CHAPTER 2. INDIANA NATURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION CAMPAIGN
IC 14-31-2
Chapter 2. Indiana Natural Heritage Protection Campaign
IC 14-31-2-1
Purposes
Sec. 1. The general purposes of this chapter are to do the
following:
(1) Promote the general health and welfare of citizens of
Indiana by promoting the preservation of areas of unusual
natural interest for scientific, educational, recreational, cultural,
and aesthetic purposes as a link to Indiana's past and a legacy to
Indiana's future.
(2) Provide for the completion of Indiana's nature preserve
system through a joint public and private campaign for
protection of the best available remaining examples of the
natural systems that represent Indiana's natural heritage before
those unique and outstanding public resources are lost.
(3) Provide for the maintenance and management of those
natural areas and the rare native species for which the areas are
habitat.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-2
"Appraised value" defined
Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "appraised value" means the value
of property without consideration of the effect, if any, of dedication
or other preservation related restrictions.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-3
"Campaign" defined
Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "campaign" refers to the Indiana
natural heritage protection campaign established by this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-4
"Division" defined
Sec. 4. As used in this chapter, "division" refers to the division of
nature preserves.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-5
"Fund" defined
Sec. 5. As used in this chapter, "fund" refers to the Indiana natural
heritage protection fund established by this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-6
"Registry" defined
Sec. 6. As used in this chapter, "registry" refers to the Indiana
natural areas registry:
(1) created by IC 14-31-1-8; and
(2) administered by the division under IC 14-31-1-9.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-7
"Trust I" defined
Sec. 7. As used in this chapter, "trust I" refers to the Indiana
natural heritage stewardship trust I authorized by this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-8
"Trust II" defined
Sec. 8. As used in this chapter, "trust II" refers to the Indiana
natural heritage stewardship trust II authorized by this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-9
Natural heritage protection fund
Sec. 9. (a) The Indiana natural heritage protection fund is
established. The department shall administer the fund to effect the
purposes of this chapter.
(b) The department may expend fund resources, except as
provided in section 11 of this chapter, only when property or
property interests are acquired as part of the campaign. Acquisition
includes the following:
(1) Purchase of property interest by the department.
(2) Acceptance by the department of gifts of property interests
as campaign projects.
(3) At the department's option, reimbursement to entities that
are not departments or agencies of the state of part or all of the
acquisition costs, not to exceed the appraised value, of natural
areas or property interest:
(A) that those entities have purchased; and
(B) to which those entities desire to keep title.
However, reimbursement is permitted only when the proposed
acquisition project is dedicated as a nature preserve under
IC 14-31-1 or under IC 14-4-5 (before its repeal), or the natural
features of the site that justify acquisition are otherwise
permanently protected through similarly binding legal
mechanisms.
(c) The department may expend fund resources supplied by the
state only to the extent the resources have been matched with
contributions to the fund of equal value from private sources. The
private contributions:
(1) may be made in cash or in contributions of land or property
interests that are designated by the department as campaign
acquisitions; and
(2) shall be valued, for the purposes of this subsection, in
accordance with the appraised value.
(d) The fund shall be managed to earn the highest interest
compatible with prudent investment, preservation of principal, and
reasonable liquidity. Absent reversion under subsection (e), principal
and interest remain in the fund until expended under this chapter.
(e) Fund resources:
(1) appropriated by the state; and
(2) not matched within three (3) years from the date of the
appropriation;
revert to the state general fund.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-10
Contributions and pledges
Sec. 10. (a) The department may accept contributions and pledges
to the fund. Pledges made contingent on appropriation of state money
are acceptable and shall be reported with other pledges as set forth
in this section.
(b) On each December 1 that precedes the beginning of a new
budgetary biennium, until the campaign size limit is reached, the
department shall include:
(1) the amount that has been contributed; and
(2) the amount that has been pledged for payment in the
succeeding two (2) calendar years;
in the department's budget request.
