100 years of Natural Resource Management in Indiana

Hello all! We hope that you are staying warm out there during this cold winter. Everyone here is looking forward to a potential snow melt next week. To pass the time I have made a fun refresher on the history of natural resource management in Indiana. As a Nevadan this was fun for me to read up on Indiana's history!

1867- John Muir walks from Indiana to Florida and becomes the “father of conservation”.

1889- The Department of Fisheries and Game was founded.

1903- Hunting of deer and turkey was banned due to scarcity.

1921- A portion of Muscatatuck Valley was set aside for a state park. Muscatatuck has the Indian meaning of “winding waters”.

1931- The first state approved fire suppression program was established and hired 65 fire wardens.

1937- The Pittman-Robertson Act becomes federal law.

1939- The first Illinois Basin Oil well is built in Indiana.

1951- The state holds its first deer hunt in 58 years.

1953- Cagles Mill Lake was built by the U.S. Army Corps and is the first flood-controlled reservoir in Indiana.

1962- Starve Hollow becomes Division of Forestry’s first State Recreation Area.

1962- First detection of the invasive species cereal leaf beetle.

1965- The Department of National Resources was created.

1970- The Division of Fish and Game change their name to The Division of Fish and Wildlife.

1973- First detection of the invasive species spongy moth was detected in Lake County, Indiana.

1979- Indiana becomes the first state to offer a tax break for creation of wildlife habitat after the passing of the Classified Wildlife Habitat Act.

1980- The Knobstone Trail was established.

1985- The Division of Fish and Wildlife starts the Bald Eagle reintroduction program.

1996- Fort Harrison and Charlestown are two state parks that are established.

2004- The invasive species emerald ash borer is detected.