Staff reports
INDIANA — The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Forestry is working with conservation groups and forest stakeholders to update the 2010 Forest Action Plan. The 10-year strategic document considers the conditions and trends of forest resources in the state and provides long-term strategies to address potential threats. The plan encompasses Indiana’s approximately 5 million acres of forestland, 84 percent of which is privately owned and 16 percent of which is owned by public institutions including federal, state and local governments.
Stakeholders include the Hoosier National Forest, the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Indiana Forest & Woodland Owners Association and professional forester associations. Approximately 30 other conservation and environmental organizations have also contributed to the update process through involvement with the Indiana Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee.
A draft update of the plan is available for public comment at dnr.IN.gov/forestry/10319.htm until March 27.
A series of public meetings will be scheduled to discuss the draft. Dates and locations will be posted online when available. The final plan will be released early this summer.
More information about the Forest Action Plan update process and engaging Indiana’s forest stakeholders is available on the Forest Action Plan webpage: dnr.IN.gov/forestry/5436.htm.
