Our Strategy

The DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife is committed to a process that will:

Prevent listing of additional species;

Recover populations of species that are already listed; and

Efficiently use resources of the agency and its partners to implement conservation plans.

Managing wildlife resources in a state that has experienced intense land use from agriculture, and more recently urban development, is a real challenge. Invasive species are radically changing the vast inland seas of the Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan and its tributaries. We’re doing a lot of cutting edge work to keep our options open for the future, both ecologically and economically.

We are restoring a selection of species that were part of our natural and cultural history, including river otters, bald eagles, and osprey. These species uniquely lend themselves to restoration techniques, because their populations had declined but adequate habitat still existed in some parts of Indiana. Once the habitat is gone, restoration of associated wildlife species is no longer possible.

Restoring many of the other 550 species of non-game and endangered animals one at a time would be a daunting task. Therefore, we’ve chosen to manage for the habitat that they need to thrive. By using this strategy, we can be sure that all species will continue to have a place in the Indiana landscape.. This is especially crucial for species that are so rare or unusual that we do not know much about their life history or survival requirements.