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U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ERIN HOUCHIN, 9th DISTRICT OF INDIANA INSTALLED AS CO-CHAIR OF OHIO RIVER BASIN CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ERIN HOUCHIN, 9th DISTRICT OF INDIANA INSTALLED AS CO-CHAIR OF OHIO RIVER BASIN CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS

Indianapolis, Indiana, May 16, 2024 – “I am honored to serve as co-chair of the Ohio River Caucus, representing the vital interests of Southern Indiana. The Ohio River is not only a lifeline for commerce and industry but a symbol of our region’s rich history and potential for growth. As co-chair, I am committed to advocating for policies that promote economic prosperity and conservation along the Ohio River and beyond,” said Rep. Houchin.

Congresswoman Erin Houchin, 9th District of Indiana was recently installed as co-chair of the Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus.

The Ohio River drains more than 80% of Indiana’s waterways and is home to about 30 million people – more than 8 percent of the United States’ population. Yet, the region doesn’t receive the attention given other regions such as the Mississippi River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. With 55 Congressional districts in 14 states covering the basin.

The caucus was founded on October 21, 2009, by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Steve Driehaus to unite all members of Congress whose districts reside within the Ohio River Basin to work together to resolve issues faced by their constituents.

The caucus was formed in conjunction with the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, which is an organization that was formed by multiple state governments to manage and maintain the environmental quality of the Ohio River Valley.

The caucus is tasked with raising awareness of the Ohio River Valley and highlighting the river’s impact on the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and agriculture. Major goals of the caucus will include securing funding for environmental restoration and cleanup, educational outreach, as well as discussing how pending legislation will affect the Ohio River Basin.

The Indiana Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation plan to continue to raise awareness around the plight of the Ohio River Basin and advocate for Federal funding support to restore and protect the waters that affect the 14 impacted states.

 

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Hoosier Conservation Newsletter | August 2023

Read the August 2023 edition of the IWF Hoosier Conservation Newsletter. The Monarch Tagging Season is almost here! Dan has important legislative updates in his Letter from the ED. We have speakers for our upcoming Annual Conference and we’re very excited about what they have to share.

Goble shows multiple caterpillars on a leaf in one of her cages designed to keep them safe July 18, 2021. The caterpillars eat anywhere from fourteen to twenty before curving into a J and forming their cocoon.

Monarchs have a friend in Indiana

Monarchs have a friend in Indiana

Story and photos by Abbie Gressley, Indiana Wildlife Federation 2021 Summer Habitat Intern

When Amanda Goble first started raising monarch butterflies three years ago, she only knew there weren’t many in her area. Little did she know the process she loves so much would soon be making a larger impact on the monarch population.

“I realize it is a small part to help, but any small thing could make a big impact eventually,” says the 46-year-old from Marion, Indiana.

The eastern migratory population of monarch butterflies decreased by 84% between the winters of 1996–1997 and 2014–2015, and the much smaller western monarch population has declined 74% since the late 1990s, according to the Indiana Monarch Conservation Plan (IMCP).

The IMCP was influenced by those interested in monarch butterfly conservation and habitat restoration in an attempt to reverse the population decline of North American monarchs.

Goble says they had almost lost monarchs in the area due to chemical spraying for bugs on crops and people using them at their own homes without the pollinators. So, she planted milkweed seeds for the monarchs to lay eggs on and had her husband build screened in cages to protect the caterpillars and cocoons from other bugs.

“I have an abundance of praying mantis in my yard, and they will eat them, so this gives them a safe place to stay in hopes that they will make it to butterflies,” she says.

Goble starts her process in the spring to make sure the milkweed is growing and plant more if needed. In July, the monarchs start showing up for nectar and begin laying eggs on the plants. She then watches for caterpillars and takes them to the cages to finish growing. It takes about fourteen to twenty days for them to eat before creating a J with their bodies and forming a cocoon. The cocoon will hatch within seven to nine days.

“Finding the caterpillars and letting the butterflies go is about all the hands-on work you need to do, the rest they do on their own,” Goble says. “I try not to interfere with their process too much.”

Goble says she loves the whole process and only wishes to help them grow to adulthood.

“I think it’s fascinating how an egg the size of a pinhead can grow to a caterpillar then change into a butterfly out of a small cocoon,” she says. “Watching them fly away is my favorite part; I say goodbye to each one and wish them well on their journey.”

According to the IMCP, Indiana, along with other Midwestern states, comprises a particularly important portion of the range of the eastern population of monarch butterflies, supplying much of the breeding and migrating habitat that produces the migratory generation of the eastern monarch population.

Goble is one of many in Indiana playing a small role for a much bigger cause for these butterflies.

“I just let the butterflies fly away in hopes that they will live to make new caterpillars and butterflies,” she says. “I hope to continue to give the butterflies a chance to survive and keep coming back to our area.”