Division of Nature Preserves
Welcome to the Division of Nature Preserves. Pictured above is the magnificent Portland Arch, one of the many Nature Preserves located here in Indiana. Click on the picture above to visit our Locations by County page where you can learn more about Portland Arch and other Nature Preserves near you.
The Division of Nature Preserves is celebrating its 40th Anniversary! Please celebrate with us by viewing our feature article online in the May/June 2009 issue of Outdoor Indiana magazine.
Our main purpose is to protect the best remaining natural areas in Indiana. Indiana's Nature Preserve law sets forth a process of dedication for significant natural areas. Those areas dedicated are permanently protected, to be preserved as pristine natural areas for all the people of Indiana.
Our Division has two important programs:
The Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center, which works to locate and keep track of Indiana's rarest plants, animals, and natural communities. We maintain an extensive database of these elements of natural diversity. With this information, we can set priorities for the protection of natural areas in Indiana. The Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center is a part of an international network of Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers, and is a member of the Association for Biodiversity Information. (http://www.natureserve.org/)
The Lake Michigan Coastal Program works to enhance the State’s role in planning for and managing natural and cultural resources in the coastal region and to support partnerships between federal, state and local agencies and organizations. The Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program relies upon existing laws and programs as the basis for achieving its purposes.
