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Committee advances bill to certify prescribed‑burn managers and limit liability for certified burns; questions remain about notice and liability standards
Summary
House Bill 15‑57 would authorize DNR to train and certify prescribed‑burn managers, create standards of practice, and set a civil liability standard of gross negligence for certified managers; the committee moved to pass as amended but left a final roll call open.
Lawmakers considered House Bill 15‑57, a measure to create a voluntary DNR certification program for prescribed‑burn managers, set standards of practice, and revise civil liability for people conducting certified prescribed burns on private lands.
Representative Baird, the sponsor, described the bill as intended to “increase access and reduce barriers to a critical land restoration tool” and to codify DNR training and certification into rule. Supporters including academics, conservation nonprofits and private landowners described prescribed fire as a science‑based tool for restoring prairies and oak ecosystems, improving wildlife habitat, and reducing invasive plants.
Jared Brook, extension wildlife specialist at Purdue University and a member of the Indiana Prescribed Fire…
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