Eighty-seven percent of the wetlands have been lost. The state has 20 federally listed endangered and threatened species. Biological Diversity Policy A state statute provides that it is the policy of the state to preserve natural resources and wildlife for the general welfare of the people of the state. Instead, the state relies on its Natural Heritage database and GAP, which is in its second year. Finally, the Indiana Academy of Science has a Biology Survey Committee which is compiling checklists of all life forms in Indiana.
Listing is based on scientific and trade-related data.
The act does not require designation of critical habitat, recovery plans or agency consultation. The Indiana Heritage Trust program requires that state parks, nature preserves, state forests, fish and wildlife areas, wetlands, trails, and river corridors be managed in a manner that preserves and enhances these areas for succeeding generations. Some state agencies engage in cooperative management efforts. Most cooperation takes the form of inter-agency agreements and memoranda of understanding and technical and financial assistance to private landowners. For example, the state cooperates with neighboring states in the management of Lake Michigan.