Indianapolis needs to protect forests. Develop abandoned properties instead.

Every abandoned mall and warehouse site in our city was, at one time, an ancient and pristine forest.

Currently only 15% of Marion County’s remaining forest is publicly owned, with the rest vulnerable to development. Our forests are ecologically diverse gems and their benefits to urban areas are numerous: stormwater and flooding control, improved water quality, heat moderation, noise reduction, and carbon sequestration, not to mention their sheer beauty and the habitat they provide our native plants and animals.

Unfortunately, Indianapolis lags behind other midwestern cities in its efforts to preserve urban forest as public greenspace.

Traveling around the city, I observe many unused and dilapidated commercial spaces but few forests. Instead of reusing the seemingly ample number of vacant sites, it seems that some developers would rather clear forest.

We need to change the incentives. It is not necessary to pit economic growth against forest preservation — we need both to make this city a vibrant and desirable place to work and live. Let’s stop cutting down our living forests and instead rejuvenate our dead, empty spaces.

I urge the City-County Council to allocate money to gradually acquire the remaining private forest before it is lost forever.

Jonathan Munro lives in Indianapolis.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis forests are precious. Develop abandoned building instead.