January 10, 2000, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the governor to direct
state agencies to review all the current lake management and lake
protection programs and responsibilities, with the intent of
consolidating programs, projects, and personnel, where appropriate,
into one identifiable lake management unit within an existing agency
of government.
Whereas, In the late 1940s, the general assembly
determined that the state's public freshwater lakes were
important natural resources to be preserved, protected, and
enjoyed by the public and to be held in trust by the state, and
the department of conservation (forerunner of the department
of natural resources) was assigned or assumed the
responsibility of protecting and managing Indiana's public
freshwater lakes;
Whereas, In ensuing years, numerous lake-related laws
were enacted, numerous lake-related administrative rules
were adopted, and other state agencies, such as the state
board of health and the department of environmental
management, as well as federal agencies, including the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, became involved in varying degrees in lake-related
matters;
Whereas, To complicate matters further, there are currently many separate divisions within the department of natural resources, including the divisions of fish and wildlife, law enforcement, soil conservation, state parks and reservoirs, and water, that are involved in some phase of lake management or protection;
Whereas, Calls to contact appropriate government
officers about lake-related matters are frequently answered
by staff persons who do not know to whom the calls should be
directed, either because the caller has not provided sufficient
information or because the staff person does not use or lacks
the training to transfer phone calls, or because the
information provided to the staff person is outdated or
insufficient; Therefore:
SECTION 1. That the governor is urged to immediately issue an
executive order or other appropriate directive instructing the
appropriate state agencies to review thoroughly all the various lake
management and lake protection programs and responsibilities, with
the intent of consolidating programs, projects, and personnel, where
appropriate, into one identifiable lake management unit within an
existing agency of government.
SECTION 2. That the governor is urged to invite a reasonable
number of concerned citizens to participate in the review undertaken
in response to the governor's order or directive.