INDIANA – Governor Mike Braun signed a new law on April 30th that expands Indiana’s capacity for prescribed fire. The legislation enhances a prescribed fire training program administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and clearly defines the liability for individuals certified through this program.
Prescribed burning involves the controlled application of fire under specific conditions to achieve land management goals, such as restoring wildlife habitat. Indiana was previously one of the few states without a formal certification program or legally defined liability in this area.
Fire has historically played a significant role in shaping Indiana’s landscape. Native Americans utilized fire for various ecological benefits. The exclusion of fire in the past century has led to ecological shifts that prescribed burning can help reverse.
The Indiana Prescribed Fire Council, in collaboration with partners like The Nature Conservancy in Indiana, spearheaded this legislative effort over the past three years. The Conservation Law Clinic at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law drafted the bill’s initial version, which Representative Beau Baird championed. The Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape also played a key role in supporting the initiative.
Jarred Brooke, chair of the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council, says, “This bill marks an important step forward for conservation and private land stewardship in Indiana. With clearer training standards and liability protections, prescribed fire can continue to be applied safely, effectively, and more widely across the landscape.”
Stuart Orr, Fire Manager for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Indiana, emphasized the importance of fire in maintaining fire-dependent ecosystems, stating, “Putting fire back on the ground helps to restore these natural areas… This new legislation will facilitate private landowners’ use of this essential tool to manage their property and improve habitat.”
The legislation is expected to provide numerous benefits, including supporting private property rights, potentially improving the market for prescribed fire liability insurance, increasing economic opportunities for small businesses, allowing landowners to access federal funding for prescribed burns, enhancing the future of Indiana’s hardwood industry, restoring and maintaining wildlife habitat, and bolstering a standard of prescribed fire training. The law aims to create a foundation for a more widespread and safer application of prescribed fire across Indiana’s landscapes.
