Gov. Mike Braun recently signed a bill expanding Indiana’s capacity for prescribed burning.
The new law establishes a certification program and defines liability protections for individuals trained through the initiative, creating opportunities to restore Indiana’s ecosystems through controlled fire practices.
Prescribed burning, carefully planned and executed under specific conditions, has long been used to manage vegetation, restore wildlife habitats and sustain fire-dependent landscapes. Yet Indiana remained one of the few states lacking both a certification program and clear liability laws, hampering widespread adoption of this vital ecological tool.
Indiana’s relationship with fire stretches back thousands of years. Native Americans used controlled burns to shape the land, fostering conditions ideal for wildlife and promoting plant regeneration. These practices continued after European settlement but fell into disuse over the past century as fire suppression policies took hold. The resulting ecological imbalance has left many of Indiana’s fire-dependent landscapes in decline.
“We are grateful to the General Assembly and Gov. Braun for supporting this legislation. Indiana needs prescribed burning to restore the health of our landscape. First, we must start by restoring a culture of fire,” said Michael Spalding, coordinator for the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Program at the Conservation Law Center. “This legislation lays that foundation. Generations from now, our rural landscapes and economies will be better for it.”
The new law expands a prescribed fire training program managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The certification process ensures individuals are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct burns safely and effectively. Liability protections, tied to certification, further incentivize participation while addressing a major barrier for private landowners and contractors.
“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,” said Jarred Brooke, chair of the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council.
The benefits of this approach are numerous:
- Restoring forests and habitats: Controlled burns help maintain oak and hickory ecosystems vital to Indiana’s $10 billion hardwood industry and provide essential habitats for both game and non-game species.
- Enhancing rural economies: Easier access to prescribed fire liability insurance lowers costs for small businesses, enabling contractors to expand services.
- Unlocking federal funding: Federal programs like USDA grants can now be leveraged more effectively, helping landowners cover the costs of burn plans and implementation.
The legislation represents years of work by the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council, The Nature Conservancy and other partners. The bill, drafted by the Conservation Law Clinic at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, was introduced by Rep. Beau Baird and shepherded through the legislative process by co-authors and Senate sponsor Susan Glick.
“The Midwest is full of fire-dependent landscapes, and many of them depend upon fairly frequent fires, so putting fire back on the ground helps to restore these natural areas,” said Stuart Orr, Fire Manager for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Indiana. “For more than 40 years, TNC has worked with its conservation partners on safe, prescribed fires throughout the state, but those are only on lands we own and manage. This new legislation will facilitate private landowners to also use this essential tool to manage their property and improve habitat.”
To learn more about prescribed burning and its benefits, visit the Indiana Prescribed Fire Council at www.prescribedfire.org. For additional resources, explore programs by The Nature Conservancy at nature.org/Indiana.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
