FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2002

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Julia Van De Water, Manager
NIPSCO Communications
(219) 647-6375

MERRILLVILLE, Ind.-Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) announced today the latest recipients of the company's Environmental Challenge Fund.

The Environmental Challenge Fund is an employee-driven, non-profit corporation aimed at preserving, enhancing and protecting the environment. The fund provides employees the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. It also offers organizations a funding source to advance their environmental restoration and enhancement efforts.

"NIPSCO is proud to support organizations and projects that improve the environment in our communities," said Barrett Hatches, NIPSCO president and CEO. "Environmental stewardship will always be important to us at NIPSCO."

The following are the latest recipient projects and organizations:

Saint Joseph's College Wetland and Prairie Restoration
Applicant: Saint Joseph's College, Rensselaer - $5,000
The project involves restoring prairie and wetland habitat to promote the survival of native Indiana plants and animals, and increase biodiversity in the restored areas (87 acres).

Deep River Headwaters Savanna and Prairie Restoration
Applicant: Lake Heritage Parks Foundation, Inc., Crown Point - $5,000
The project will restore 100 acres to a quality savanna and prairie. In addition to increasing the biodiversity of the site, eliminating agricultural practices and exotic species, and restoring native plant communities on the uplands, water quality improvements in the surrounding wetlands will also occur. In addition, sedimentation, nutrient and pesticide runoff will be reduced by increased soil holding capabilities of the restored native plant material.

Floating Aerator Installation, Bon-Aire Lake
Applicant: Town of Merrillville - $2,000
A floating aerator will be purchased and utilized to increase dissolved oxygen levels in Bon-Aire Lake. This will increase the habitat suitability for native fish in the lake and increase their numbers.

Upland Prairie Restoration at Spangler Fen
Applicant: Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund, Michigan City - $2,000
This project will restore native prairie in a two-acre upland parcel at the north entrance to the fen. Non-native species will be removed and native prairie seed mix will be planted.

Porter Cove Erosion Control and Habitat Restoration Project
Applicant: Porter Cove Homeowner's Association, Chesterton - $944
The Porter Cove Homeowner's Association will use native planting principles cited in Protecting Nature in Your Community: A Guidebook for Preserving and Enhancing Biodiversity to stabilize the sides of a detention pond. The native plantings will prevent the loss of soil through erosion, preventing sediment from being transferred into Peterson Ditch. The project will also have additional benefits: decreasing maintenance costs of mowing and weeding, decreasing air emissions that would have been caused from mowing and weeding this area and creating habitat for native wildlife.

Native Plant Butterfly Habitat
Applicant: Allen County Parks and Recreation Dept., Fort Wayne - $2,040
The project includes the planting of native landscaping to increase habitat for native butterflies and moths as well as educate the public about the benefits of using native plants in their own backyards.

NIRPC Grounds Native Habitat Restoration and Preservation Portage;
Applicant: Portage Parks & Recreation Department - $5,000
The project will restore 5 acres of turf grass that presently surrounds the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) building in Portage to native prairie plantings. NIRPC will follow the guidelines of the "Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan." This area will then serve as an "open school house" for community planners, developers, private businesses and municipal governments to learn about the benefits of incorporating native plantings in areas under their control.

Kids Wood Duck and Blue Bird Nesting Box Building Day Westville,
Applicant: Porter County Ducks Unlimited - $500
The project involves the building and placement of nesting boxes for bluebirds and wood ducks by area children. Approximately 40 nesting boxes will be built in a one-day event that has taken place the last several years.

Growing Native
Applicant: Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, Michigan City - $2,792.90
The project will replace turf grass at the Barker House with native plants to increase the native biodiversity and reduce the need for mowing. With mowing reduced, emissions from maintenance equipment and non-renewable resources are also reduced. This project will also provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the benefits of native landscaping.

Native Plant Identification Garden Valparaiso, IN
Applicant: Taltree Arboretum and Gardens - $5,000
The project will educate the public about plant species that are native to Indiana. Non-native plants will be removed from the area to be restored and native plants will be introduced. Native plants will be grouped according to the habitat in which they are found in nature, and the garden will contain more than 1,000 native species. Educational tours and classes will then be organized to educate the community.

Friendship Gardens Woodland Nature Trail
Applicant: International Friendship Gardens, Inc., Michigan City - $1,000
The money approved for this project will be used to purchase seeds and plants to restore a 1.5-mile primitive trail to its native state.

Herd Broadcast Seeder
Applicant: National Wild Turkey Federation, Valparaiso - $358.50

The project involves the purchase of a seeder. The seeder will be used to aid in prairie restoration. While the equipment will be stored at the Lake County Parks Department Marsh Facility, it will be made available to other not-for-profit environmental groups doing restoration work.

Past fund recipients include environmental groups, community groups, neighborhood associations and other non-profit organizations. This last round of grants totaled $31,635.40. To date, the Environmental Challenge Fund has distributed 109 awards totaling over $281,000 since the program's inception in 1995. The next round of awards will be made next spring. Applications will be taken through February 1, 2003.

For more information about the Environmental Challenge Fund, or for an application, visit www.nisource.com.