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Posted by: Reena Ramos

  • 03/20/2019

Hoosiers protect land with Environmental License Plate

Purchasing a license plate for your new vehicle? Or renewing your plates? How can your $40 Environmental License Plate help ACRES?

You may be surprised to learn that since 1992, sales of these plates have provided $4 million to ACRES Land Trust to protect land through the President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust, formerly the Indiana Heritage Trust.

About Indiana’s blue Environmental License Plate*
Statewide, sales of the Environmental Plate have saved more than 62,000 acres of Indiana’s natural heritage.

How much does the plate cost? Where do the fees go?
The Environmental Plate costs $40, which includes a $15 Bureau of Motor Vehicles processing fee. The remaining $25 goes directly toward protection of Indiana’s land, waters and wildlife.

Over time, your blue plate fees add up, providing significant support in protecting land. By publicly declaring your support with the plate, you’re also encouraging other people to do the same and raising awareness of the value of natural places.

Thank you for considering all the ways you can help protect land here at home in the Hoosier state. When it comes to your license plates, when you renew, will you choose blue?

Funds from Indiana’s Environmental License Plate sales have helped ACRES protect many preserves, like Quog Lake in LaGrange County.
(c) The Conservation Fund by Ivan LaBianca

What’s in a name?
From the Indiana Heritage Trust to The President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust 
Launched in 1992 as Indiana’s first specialty license plate, the Environmental Plate originally generated funding for the Indiana Heritage Trust. In 2016, the General Assembly re-named the Indiana Heritage Trust to honor President Benjamin Harrison’s efforts in conservation. Elected 23rd president in 1888, serving from 1889-1893, President Benjamin Harrison remains the only United States president elected from the State of Indiana. As president, Harrison set aside more than 13 million acres of land for National Forest Reserves and opened to all people our second, third, and fourth national parks: Sequoia, General Grant, and Yosemite.

*adapted from Indiana’s Division of Natural Resources’ Environmental License Plate web page