Photo // ABC57 News
The empty motor speedway awaits its possible fate of destruction
By: Claire McKennaStaff-Writer
South Bend’s black oak savanna, one of the rarest ecosystems in Indiana, is in danger of being destroyed. The owners of the South Bend Motor Speedway have decided to sell the property, which includes the 34-acre savanna, to Insurance Auto Auctions. The plan is to turn the property into an auto-rummage yard and build a fence around it.
The black oak savanna is a transitional ecosystem between a grassland or prairie and a forest. Instead of being dense like a forest, black oak savannas are open, letting light in. This light can hit the ground, allowing ground-level plants to flourish and sun-loving undergrowth to thrive.
The dominant tree in this ecosystem, hence the name, is the black oak. They are native to Indiana and can be found all over the eastern half of the U.S. But this specific ecosystem is very rare, “among the most threatened in the world,” with “less than .01% remaining,” the United States Department of Agriculture claims.
There are already three different auto salvage yards and similar services within a 10-mile radius from the Motor Speedway and two that are around 12 miles away.
Indiana Nature LLC is the main organization trying to stop this destruction. Founded by Steve Sass and Amanda Smith in 2016, their mission is to expand and increase ecological literacy in the Hoosier state through community participation. They have led information campaigns on many issues like “No Mow May”, how to coexist with wildlife like coyotes and nature myths in their “Folklore: Fact or Fiction” segment.
“It seems outrageous to continue to take away the very tiny sliver of what we have left for a business that could go elsewhere,” Sass told ABC57 News.
At the time of publication, those against the rezoning of the property were preparing for a public meeting with the St. Joseph County Area Planning Commission on Sept. 17 at 12:30 p.m. in the South Bend city council chambers. A press release from Indiana Nature noted that the rezoning request would be heard by the full county council on Sept. 24, another opportunity for supporters and dissidents to make their voices heard.
Sass urged people to come to these meetings and speak out against the rezoning. You can also call or email the city council to voice concerns, sign up for the Indiana Nature LLC email list to get more information on this issue and others and share their website to help inform the community.
For more information on this issue, you can visit the Indiana Nature LLC website at indiananature.net.