The Tourism Resource and Development Council (TRDC) is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization operating under the Historic Hoosier Hills umbrella. Membership on the Board of Directors is by appointment - each member county appoints a representative from their tourism organization and one from their economic development organization. Our purpose is to encourage the development of tourism and recreational facilities and attractions in southeastern Indiana.

Our goal is to encourage and assist southeastern Indiana leadership in the development or expansion of tourism, recreation, and entertainment facilities and attractions. Methods may include:

  • Reseach and study programs.
  • Investment forums.
  • Specific marketing programs for capital and physical developments.

The TRDC also supports and sponsors several project committees whose purposes parallel those of TRDC and whose accomplishments contribute to overall tourism and recreation related development in the region.

Our objective is to retain and expand the economic base of tourism-related business in southeastern Indiana by increasing the number of opportunities in the tourism sector of our economy. The Board meets quarterly.

Here are some tourism related sites for our member counties in southeastern Indiana:

Associated Project Committees

  • Aurora - Lawrenceburg Trail Project

We are developing a non-motorized recreational trail through Aurora from the riverfront park on the Ohio River to the Lawrenceburg city line.

  • Aurora Riverfront Beautification Project

A project committee within the City of Aurora to develop and improve the half-mile of Ohio River banks and Lescoe Park on the riverfront for recreational and community uses. The committee has installed old-fashioned street lights in the park and new playground equipment, and most recently secured a grant through Historic Hoosier Hills to create a large Christmas light display in the park. Historic Hoosier Hills has also provided facilitated planning assistance to help the volunteer group organize and focus on what they want to accomplish in the next five years.

  • Dearborn Trails Project

This project is an initiative of the Dearborn County Convention, Visitors and Tourism Bureau, and is designed to bring the trail committees of Aurora (Aurora - Lawrenceburg Trail), Lawrenceburg, and Greendale together to coordinate efforts and make sure the trails are compatible and "seamless" to the user. The CTVB has committed $660,000 to help fund the joint project. The CTVB requested Historic Hoosier Hills' oversight and help with facilitated planning and organization.

  • Heritage Trail of Madison Project

For more information visit www.heritagetrailofmadison.org

  • Jefferson Proving Ground Heritage Partnership

This committee is dedicated to recording and preserving the history of the Jefferson Proving Ground - a Department of Army munitions test facility covering 55,000 acres that closed in 1995 after a 55-year history of serving the military and the people of the United States. The history begins with the moving of over 400 families from their farms and homes in 1940 to establish the facility, covers its 55-year operating history, and ends with its closing and its impact on the local people and the region. We hope to ultimately establish a museum and visitor center to house artifacts and tell the JPG story. About 50,000 of the 55,000 acres are so heavily contaminated with unexploded ordinance that they will not be useable in the foreseeable future. A related website is jpg.sbccom.army.mil

  • John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail Project

For more information visit www.hhhills.org/jhmht

  • Madison Pearl Park Project

Historic Hoosier Hills supports the efforts of a group in Historic Madison to develop a property where small historic structures could be moved to save them from destruction. Qualifying buildings are historically significant, small enough to be moved, and the present owners are not interested in preserving them. The group has land and has its first building in place. Historic Hoosier Hills provides organizational support and a 501(c)3 umbrella for funding opportunities.

  • Madison Theatre Productions (Spectrum Productions)

Spectrum Productions is a new theater group in Madison, focused on putting on plays for the community and giving local people an opportunity to participate. Historic Hoosier Hills is providing organizational support and a 501(c)3 umbrella until they can complete their formal organization and secure their own 501(c)3 identity.

  • "Red Wolf" Sanctuary

For more information visit www.redwolf.org

  • River Ridge Resort Committee

This is a volunteer committee organized to work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources on the development of the Charlestown State Park and specifically on the land most recently acquired from the old Charlestown Powder Plant from the Department of Army.

  • State Park Nature Center Project

Two state parks in the center of our RC&D area -- Versailles State Park, and Clifty Falls State Park - have very outdated educational programs on nature and natural resources to offer children and adults during the spring, summer, and fall camping season. Both have nature centers, although Versailles' is seasonal. Kenny Tapp, a high school senior at the start of this project, approached Historic Hoosier Hills to help him find funding to develop state-of-the-art videos and other programs for the nature centers. Kenny is the son of the park manager at Versailles. With two small grants, Kenny produced a video on the white-tail deer of Clifty, scripted several other video programs, and produced slide programs for Versailles State Park on: "Canoeing Laughery Creek", "Nocturnal Animals of Versailles State Park", and "The Geologic Story of Versailles State Park". He also produced an educators/interpreters guide for the Nocturnal Animals Program. He took dozens of color photos that can be used in future programs and displays, and developed numerous title slides using the local high school's technology lab. He also produced a bulletin board display for the Versailles Nature Center -- "Nature as we see it". All this was done in the summer of 2000. He is presently a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, but plans to return in the summer of 2001 to finish the project. His plans include a Laughery Creek Interpretive Video, Severe Weather of Ripley County Video, "Clifty Comments" Weekly Radio Program, feature television reports for stations in Indianapolis and Cincinnati (he has been offered internships at stations in both cities), and a state fair state park promotional video.

  • Versailles State Park Inn Project

This committee within Historic Hoosier Hills has been working with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to build a resort facility at Versailles State Park, the second largest park in the Indiana system and centrally located to the Historic Hoosier Hills area. The park's location would put a lodge in the middle of the largest lodging facility void in the region, making the area more of a tourism destination. A related website is www.state.in.us/dnr/statepar/parks/versail/versail.htm

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