The Kirtland’s snake is a small snake with a bright red belly that primarily lives in wet meadows and prairies. It’s endangered or threatened in every state where it lives — mostly due to habitat loss.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) denied a permit application to turn wetlands in Marion County into a retail complex last week. Gershman Partners submitted a permit in February to transform wetlands in Franklin Township – on the northeast corner of East County Line Road and South Arlington Avenue – into an area with warehouses and a hotel. IDEM rejected the proposal stating the developers did not show “reasonable alternatives” to destroying the wetlands.

The Hoosier Environmental Council said the legislature appropriated a significant amount of money for land conservation and trails though a lot less than it was hoping for.

Sam Carpenter, the new executive director for the Hoosier Environmental Council, said he hopes to tackle some big issues in his new role.

As part of the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project, the forest service wants to cut down trees, do prescribed fires and use some herbicides on thousands of acres near Patoka Lake.

The U.S. will still power most of its homes and cars with fossil fuels by 2050 if there aren’t more policies that encourage renewable energy and electric vehicles. That’s according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook.

Two state Senate bills would limit the Department of Natural Resources’ authority to protect people from flooding.

The Indiana Forest Alliance has come up with a strategy for how to better protect urban forests in Indianapolis. The group said urban forests help cool cities, capture stormwater, improve air quality and trap greenhouse gas emissions.

The Hoosier Environmental Council has outlined its priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

There are a number of ways the Environmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden can help reduce pollution in Indiana. That was one takeaway from the Hoosier Environmental Councils Earth Day panel discussion with two former EPA employees.