Vanderburgh County commissioners on Oct. 21 approved a permanent closure of 11 primitive tent camping sites at Burdette Park effective Nov. 1, 2025, citing increased illegal activity and safety concerns.

Zach Waltham, Burdette Park director, told the board the closed area sits behind a portion of the park and has seen an “uptick in some illegal activity.” He said the park will continue to offer tent camping in a front section of the campground and plans to reconfigure the closed area as a Boy Scout and Girl Scout troop-only space.

"Short of a deputy, you know, living out there, there's not really any way to a 100% correct it," Waltham said, explaining why the sites were being removed. He also described maintenance challenges caused by the site's topography and flooding, and said the park will use replanting to create a divider between the trail and the closed area.

The motion to approve the closure passed with Commissioners Gable, Canterbury and President Elpers recorded as voting yes.

As part of the Burdette Park agenda, the board also received a safety review from Glenn Henderson, president of Basic Compliance Safety Consulting and Training. Henderson walked commissioners through recommendations including installing eyewash stations within a five-minute travel time of work areas that store chemicals; consolidating gasoline cans into approved storage cabinets (no more than 25 gallons outside of a certified cabinet); correcting electrical extension and outlet hazards; properly securing compressed gas cylinders; adding or repairing guards on bench grinders; and ensuring fire extinguishers are visible and accessible.

Waltham told the board most of Henderson's recommendations were already being addressed: electrical outlets had been corrected, eyewash stations exist in the park, and the fire extinguisher and fuel cabinet placement had been adjusted following recent flooding.

Commissioners praised the safety review and the park director's responsiveness. No formal vote was recorded on the safety report itself; staff described the presentation as guidance and noted immediate corrective actions taken.