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Information About

Indiana Department Of Natural Resources





HISTORY


The Department of Natural Resources was created as part of the Natural Resources Act, passed by the Indiana General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Roger Branigin in 1965. History page on department's official website.

Four agencies were placed under the department's umbrella:

  • Department of Conservation (the forerunner to the Department of Natural Resources)

  • Flood Control and Water Resources Commission

  • State Soil and Water Conservation Committee

  • Outdoor Recreation Council


In 1967, the Nature Preserves Act established the Division of Nature Preserves, also under the same departmental oversight. Since then, the department has been involved in numerous initiatives and legislative efforts, including the establishment of new state parks, new flood laws, hunter safety programs, forestry education and the general rejuvenation of Indiana's forestland. Today, the Department of Natural Resources claims that Indiana has 4.5 million acres (18,000 km&2) of forestland, still far from the area's original 23 million acres (93,000 km&2), but an improvement from the two million acres (8,000 km&2) that remained intact by 1900.


ORGANIZATION


At the top of the organization is the director (presently Robert E. Carter, Jr.), who reports directly to the Governor of Indiana. Department of Natural Resources Organizational Chart In addition to overseeing the department, the director also serves on an autonomous board known as the Natural Resources Commission, consisting of both government officials and citizen members, which meets at least four times annually to address issues pertaining to the department. Natural Resources Commission website The director also has an advisory council at his disposal.

Beneath the director, there are four deputy directors, each of whom is responsible for a team under which many of the department's divisions are organized. Those teams and their divisions are as follows:

  • Regulatory Management Team

  • --- Water

  • --- Reclamation

  • --- Entomology & Plant Pathology

  • --- Historic Preservation & Archaeology

  • --- Oil & Gas

  • Land Management Team

  • --- State Parks & Reservoirs

  • --- Natural Preserves

  • --- Land Acquisition

  • --- Fish & Wildlife

  • --- Outdoor Recreation

  • --- Forestry

  • --- Engineering

  • Administrative Management Team

  • --- Budget & Performance Management

  • --- Accounting

  • --- Human Resources

  • --- MIS

  • --- Purchasing

  • --- Strategic Management & Organizational Excellence

  • Legal Team

  • --- Office of Legal Counsel


In addition, there are six departments that don't fall under one of the four teams:

  • Legislative Affairs

  • Communications

  • Law Enforcement

  • State Museum & Historic Sites

  • Natural Resources Foundation

  • Indiana Heritage Trust



EXTERNAL LINKS




REFERENCES