Senate committee advances bill to move historic-site management to DNR as Metamora advocates warn of imminent loss of unique aqueduct

Senate Bill 57, which would reestablish a Division of Historic Sites within the Department of Natural Resources and transfer management of 11 state historic sites from the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Corporation, advanced out of the Senate Natural Resources Committee on a voice and roll call vote and was recommitted to the Appropriations Committee.

Sponsor Jean Lysing told the committee the measure restores language that places historic-sites management in DNR and addresses appropriation questions after stakeholders reported years of deterioration at several properties. ‘‘If something isn’t done for some of these locations almost immediately, we’re not going to have historic sites,’’ Lysing said, citing Matamora (Metamora) and the First State Capitol in Corydon as examples.

The most urgent testimony came from local residents and partners for the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site in Metamora. Candy Yircock, who said she has lived in the area for 35 years and works with the canal site, described severe problems at the Duck Creek Aqueduct and nearby infrastructure. She told the committee that the project had both state budgeted funds and a private match: ‘‘The state of Indiana did budget allocate $7,000,000 and did say we had to raise an additional $7,000,000. The community has raised to this date $32,000… Why the $7,000,000 from Eli Lilly has not been released? We don’t know,’’ she said, urging immediate work to stabilize the aqueduct and riverbank.

Don Vandermullen, president of the Whitewater Canal Trail Board, said the Trail Board ‘‘will not support anything that will threaten the state funding needed for emergency repairs to the Duck Creek Canal Aqueduct,’’ and argued that any management change must not jeopardize matching funds for emergency work.

Former DNR historic-sites staffer Larry Schickels told senators he had seen the sites decline after management moved to the State Museum and described lost artifacts, closed floors in the Corydon facilities, and reduced on-site staffing. Jeremy Yakely, executive director of the Harrison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, outlined economic impacts in Corydon from reduced programming and visitor services at the First State Capitol.

On the administration side, Parvane Stover, chief of staff for the secretary of energy and natural resources, said the vertical that includes both DNR and the State Museum is aware of the problems and that the State Museum had obtained a REDI preapproval for a $7,000,000 match. Stover said the IEDC was completing vetting and expected to issue the formal approval letter soon, but stressed that moving management does not by itself create additional operational funds.

Committee members pressed witnesses about timeline and oversight. Several senators said they worried that transferring management could delay or jeopardize a private match. Senators voted to move the bill with recommit to Appropriations; the chair’s office reported the committee vote as 8 yeas, 0 nays and 1 excused.

The committee recorded no immediate appropriation amendment; the bill as advanced would change the management structure and direct DNR to assume the Division of Historic Sites. Supporters emphasized the need to protect the pending match and to ensure emergency repairs proceed promptly; agency staff said they would provide budget and project details as the bill moves.

SB57 will be reconsidered in Appropriations, where members will have another opportunity to examine the funding route and whether the pending REDI match can be secured without interruption.