DNR Overview
The mission of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana's citizens through professional leadership, management, and education.
To satisfy such a broad and diverse responsibility, the Department is divided into two distinct areas of responsibility: the Regulatory Management Team; and, the Land Management Team. The Regulatory Management Team consists of the Divisions of Water; Entomology and Plant Pathology; Soil Conservation; Historic Preservation and Archeology; Reclamation; and Oil and Gas. Outdoor recreation and land management programs are housed within the Land Management Team. That unit consists of State Parks and Reservoirs; Nature Preserves; Land Acquisition; Fish and Wildlife; Outdoor Recreation and Forestry.
SOIL CONSERVATION
Clean and abundant supplies of soil and water resources, available upon demand,
need not be just a dream. Soil Conservation staff offer technical, educational,
and financial assistance to citizens throughout the State to solve soil erosion
and sediment problems. Service areas include agriculture and conservation; storm
water and sediment control; lake and river enhancement; and, water quality education.
ENGINEERING
Designing a new park inn; restoring a campground facility; coordinating road
projects or utility construction; or overseeing restoration of a cultural or
historical site, and plotting handicap accessible trails for hikers and hunters.
The Division of Engineering is a muliti-disciplined team of professionals
ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT
PATHOLOGY
Staff inspect and license nursery stock; support and advise beekeepers and
honey industry; inspect and certify international shipments of grain and plant
stock; and, scout for exotic and invasive species.
FISH AND WILDLIFE
The Division of Fish and Wildlife manages the state's fish and wildlife thorough
professional research, regulation of hunting, fishing and trapping, and restoration
of rare species. The fish and wildlife division also stocks fish in public waters,
offers hunting, fishing and wildlife watching on division properties, provides
access to public lakes and rivers, and offers advice and incentives to landowners
for development of wildlife habitat. Hunting, fishing, horseback riding, hiking,
trapping, camping, and even photography are some of the adventures to be found
at F&W properties scattered throughout the State. Staff relies heavily on citizen
input to design and apply professional wildlife practices to both public and
private lands to improve habitat, promote wildlife management, and increase
recreational opportunities.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Enforcement and education are combined to protect and encourage the wise use
of Indiana's natural resources. Officers conduct hunter, boater, snowmobile
and trapper education. Specialty units use boats, snowmobiles and off road vehicles
to respond to river rescue, underwater search and recovery, and natural disasters.
In addition to enforcing State law, they are uniquely trained for investigations
in homicides, boat accidents, wildlife forensics, and other environmental sciences.
FORESTRY
Supports multiple uses: recreation, timber production, watershed protection,
hunting, and healthy fish and wildlife populations. District Foresters can assist
landowners with inspections and management plans tailored to satisfy individual
forest stewardship objectives. State nurseries provide stock for landscaping,
windbreaks, fire control, and other uses.
NATURE PRESERVES
Identifies, protects, and manages assortment of natural areas in order to maintain
viable examples of all of Indiana's natural communities. The same attention
is applied to endangered, threatened, or rare species. The Indiana Natural Heritage
Data Center is used to locate and keep track of Indiana's rarest plants, animals
and natural communities.
WATER
The Division of Water is a regulatory and public information agency, having
diverse responsibilities associated with the evaluation of Indiana's water resources,
and development near Indiana's waterways and lakes. Regulatory responsibilities
include floodway construction, floodplain hazard analysis, lakebed and shoreline
alteration, dam safety, conservancy districts, water use, and water well construction.
The Division provides useful public information related to water availability
throughout Indiana, water use, and participation in the National Flood Insurance
Program. Supplies a vast array of water resource information for individual
citizens, industry, environmental groups, and government agencies; primarily
responsible for programs including floodway construction, dam safety, flood
hazard planning, flood plain regulations, conservancy districts, and water well
construction.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ARCHEOLOGY
Historic Preservation Grants; Indiana Cemetery and Burial Grounds Registry;
Indiana Cultural Resources Management Plan; National, and Indiana Registers
of significant historical sites; and, more than 47,000 known archeological sites
contain endless clues to who and what came before us - and their significance.
STATE PARKS AND RESERVOIRS
There is no end of ways for visitors to enjoy and experience the wondrous variety
of Indiana's natural features face-to-face. Ride or hike through a forest; romp
on the Dunes of Lake Michigan; sail, boat or ski on a reservoir; re-live Indiana
settlement life at Spring Mill; study nature with a Naturalist; enjoy a primitive
camp, or get a room at one of the Inns; meet the family for a picnic; or, enjoy
wildlife in the natural setting.
OIL AND GAS
Regulates petroleum exploration, production and site closing activities, underground
injection control, and geophysical surveying. Offers a variety of services to
industry, public and other government entities including permit review, site
inspections, water and soil sampling, well and pit location surveys and remediation
of damage from abandoned well sites.
OUTDOOR RECREATION
A source of grant funding and assistance with master plans for park boards.
Staff prepare and publish the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
(SCORP). The Streams and Trails section coordinates many of Indiana's trail
projects including snowmobile and off-road vehicle trails, the Knobstone Trail,
and Water Trails. The division also has GIS specialists, who maintain the Indiana
Trails Inventory and assist with research and planning. A ready source of technical
assistance for the development and support of outdoor activities. Includes community
park planning; hiking and snowmobile trail development and maintenance; off
road vehicle recreation; Rails-Trails assistance; and, advice for biking, canoeing,
recreation grants and other forms of recreational planning.
RECLAMATION
Administers State and federal programs for the surface mining of coal, clay,
shale, or oil shale, and the restoration of lands disturbed for the extraction
of these minerals. Permits and monitors active coal mines; designs and oversees
construction projects restoring lands disturbed, but improperly reclaimed; responds
to citizen inquiries; partners with private landowners, as well as larger citizen
groups for other coal related mining and land restoration issues.
HERITAGE TRUST - LAND ACQUISITION
The Indiana Heritage Trust, which was initiated in 1993 as a way to buy more
natural areas for future public use. The IHT uses proceeds from the Environmental
License Plate (the eagle/sun plate) to buy land. They've bought some 30,000
acres so far with this money.
STATE MUSEUM & HISTORIC SITES
in charge of the Indiana State Museum, which is now located at Washington and
West streets. Also in charge of 17 state historic sites, which include artist
T.C. Steele's Nashville studio, the birthplaces of WWII journalist Ernie Pyle
and author Gene Stratton-Porter, Indiana's first state capitol in Corydon, a
stop on the Underground Railroad, and Grissom Air Museum.
PUBLIC INFORMATION AND
EDUCATION
Provides access to the DNR for many audiences through, public relations, news
media and customer service. Assists and promotes public/DNR partnerships such
as the Indiana Heritage Trust. Responsible for publication of the bi-monthly
Outdoor Indiana magazine. Guides media contacts to the appropriate program areas
and technicians. And supports the DNR Customer Service Center providing specialty
map sales, DNR products, and hunting and fishing licenses.
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