(c) In addition to the budget request, the department shall report
the amounts to:
(1) the governor; and
(2) the chairmen of the standing committees in the house of
representatives and senate considering issues of finance and
natural resources;
so that those public officials can take proper steps to secure the
appropriation of a matching amount of public money for the fund.
(d) A similar state match of private contributions and pledges for
successive years shall be requested in successive biennia until an
amount not exceeding five million dollars ($5,000,000) is
appropriated to accomplish the purposes of this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-11
Transfer of money to stewardship trusts
Sec. 11. (a) To ensure the proper management of natural areas
acquired in the campaign, concurrent with the acquisition of each
campaign site:
(1) an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of the appraised
value of the acquisition shall be transferred from the fund to an
account designated the Indiana natural heritage stewardship
trust I; and
(2) an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the appraised value
of the acquisition shall be transferred from the fund to an
account designated the Indiana natural heritage stewardship
trust II.
(b) The amounts to be transferred from the fund to trust I and trust
II must be fully and exclusively derived from the following:
(1) Private contributions to the fund.
(2) Interest earned on private contributions to the fund.
(c) Trust I and trust II shall be maintained in a financial institution
having a uniform interagency trust composite rating of one (1) or two
(2). The financial institution is the trustee of trust I and trust II.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-12
Trustee of stewardship trusts
Sec. 12. The trustee of trust I and trust II shall do the following:
(1) Accept the following:
(A) Transfers from the fund to trust I and trust II in
accordance with this chapter.
(B) Any other unrestricted contribution to the trust.
(2) Invest contributions to trust I to earn the highest interest
consistent with prudent management for permanent preservation
of principal.
(3) Invest contributions to trust II to earn the highest interest
consistent with prudent investment, preservation of principal,
and reasonable liquidity.
(4) Distribute the income from trust I and trust II quarterly in
accordance with the instructions to be provided by the division
under section 15 of this chapter.
(5) Distribute the principal of trust II upon and in accordance
with instructions from the division under section 16 of this
chapter.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-13
Requisition of natural areas
Sec. 13. The department shall use the fund, in accordance with
this chapter, to acquire natural areas by purchase, gift, or
reimbursement to complete the state nature preserve system. A site
may not be acquired as part of the campaign that has not been
approved for registry. In addition, in making the determination as to
whether particular sites of natural interest will be acquired as part of
the campaign, the department shall consider whether the site:
(1) is a relatively undisturbed example of a native ecological
community that is uncommon;
(2) is habitat for native plant or animal species classified as
endangered or threatened by the division of nature preserves
and the Indiana heritage program;
(3) is a superlative example of a native ecological community;
or
(4) if acquired, would significantly enhance efforts to protect
natural systems or features in an existing nature preserve or
campaign acquisition.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-14
Maximum acreage
Sec. 14. The total acreage to be acquired in the campaign may not
exceed fifteen thousand (15,000) acres. Campaign acquisition
purchases may be made only from willing sellers.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-15
Instructions for trustee
Sec. 15. The division shall prepare, on a quarterly basis,
instructions for the trustee of trust I and trust II regarding distribution
of income. In preparing these instructions, the division shall consider
the following:
(1) What entities have primary management responsibility for
sites acquired as part of the campaign.
(2) The amount of campaign acquisition acreage for which each
entity has primary management responsibility.
(3) Special management needs of particular campaign sites.
(4) Any special agreement between the department and a
primary management entity in which the entity waives the right
to be considered for a share of the income from trust I and trust
II.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-16
Distribution of principal
Sec. 16. The division may instruct the trustee of trust II to
distribute part or all of the principal of trust II to an entity primarily
responsible for management of a campaign acquisition if, in the
discretion of the division, the income that can be made available to
that entity from trust I and trust II under section 15 of this chapter is
insufficient for the accomplishment of management activities that are
necessary for the preservation of the natural features that justified the
acquisition of the site.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.
IC 14-31-2-17
Rules
Sec. 17. The commission may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to
implement this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.24.