Sports and Outdoors

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Commission OKs additions to 2 nature preserves

From the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:

The Indiana Natural Resources Commission on Tuesday approved the dedication of additions to two existing nature preserves in northern Indiana.

The largest is a 337-acre addition to Manitou Island Nature Preserve in Fulton County that features a wetland complex of shrub swamp, marsh, forested swamp, sedge meadow, shrub fen, natural lake and associated upland and lowland forests. The addition connects three existing nature preserves—Manitou Island, Judy Burton and Bob Kern—and brings the total area of contiguous wetlands in the preserve to 740 acres that protect the southern end of Lake Manitou.

The Commission also approved dedication of a 69.5-acre addition to Crooked Lake Nature Preserve in Whitley County. The site consists primarily of upland forests, reforested former fields bordering upland forest of the original preserve, and a pond. With the addition, the preserve now covers approximately 215 acres on the north side of Crooked Lake.

The DNR owns and manages both preserves.

In other action, the Commission reelected Bryan Poynter as chair, Jane Ann Stautz as vice-chair and DNR director Rob Carter as secretary.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, three new assistant property managers were introduced: Dan Eckstein at Sugar Ridge Fish & Wildlife Area, Matt O’Neill at Crosley Fish & Wildlife Area, and Brad Walker at Versailles State Park.

The Commission is an autonomous board that addresses issues pertaining to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The Commission includes the DNR director, heads of three other state agencies (Environmental Management, Tourism, and Transportation), six citizens appointed by the governor on a bipartisan basis, the chair of the NRC’s advisory council, and the president of the Indiana Academy of Science.

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