News Release

INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law a wetlands bill that was opposed by some dozens of groups in Indiana.

Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 389 Thursday that loosens control of isolated wetlands – not those directly connected to rivers, lakes and streams.

“We are disappointed in his decision to support this bad legislation that eliminates regulation protecting most of the state’s remaining isolated wetlands,” said Larry Clemens, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana.

These wetlands are important, and without these regulations, even more will be destroyed. Their role in retaining water—especially during floods—and recharging our water we depend on is critical to ensuring Indiana’s most precious natural resource is available to us today and future generations of Hoosiers tomorrow, Clemens said. 

We also want to thank the thousands of Hoosiers and the coalition of more than 100 organizations that banded together to oppose this legislation. Hoosiers care about nature, and we’ll all keep working together to protect it.

The organization also urged Holcomb to appoint a strong leader to the Indiana Wetlands Task Force created in the Act and then appoint members “who will seriously undertake an overdue study of our wetlands.”