Corporate Property Owners

The same strategies that apply to smaller, private landowners also may fit those large corporations who own significant amounts of property with environmentally sensitive areas. Northwest Indiana corporations are also pursuing a number of brownfield remediation projects that is of national significance. These sites, if open for public access, deserve interpretive signage to explain the efforts that have taken place. New corporate development, opening up on undeveloped greenfield sites, have the opportunity to create site plans with both sustainable environment and sustainable energy features.

Outreach to land trusts and advocacy groups to build partnerships for open space preservations, habitat management, and education programs. Membership and continued collaborations with the Wildlife Habitat Council is strongly encouraged. The Council has been successful in partnering with larger corporations on educational programs for children and developing policies to help restore and manage large acres of sensitive properties.
Continue partnering with the Northwest Indiana Forum and its Environmental Affairs Committee. The Forum provides a unified voice for larger industries as they work together to improve the ecological quality of the region. This Committee has been able to leverage successful remediation agreements with member corporations and local, state, and federal governments.
Consideration of establishing corporate-sponsored granting programs for conservation and restoration projects in the region. These programs could use the NiSource Environmental Challenge Fund as a model, which, since its inception in 1995, has provided funding for over 140 projects in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties.