Indiana 2025 Regular Session

Indiana Senate Bill SB0321 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	Introduced Version
3	3	SENATE BILL No. 321
4	4	_____
5	5	DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
6	6	Citations Affected: IC 14-8-2; IC 14-31-4.
7	7	Synopsis: Designated wild areas. Provides that 13 specified areas
8	8	within certain state forests are "designated wild areas". Specifies
9	9	certain activities that are prohibited or allowed within a designated
10	10	wild area. Establishes responsibilities for the department of natural
11	11	resources and divisions that manage designated wild areas.
12	12	Effective: July 1, 2025.
13	13	Yoder
14	14	January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.
15	15	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 Introduced
16	16	First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
17	17	PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
18	18	Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
19	19	additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
20	20	Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
21	21	provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
22	22	word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
23	23	a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
24	24	Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
25	25	between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
26	26	SENATE BILL No. 321
27	27	A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
28	28	natural and cultural resources.
29	29	Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. IC 14-8-2-68.4 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
31	31	2 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
32	32	3 1, 2025]: Sec. 68.4. "Designated wild area", for purposes of
33	33	4 IC 14-31-4, has the meaning set forth in IC 14-31-4-2.
34	34	5 SECTION 2. IC 14-8-2-318.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA
35	35	6 CODE AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS
36	36	7 [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 318.5. "Wild area", for purposes
37	37	8 of IC 14-31-4, has the meaning set forth in IC 14-31-4-3.
38	38	9 SECTION 3. IC 14-31-4 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE AS
39	39	10 A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
40	40	11 1, 2025]:
41	41	12 Chapter 4. Designated Wild Areas
42	42	13 Sec. 1. The general assembly finds the following:
43	43	14 (1) It is necessary and desirable that some large forested areas
44	44	15 of Indiana where there are few permanent improvements or
45	45	16 human habitations, the landscape is relatively natural, and the
46	46	17 imprint of human activity is not predominant, be set aside as
47	47	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 2
48	48	1 wild areas and preserved for the benefit of present and future
49	49	2 generations.
50	50	3 (2) That the large and relatively undisturbed forested areas
51	51	4 are a part of the defining heritage of Indiana, and securing
52	52	5 these areas will provide the people of Indiana important
53	53	6 opportunities for solitude and recreation, including hiking,
54	54	7 camping, picnicking, and hunting.
55	55	8 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "designated wild area" means a
56	56	9 wild area listed in section 4 of this chapter.
57	57	10 Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "wild area" means a tract of
58	58	11 relatively undeveloped state owned land that:
59	59	12 (1) has retained in significant part its natural forested
60	60	13 character;
61	61	14 (2) presents outstanding opportunities for solitude or
62	62	15 recreation compatible with the preservation of the wild
63	63	16 character of the land; and
64	64	17 (3) has at least eight hundred (800) acres of contiguous state
65	65	18 controlled land.
66	66	19 Sec. 4. The following wild areas are designated wild areas:
67	67	20 (1) The area of the Owen-Putnam State Forest known as the
68	68	21 Cataract Wild Area, containing approximately one thousand
69	69	22 six hundred eighty (1,680) acres that is contained within the
70	70	23 following property compartment and tract boundary maps
71	71	24 prepared by the department before January 1, 2025:
72	72	25 (A) Within Owen-Putnam compartment 2, tracts 1 through
73	73	26 4.
74	74	27 (B) Within Owen-Putnam compartment 4, tracts 1 through
75	75	28 14, tract 15 (partial), and tract 16 (partial).
76	76	29 (2) The area of the Harrison-Crawford State Forest known as
77	77	30 the Cold Friday Wild Area, containing approximately three
78	78	31 thousand nine hundred fifty (3,950) acres that is contained
79	79	32 within the following property compartment and tract
80	80	33 boundary maps prepared by the department before January
81	81	34 1, 2025:
82	82	35 (A) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 7, tract 1.
83	83	36 (B) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 23, tract 12
84	84	37 (partial), and tract 13.
85	85	38 (C) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 24, tract 2,
86	86	39 and tracts 5 through 7.
87	87	40 (D) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 29, tracts 1
88	88	41 through 10, and tracts 17 through 20.
89	89	42 (E) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 30, tract 2
90	90	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 3
91	91	1 (partial), and tracts 3 through 11.
92	92	2 (F) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 31, tract 1
93	93	3 (partial), and tracts 2 through 9.
94	94	4 (3) The area of the Harrison-Crawford State Forest known as
95	95	5 the Hellbender Wild Area, containing approximately two
96	96	6 thousand four hundred sixty (2,460) acres that is contained
97	97	7 within the following property compartment and tract
98	98	8 boundary maps prepared by the department before January
99	99	9 1, 2025:
100	100	10 (A) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 12, tract 8.
101	101	11 (B) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 13, tract 9
102	102	12 (partial).
103	103	13 (C) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 18, tracts 3
104	104	14 through 4.
105	105	15 (D) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 19, tract 1
106	106	16 (partial), tracts 2 through 4, tract 5 (partial), tract 6
107	107	17 (partial), tract 7 (partial), tract 8 (partial), and tracts 9
108	108	18 through 11.
109	109	19 (E) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 20, tract 1
110	110	20 (partial), tract 2, tract 3 (partial), and tracts 4 through 7.
111	111	21 (F) Within Harrison-Crawford compartment 26, tracts 1
112	112	22 through 3.
113	113	23 (4) The area of the Clark State Forest known as the
114	114	24 Knobstone Wild Area, containing approximately five
115	115	25 thousand six hundred eighty (5,680) acres that is contained
116	116	26 within the following property compartment and tract
117	117	27 boundary maps prepared by the department before January
118	118	28 1, 2025:
119	119	29 (A) Within Clark compartment 12, tracts 6 through 9.
120	120	30 (B) Within Clark compartment 14, tract 1, and tracts 3
121	121	31 through 4.
122	122	32 (C) Within Clark compartment 15, tracts 1 through 6,
123	123	33 tract 7 (partial), tract 9 (partial), tract 10 (partial), tract 11
124	124	34 (partial), tract 12 (partial), and tracts 13 through 14.
125	125	35 (D) Within Clark compartment 16, tract 1 (partial), tract
126	126	36 2 (partial), tract 4 (partial), and tracts 5 through 12.
127	127	37 (E) Within Clark compartment 17, tracts 1 through 5.
128	128	38 (F) Within Clark compartment 18, tracts 1 through 2, tract
129	129	39 3 (partial), and tracts 7 through 9.
130	130	40 (5) The area of the Clark State Forest known as the Leota
131	131	41 Wild Area, containing approximately three thousand four
132	132	42 hundred fifty (3,450) acres that is contained within the
133	133	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 4
134	134	1 following property compartment and tract boundary maps
135	135	2 prepared by the department before January 1, 2025:
136	136	3 (A) Within Clark compartment 2, tracts 1 through 14, and
137	137	4 tract 15 (partial).
138	138	5 (B) Within Clark compartment 3, tracts 1 through 6, tracts
139	139	6 8 through 10, and tract 12.
140	140	7 (C) Within Clark compartment 4, tract 2, and tract 14.
141	141	8 (6) The area of the Morgan-Monroe/Yellowwood State Forest
142	142	9 known as the Low Gap Wild Area, containing approximately
143	143	10 three thousand seven hundred fifty (3,750) acres that is
144	144	11 contained within the following property compartment and
145	145	12 tract boundary maps prepared by the department before
146	146	13 January 1, 2025:
147	147	14 (A) Within Morgan-Monroe compartment 9, all tracts.
148	148	15 (B) Within Morgan-Monroe compartment 15, tracts 1
149	149	16 through 10.
150	150	17 (C) Within Yellowwood compartment 13, tracts 1 through
151	151	18 4, tracts 6 through 8, tract 15, and tract 16 (partial).
152	152	19 (D) Within Yellowwood compartment 14, tract 1, tract 2
153	153	20 (partial), tract 3 (partial), tract 6 (partial), tract 21, tract
154	154	21 22 (partial), tracts 23 through 25, tract 26 (partial), and
155	155	22 tract 28 (partial).
156	156	23 (7) The area of the Yellowwood State Forest known as the
157	157	24 Miller Ridge Wild Area, containing approximately two
158	158	25 thousand three hundred thirty (2,330) acres that is contained
159	159	26 within the Yellowwood property compartment and tract
160	160	27 boundary map prepared by the department before January
161	161	28 1, 2025, within Yellowwood compartment 3, tract 2, tracts 4
162	162	29 through 19, tract 20 (partial), tracts 21 through 22, tract 23
163	163	30 (partial), tract 24 (partial), and tracts 25 through 34.
164	164	31 (8) The area of the Yellowwood State Forest known as the
165	165	32 Mossop Ridge Wild Area, containing approximately two
166	166	33 thousand eighty (2,080) acres that is contained within the
167	167	34 Yellowwood property compartment and tract boundary map
168	168	35 prepared by the department before January 1, 2025, within
169	169	36 Yellowwood compartment 2, tracts 2 through 5, tracts 7
170	170	37 through 18, tract 20 (partial), tracts 21 through 27, tract 29,
171	171	38 tract 32 (partial), tracts 33 through 35, and tract 37 (partial).
172	172	39 (9) The area of the Jackson-Washington State Forest known
173	173	40 as the Orchard Ridge Wild Area, containing approximately
174	174	41 one thousand two hundred seventy (1,270) acres that is
175	175	42 contained within the following property compartment and
176	176	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 5
177	177	1 tract boundary maps prepared by the department before
178	178	2 January 1, 2025:
179	179	3 (A) Within Jackson-Washington compartment 3, tract 19
180	180	4 (partial), tract 20, tract 21 (partial), and tracts 22 through
181	181	5 23.
182	182	6 (B) Within Jackson-Washington compartment 4, tract 3
183	183	7 (partial), tract 4, tract 5 (partial), tracts 6 through 7, tracts
184	184	8 9 through 10, tract 11 (partial), tract 12 (partial), tract 13
185	185	9 (partial), tract 14, tract 15 (partial), tract 16, tract 18
186	186	10 (partial), and tracts 19 through 21.
187	187	11 (10) The area of the Morgan-Monroe/Yellowwood State
188	188	12 Forest known as the Scarce-O'-Fat Wild Area, containing
189	189	13 approximately three thousand six hundred eighty (3,680)
190	190	14 acres that is contained within the following property
191	191	15 compartment and tract boundary maps prepared by the
192	192	16 department before January 1, 2025:
193	193	17 (A) Within Morgan-Monroe compartment 17, tracts 9
194	194	18 through 11, tract 12 (partial), tract 18, and tract 23.
195	195	19 (B) Within Yellowwood compartment 8, tract 6 (partial),
196	196	20 tract 7, tract 8 (partial), tract 9 (partial), tract 10 (partial),
197	197	21 tracts 11 through 29, tract 30 (partial), and tract 31
198	198	22 (partial).
199	199	23 (C) Within Yellowwood compartment 9, tract 1 (partial),
200	200	24 tracts 2 through 15, and tract 16 (partial).
201	201	25 (11) The area of the Ferdinand State Forest known as the
202	202	26 Siberia Wild Area, containing approximately nine hundred
203	203	27 ninety (990) acres that is contained within the Ferdinand
204	204	28 property compartment and tract boundary maps prepared by
205	205	29 the department before January 1, 2025, within Ferdinand
206	206	30 compartment 15, tracts 2 through 10.
207	207	31 (12) The area of the Jackson-Washington State Forest known
208	208	32 as the Spurgeon Hollow Wild Area, containing approximately
209	209	33 four thousand (4,000) acres that is contained within the
210	210	34 following property compartment and tract boundary maps
211	211	35 prepared by the department before January 1, 2025:
212	212	36 (A) Within Jackson-Washington compartment 9, tract 6
213	213	37 (partial), tract 8 (partial), tracts 10 through 14, and tracts
214	214	38 16 through 26.
215	215	39 (B) Within Jackson-Washington compartment 10, tracts 1
216	216	40 through 9, tract 10 (partial), tracts 11 through 25, tract 26
217	217	41 (partial), tracts 27 through 32, and tracts 37 through 41.
218	218	42 (13) The area of the Jackson-Washington State Forest known
219	219	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 6
220	220	1 as the Starve Hollow Wild Area, containing approximately
221	221	2 one thousand five hundred (1,500) acres that is contained
222	222	3 within the following property compartment and tract
223	223	4 boundary maps prepared by the department before January
224	224	5 1, 2025:
225	225	6 (A) Within Jackson-Washington compartment 5, tract 3
226	226	7 (partial), and tracts 4 through 14.
227	227	8 (B) Within Jackson-Washington compartment 6, tracts 1
228	228	9 through 4, tract 5 (partial), tract 6 (partial), tracts 7
229	229	10 through 8, tracts 10 through 11, tract 12 (partial), and
230	230	11 tract 13 (partial).
231	231	12 Sec. 5. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), before January
232	232	13 1, 2026, the department shall prepare and keep on file accurate
233	233	14 maps and legal descriptions of each designated wild area.
234	234	15 (b) The department is not required to prepare a:
235	235	16 (1) new map; or
236	236	17 (2) legal description;
237	237	18 of a designated wild area if an accurate map or legal description
238	238	19 was prepared within the last three (3) years.
239	239	20 Sec. 6. The department shall manage a designated wild area in
240	240	21 a manner that preserves the area's natural values and relatively
241	241	22 undisturbed character.
242	242	23 Sec. 7. (a) Any division established under IC 14-9-4 that
243	243	24 managed a wild area before its designation as a designated wild
244	244	25 area shall continue to manage the designated wild area unless the
245	245	26 duties to manage the designated wild area are transferred by the
246	246	27 commission.
247	247	28 (b) Subject to the requirements of this chapter, a division that
248	248	29 manages a designated wild area may continue to use the land for
249	249	30 the purposes and activities, including hunting, fishing, and
250	250	31 trapping, for which the land was initially held. The division may
251	251	32 place limits on access to or equipment used in a designated wild
252	252	33 area as needed to protect the designated wild area from
253	253	34 deterioration or overuse.
254	254	35 (c) A designated wild area must be managed in a manner to
255	255	36 preserve its natural values and relatively undisturbed character.
256	256	37 Sec. 8. If a wild area provided an easement or access to private
257	257	38 property or a cemetery either into or through a wild area before
258	258	39 becoming a designated wild area, the department shall continue to
259	259	40 allow the easement or access to the private property or the
260	260	41 cemetery.
261	261	42 Sec. 9. (a) The department shall post conspicuous signs on the
262	262	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 7
263	263	1 perimeter of the designated wild area indicating that the area is a
264	264	2 designated wild area.
265	265	3 (b) The department may post signs in a designated wild area
266	266	4 summarizing permitted and prohibited activities and marking
267	267	5 trails.
268	268	6 Sec. 10. (a) Subject to subsection (b), the following are
269	269	7 prohibited in a designated wild area:
270	270	8 (1) Removing, cutting, picking, or altering vegetation, except
271	271	9 with the written consent of the department:
272	272	10 (A) to create or maintain public access;
273	273	11 (B) to maintain easements that were created before the
274	274	12 area became a designated wild area;
275	275	13 (C) for scientific or educational purposes; or
276	276	14 (D) as permitted in section 11 of this chapter.
277	277	15 (2) Exploring for or extracting minerals.
278	278	16 (3) Logging.
279	279	17 (4) Energy development, including wind energy, solar energy,
280	280	18 oil and gas development, and gathering or harvesting wood
281	281	19 for biomass combustion.
282	282	20 (5) Use of motorized vehicles.
283	283	21 (6) Building roads. However, the department is not prohibited
284	284	22 from maintaining a road that existed before the wild area
285	285	23 became a designated wild area.
286	286	24 (7) Granting utility easements.
287	287	25 (8) Commercial enterprises, except for guided hikes or field
288	288	26 trips.
289	289	27 (9) Use of motorized equipment.
290	290	28 (10) Use of permanent structures other than those necessary
291	291	29 to minimize damage from trail use, including erosion bars,
292	292	30 steps, and bridges.
293	293	31 (11) Use of herbicides.
294	294	32 (b) Subsection (a) does not prohibit activities needed to:
295	295	33 (1) provide emergency medical assistance;
296	296	34 (2) conduct search and rescue;
297	297	35 (3) control a fire;
298	298	36 (4) monitor and control invasive species; and
299	299	37 (5) monitor and control plant and wildlife diseases.
300	300	38 However, the department shall use methods that are the most
301	301	39 narrowly directed to the situation and as least intrusive to the
302	302	40 designated wild area as possible.
303	303	41 Sec. 11. (a) Any recreational use in a designated wild area must
304	304	42 be managed to maintain the area's wild character. The department
305	305	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150 8
306	306	1 may allow the following recreational uses in a designated wild
307	307	2 area:
308	308	3 (1) Mountain biking and horseback riding on trails that allow
309	309	4 those uses.
310	310	5 (2) Hiking.
311	311	6 (3) Gathering of edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms
312	312	7 when in season and as permitted by law.
313	313	8 (4) Overnight camping at campsites identified by the
314	314	9 department with appropriate limits regarding term of
315	315	10 occupancy.
316	316	11 (b) The department may require a permit to enter a designated
317	317	12 wild area or to engage in an activity listed in subsection (a) in a
318	318	13 designated wild area.
319	319	14 Sec. 12. The commission shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2
320	320	15 concerning the management and use of designated wild areas
321	321	16 consistent with the requirements of this chapter.
322	322	2025 IN 321—LS 6871/DI 150