"Jefferson Proving Ground, as a part of Americas arsenal, has served a key role in the preservation of democracy and the freedoms we so richly enjoy," said Major General John Longhouser, Commanding General, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. "It is time to begin the process to convert this real estate to more peaceful purposes. This agreement provides the opportunity for an enhanced level of ecosystem-based management and study while the Army and the Service address long-term natural resource management."
"While an active base, Jefferson Proving Ground served a critical role in safeguarding the people of the United States. It is now serving an equally important function in safeguarding the natural heritage of this country," said John Blankenship, Assistant Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "This agreement represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to conserve and manage some of the Midwests finest forest and grassland habitats. I commend the Army for its vision in recognizing the value of the resources within the borders of Jefferson Proving Ground."
Under the agreement, over the next three years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have responsibility for evaluating the status of fish, wildlife, and habitats on about 51,000 acres of JPG. This portion of the installation, used as a firing range while the base was active, is not well-suited for commercial or other uses due to the presence of unexploded ordnance.
Funding for the Services activities will be provided by the Army, which retains ownership of this portion of JPG. Part of this area is still used by the Air National Guard for training exercises. The remaining 4,000 acres, at the southern end of the base, are being converted to other private and commercial uses.
Public use of the firing range is limited due to the danger posed by an estimated 1.5 million rounds of unexploded ordnance. However, the Army, the Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are already at work discussing options for possible use in the future by recreational users. More information on public use will be provided as it is available.
As part of the agreement, the Service will manage the bases forests and grasslands, develop a plan for Indiana bats and other endangered species, manage and enhance aquatic habitats, and promote public understanding and awareness of JPGs natural resources.
Jefferson Proving Ground is considered by wildlife managers to contain an extraordinary diversity of wildlife and habitats. The Army regularly used controlled fires to reduce the chance of wildfires touched off by exploding ordnance. These periodic burns mimicked the natural processes that create and maintain prairies. Thus, Jefferson Proving Ground, while not a native prairie, contains exceptionally productive grasslands that support a wide diversity of prairie dependent birds and other wildlife.
The disappearance of native prairies throughout the country is prompting alarming declines in many grassland-dependent species. Some of these species, many of which are in decline around the country, have found a haven at JPG and are beginning to thrive. One example is the Henslows sparrow, considered endangered by the State of Indiana and a migratory bird of concern nationally. Jefferson Proving Ground, with 5,000 acres of grasslands in several tracts, supports one of the four largest known populations of Henslows sparrows, with more than 900 pairs counted during the 1996 breeding season.
Jefferson Proving Ground also contains one of the largest unfragmented blocks of mature forest in the lower Midwest. Such forested areas are increasingly hard to find in this heavily agricultural region, although they provide vital habitat for many wildlife species, including those considered endangered. JPGs forests provide summer habitat for the Federally endangered Indiana bat. In addition, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has released the state-endangered river otter along waterways within Jefferson Proving Ground.
Jefferson Proving Ground operated from 1941 to 1994 as a munitions testing facility for cartridges, propellants, bombs, grenades, and high explosives. Use was highest during World War II and the Korean Conflict. In 1989, Jefferson Proving Ground was identified for closure, and testing operations ceased in 1994.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
