IPA and other members of the Indiana Conservation Alliance (INCA) have long advocated for a dedicated source of funding for conservation efforts in Indiana. Many states, led by both Republicans and Democrats, have done this in recent years. In an August 15th meeting with Governor Braun, he expressed openness to the idea. This is a huge breakthrough.
This meeting was organized in response to negative feedback that Governor Braun has received regarding his conservation policies, which have been wildly unpopular among conservation organizations, including most hunting and fishing groups. Much of the meeting focused on issues related to recent actions impacting the Natural Resources Commission, the entity intended to provide a voice for citizens in the creation of conservation rules. Governor Braun proposed doing away with this Commission during the 2026 legislative session, but advocacy groups like IPA and legislators disagreed. Since that time, several Commission members, including the Chair, have resigned, citing recent actions that bypassed them and increased the politicization of conservation rulemaking. Good progress was made at the meeting on potential changes for future rulemaking.
At the meeting, the group also presented Governor Braun with a proposal to separate out the portion of existing state sales taxes that are generated by sales of outdoor recreation equipment and supplies, and to dedicate those funds specifically for conservation purposes. The exact wording of the proposal is still fluid, including what conservation programs or projects it would fund. Braun promised to meet again with IPA and the other groups to continue discussions on this proposal with the possible presentation of this plan during the upcoming session of the State legislature. While we are early in the process, we are excited by the potential of this initiative.
The Reality of Indiana State Park Staffing Cuts
We have known for some time that staffing levels at Indiana State Parks were drastically reduced over the last two years. IPA filed an open records request to obtain actual numbers. Since January 2024, 9% of Indiana State Parks’ full-time positions have been eliminated. This translates to thirty-six of 406 full-time positions. As of July 13, 2026, 11% of the remaining positions were unfilled (forty of the 370 remaining positions). While some of those unfilled positions are due to employee turnover and the time it takes to hire replacements, many are long-term vacancies, intentionally left unfilled due to budget shortages. Together, those numbers add up to a 19% decrease in full-time staffing levels since the beginning of 2024.
At the same time, Indiana State Parks had to drastically cut seasonal positions. We learned that during the summer of 2024 the division hired 1,149 seasonal employees, including primarily gatehouse attendants, lifeguards, interpretive naturalists, cleaning and mowing crews, and trail maintenance staff. Due again to required budget cuts, they were only able to hire 820 seasonal employees in 2025 and 906 seasonal employees in 2026. This is a very significant cut in seasonal staff who maintain the parks and provide the visitor services that we all enjoy. If our state parks are to regain their status as one of the best in the country, this cannot continue. IPA will be advocating for increases in operational funding prior to and during the 2027 legislative session in which the budget will be established for the next two fiscal years (July 2027-June 2028 and July 2028-June 2029). You can do the same by making sure your state senators and state representatives know that funding to operate Indiana’s State Parks and Indiana’s Nature Preserves matters to you.Find your legislators, contact Governor Braun’s office, and stand up for your public lands alongside us.
