The Save the Dunes Conservation Fund has donated approximately six acres of savanna and wetlands in Gary to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

The SDCF announced the land transfer at an event Friday that included Gary Mayor Scott King, Gary City Council member Marilyn Krusas and a representative of Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind.

The property is located south of the CSX railroad and north of Old Hobart Road north of its intersection with U.S. 20.

The SDCF received the land as a donation from the Purdue University Research Foundation in 1997. At the time, federal law prevented the National Lakeshore from accepting parcels separated from its boundaries by railroad tracks. The requirement has since been removed, and the SDCF began the process of donating the land in June of 1999.

With Friday’s event, the land transaction is now complete.

The SDCF said the savanna and wetland habitat is in good condition. Once a dominant habitat in Northwest Indiana, the parcel supports native plants including blueberry, goldenrods, buttonbush, marsh fern and blue flag iris. American woodcocks have nested in the area, and the site contains a good population of dragonflies and other natural mosquito predators, the SDCF says.

The SDCF notes that protection of green space is vital to the region’s quality of life. Trees and other vegetation help air quality, wetlands help reduce flooding and filter out pollutants, and natural sites support wildlife and provide recreational opportunities for people.

Along with the Save the Dunes Council, the SDCF is dedicated to the preservation, restoration and protection of the Indiana dunes.

Posted 3/24/2003