Lodging in the works near Goose Pond FWA

Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife area near Linton is quickly becoming a destination for birders and tourists. Plans have been announced by a private developer to construct a 10-room inn. These waterfowl and birds were recently photographed at Goose Pond Unit 9. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider) [Order this photo]

But for right now, one of the largest challenges facing the developing fish and wildlife area is finding facilities, said Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area property manager Brad Feaster.

Feaster, speaking to the Greene County Historical Society Sunday at Pleasant Grove Farms, said two carloads of birdwatchers visiting Goose Pond spent the night in their car, due to no vacancies in area hotels.

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Goose Pond FWA is substantially more limited in what it can do than other state parks regarding activities such as horseback riding and ATV use.

However, the area, funded in part through fish and hunting licenses as well as a federal surcharge on gun sales, does allow fishing, hunting, and bird-watching.

Historical Society members suggested actively pursuing a national hotel chain which would compliment Linton's Park Inn, which presently is frequently booked to capacity due to tourism. The lack of other nearby hotels means some tourists seek lodging in Vincennes or Terre Haute, per the discussion.

Feaster said that Goose Pond officials are actively working with local economic development groups to encourage new facilities. The goal, he said, is for the fish and wildlife area to eventually become the anchor for county tourism, spurring development that could include hotels, restaurants, an RV park, a water park and campgrounds.

Some relief could come with the development of a 10-room inn at Pleasant Grove by John Cline. The developer also plans to expand a home on the property, near the Goosepond FWA, adding a 30-seat restaurant and a 50-seat conference room.

When completed, the adjoining home will house his caretaker and a chef.

"I'm going after a small crowd with high quality suites," he said, adding that he also plans a three-acre landscaped maze of bushes.

"It will never be finished in my lifetime," Cline said with a laugh. "That's why I started it."

Cline's uncertain how soon the inn's construction will be underway, and declined to set a timetable because he's concerned it might take longer than he could predict. However, he's optimistic the project will succeed.

Quality, not quantity, is Cline's focus, a goal which is in accord with what Feaster described as Goose Pond's operational philosophy. The area limits the number of hunters, fishermen and birdwatchers because many, if unable to visit Goose Pond, can enjoy other sites such as Shakamak State Park, Greene-Sullivan State Forest, Minnehaha FWA and Redbird Riding Area.

"In this state, we are blessed with tens of thousands of acres of public wildlife areas," he said.

"We're about trying to create quality outings, so that when people are out there, they have a good time."

Another challenge facing Goose Pond, Feaster said, is procuring funds to begin the area's master plan which will eventually allow further development of the area. Presently, the state's budget deliberations have funding needed to even begin the plan tied up, and as lawmakers struggle with money woes, a resolution is uncertain.

"We don't even have the money to start the master plan right now," he said.

Goose Pond, limited at present to a check-in station and the area office, also has encountered difficulties establishing how many tourists actually visit the site, as presently a check-in station which relies upon the honor system.

As a result, Feaster estimated only about 10 percent of those visiting Goose Pond actually register -- a concern, since state funds can be linked to the amounts of use.

At around 8,000 acres, Goose Pond FWA is far smaller than the original wetlands it restored, which stretched as far as 30,000 acres, Feaster said.

Mosquitoes aren't the problem some critics suspected the wetlands could bring, he said, because much of the wetland's water does not lie stagnant.

"I get quite a bit more mosquitoes in my backyard at Green Acres than I do at Goose Pond," he said. "It's buggy out there. There are a lot of bugs, but you get that anywhere you have wetlands. By now means was it as bad as people expected, though."

Nor are birds brought to the wildlife area a substantial problem for area farmers, some of whom feared that their neighboring crops would be picked clean, Feaster said.

While Goose Pond also contains "bigger fish than many people would expect" the area will not be a managed fishery, Feaster said. That's because the waters are as shallow as three feet in most places, and much must be drained periodically. That poses problems for a fishery.

"Some places are 15 to 20 feet deep, but not much," Feaster said.

Trees and weeds also pose woes, as the area's workers constantly battle unwanted growth .

"We spend hours and hours, and thousands of dollars, killing trees" that don't belong, he said, adding that reed canary grass used to shore up banks of creeks is a frequent problem.

However, killing pesky plants isn't the all the work. About 1,400 acres of prairie grass has been planted in the area, along with several trees.

Much of Goose Pond can be seen from State Road 59 and the neighboring county roads, Feaster said, although not everyone passing by realizes what's out there.

"It's kind of hard to see at 60 mph. You almost need to slow down," he said.