Month: February 2026

IWF Director Dan Boritt on Elimination of NRC

House Bill 1003 seeks to eliminate the Natural Resources Commission (NCR), among other boards and commissions in Indiana. IWF Director Dan Boritt weighed in on the implications of this bill in an interview with WFIU. To stay informed on important Indiana legislation that affects YOUR outdoors, follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter.

“Dan Boritt is executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation. He said the NRC is the main way the Department of Natural Resources gets feedback from the public — and losing it could silence that voice.

Boritt said the commission itself is partly staffed by Indiana residents who “live and breathe the outdoors.”

“These are people who hunt our woods, fish our streams and hike our trails,” he said.”

Read the full WFIU article by Rebecca Thiele here.

Press Release from Rep. Messmer on Restoring America’s Floodplains Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) announced the introduction of the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act (H.R. 7264).

This legislation enhances the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authority to mitigate flooding by using proven, cost-effective conservation tools and local expertise.

“By pairing knowledge at USDA with the experience of local landowners, the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act enhances the way we manage flood risk,” said Rep. Messmer. “My bill ensures that Hoosier farmers, foresters, and all outdoor nature lovers remain central to the conservation efforts we employ to protect our communities from flood disasters.”

 

Read the full press release here.

House Bill 1003 Seeks to End Natural Resources Commission

Image by Indiana Capitol Chronicle

Full article by Niki Kelly here.

House Bill 1003 is a 456 page bill that reforms hundreds of boards and commissions in Indiana. One of the key concerns in the bill is the utter dissolution of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC). The NRC is responsible for acting as liaison between the general public and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the agency responsible for the enforcement and monitoring of many of our conservation laws. Losing the NRC means losing the opportunity for the public to use their voice to influence conservation in Indiana. This would wall off our conservation legislation from public input and allow our Governor to operate with more power and significantly less transparency.

“Fifteen groups representing hunters, conservation groups and wildlife entities this week sent a letter in support to lawmakers as well as key leaders in Gov. Mike Braun’s administration.

“It is unclear what problem is being solved in this legislation by eliminating the commission and directing its authorities to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) other than to make it harder for the public to be more directly engaged in natural resource issues,” the coalition said. “Our organizations and our members directly pay for, regularly use, and actively support our public lands, wildlife management and natural resources, and we did not ask for this change.”“