CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind., - Indiana
Gov. Mitch Daniels announced the proposed expansion of Camp Atterbury Joint
Maneuver Training Center in a ceremony today held HERE at the Atterbury Fish
and Wildlife Area.
The expansion is part of a land exchange deal with the Indiana
National Guard, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana
Department of Corrections.
The proposed deal releases about 1,200 acres of DNR land north of
Camp Atterbury in exchange for over 2,000 acres of Department of Corrections
land near Putnamville.
The area transferred to the National Guard was once part of the
original cantonment area of Camp Atterbury established in 1942. It was
acquired by the DNR in 1969 and utilized as a fish and wildlife area to
provide fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreational opportunities to the
public.
"Today is the culmination of a remarkable process," said Daniels.
"Camp Atterbury, or as we think of it, Atterbury Muscatatuck, will be
expanded dramatically in its capacity to train our military units. They will
be able to train here, triple the number of brigade combat teams that it can
presently."
The Indiana National Guard will use the land to build a logistics
center, administration buildings and housing for soldiers training at Camp
Atterbury. Additionally, there are plans to expand the railroad capacity of
Camp Atterbury to meet its mission requirements. This would also allow for
relocation of facilities bordering the Camp Atterbury airfield. Those
structures are presently located in areas designated aircraft safety zones.
This expansion of Camp Atterbury is expected to generate $105 million
in funded construction. Initial construction will expand existing railroad
capabilities, create two training complexes, a child development center and
two training support brigade headquarters.
It is also anticipated that 750 military and 50 civilian jobs will be
created for these training brigade headquarters. The construction and Soldier
support services will create much needed job opportunities in the local
communities.
"We will be serving the national defense in a larger way than before
and we will be boosting the Indiana economy simultaneously in a very direct
fashion" said Daniels.
The remaining DNR facilities, consisting of 5,000 acres, will remain
unaffected. This land includes 10 lakes and a public shooting range opened in
2006, Johnson County Park, including Whispering Pines Golf Course, and the
Atterbury Job Corps.
"In order to make room for this expansion, it was necessary to swap
land here for land somewhere else", said Daniels. After exploring several
opportunities, land that was part of the Indiana Department of Corrections
was identified for the exchange.
The DNR will receive over 2,000 acres around the Putnamville
Correctional Facility. The land is a split of woodland and fields and
includes Deer Creek and two lakes. White-tailed deer and wild turkey are the
primary game species for hunters in the area.
"The acres we are gaining, by any measure, are dramatically better
than the ones being swapped here," added Daniels.
The exchange itself is more complex than simply transferring a deed.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Parks Service have yet to
approve the deal since they were involved with the original transfer of land
in 1969.
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has an important oversight role
for this proposed land exchange since the Atterbury Wildlife Management Area
was partially purchased with federal funds," said Tom Melius, regional
director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"The multi-agency process involving the Indiana National Guard,
National Parks Service, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service has been cooperative to date based on mutual
respect for each parties interests," he said. "The proposed replacement
property at Putnamville has many outstanding wildlife and recreational
features that will be reviewed as part of the process to ensure that the
interests of the sportsmen and women of Indiana are well served by this
exchange."
The next step in the process is to conduct scoping meetings to
determine the impact of the proposed land exchange on the environment and to
seek input from the affected communities.
The first meeting is scheduled for April 26 at the Department of
Natural Resources headquarters at the Atterbury Fish and Wildlife Area. Two
days later, the second is scheduled at the Putnamville State Police post.
"It is a marvelous outcome for Hoosiers and, we know and believe, for
the national security of America," said Daniels. "We're excited about playing
a larger role in our national defense. We're really excited about growing the
Indiana economy and the flow of money that will come here too.
"We're gratified to know that future generations of Hoosiers have yet
another beautiful expanse of our natural environment to enjoy."