiversity, flood control, water quality, and community well-being.
Our Inspiration
After years of reviewing development proposals, many of them warehouses, and witnessing unchecked growth and development that needlessly consumed land and contributed to the loss of our precious wetland ecosystems, the Hoosier Environmental Council and residents realized it was time to do something about it. The Wetlands Not Warehouses (WNW) campaign emerged from a mutual interest between the Hoosier Environmental Council and Franklin Township residents to conserve environmentally significant wetlands along I-65 and County Line Road on the southside of Indianapolis from a warehouse development.
A Brief History
Beginning in the early summer of 2022, the Hoosier Environmental Council and residents banded together and testified against a speculative warehouse development in Indianapolis that threatened high-quality wetlands at local city council hearings. Despite compelling evidence to support the protection of these wetlands, the petition was swiftly approved, with no discussion amongst council members about our concerns – a clear indication that our natural resources might not be a top priority to current City of Indianapolis leaders, and that something must be done.
Since then, the Hoosier Environmental Coucil (HEC) and residents continued to tirelessly speak out against the several other required regulatory approvals from the city and environmental agencies. All permits and petitions for the development were approved – besides one. HEC circulated a petition to gather signatures to support the denial of a wetland permit for the development and received nearly 2,300 signatures from not only the Indianapolis area but from all over the state, showing broad support for wetland protection.
Thanks to the Hoosier Environmental Council’s permit watchdogging program, petition signers, and community leaders and advocates like Robin Heldman and Cathy Burton, we effectively placed immense public pressure on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to conduct a public hearing for a required wetland permit. Nearly 50 people attended, and several spoke against the warehouse development, rallying behind the idea of wetlands – not warehouses.
In a rare but monumental decision from the agency, IDEM denied the developer’s wetland permit, effectively stalling a portion of the development and sending a strong signal that impacting wetlands in exchange for warehouses isn’t always in everyone’s best interest. After nearly two years of advocacy, the Hoosier Environmental Council and Franklin Township residents finally saw a hopeful outcome to protecting these wetlands, and as a result, the Wetlands Not Warehouses campaign was born.
Hoosier Environmental Council
Founded in 1983, the Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) is Indiana’s largest statewide environmental policy organization. The Hoosier Environmental Council works to advance environmental justice, protect our natural resources, and ensure that Hoosiers have a healthy environment and sustainable economy.
Help Protect Indiana's Wetlands.
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