Bringing Leaders Together: Save the Dunes Leads Bipartisan Tour Of Indiana Dunes National Park

Bringing Leaders Together: Save the Dunes Hosts Bipartisan Tour of Indiana Dunes National Park

This week, Save the Dunes brought together representatives from the offices of Senator Todd Young, Senator Jim Banks, and Congressman Frank Mrvan to tour the Indiana Dunes National Park. The goal of this visit was to showcase the incredible impact that federal investments from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) are having on the health, beauty, and accessibility of our national park.

The Indiana Dunes National Park is a unique treasure along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Like many of our nation’s public lands, it faces challenges ranging from habitat degradation to deferred maintenance of critical infrastructure, making bills like GLRI and GAOA extremely important, now more than ever. They provide resources to restore wetlands, improve water quality, protect wildlife habitats, and invest in much-needed repairs to historic buildings and visitor facilities.

During the tour, staff from the three Indiana legislative offices were able to see firsthand how these investments are making a difference. We showcased restored habitats that protect native plant species in critically rare ecosystems, collaborative land management on NIPSCO’s Rights-of-Ways that improve habitat connectivity within our fragmented national park, improved public access on the East Branch of the Little Calumet River, and infrastructure updates at historic buildings in the national park- all made possible with GLRI and GAOA funding.

What made this tour especially meaningful was the bipartisan support behind it. There is a shared commitment to protecting the Indiana Dunes National Park and preserving our natural and cultural heritage for future generations. Seeing leaders from across the political spectrum come together demonstrates that caring for our parks is a value that unites all Hoosiers.

Save the Dunes is proud to serve as a regional convener, helping to connect decision-makers with the places and projects their policies support. We are grateful to the offices of Senator Young, Senator Banks, and Congressman Mrvan for joining us to experience the Indiana Dunes firsthand.

Thank you also to our partners at the Indiana Dunes National Park, NIPSCO, National Park Foundation, the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition (HOW), and National Parks Conservation Association for joining us and helping make the day a success! We’d also like to extend a special shout out to HOW for providing the funding to make this tour possible.

Tour Highlights

Tolleston Dunes

Our first stop was Tolleston Dunes, where GLRI-funded restoration is removing invasive species to bring back rare oak savanna habitat within Indiana Dunes National Park.

Calumet Trail

The next stop was at the Calumet Trail, where NIPSCO shared how we partner to enhance their rights-of-ways using GLRI funding. Together, we’re creating habitat connectivity across a fragmented landscape, with a special focus on pollinators.

Good Fellow Lodge

Wearing hard hats and safety gear, we then stepped inside to take a look at the restoration of Good Fellow Lodge. This historic structure is being restored with GAOA funds and will reopen to the public next year.

Bailly Homestead

We also visited Bailey Homestead, where GAOA funds are helping restore and stabilize the historic home’s structural integrity.

Howe Road Kayak Launch

Just a short walk from Bailey, we toured the ADA-accessible kayak launch on the East Branch of the Little Calumet River at Howe Road. Purchased by Save the Dunes with GLRI support via the ChiCal Rivers Fund, this site opens up public access to a river that has also benefitted from habitat restoration and logjam removal thanks to this important funding source.

Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk

We wrapped up the tour with lunch and a presentation at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk, highlighting the impacts of GLRI and GAOA in the park and sharing key priorities with our federal representatives.