This story was originally published by TheStatehouseFile.com.
By Chloe White
TheStatehouseFile.com
September 15, 2025
On Thursday, the Interim Study Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources met in the Indiana Statehouse’s Senate chamber to hear testimony and presentations from some of Indiana’s leading environmental and conservation groups to collect information for the next legislative session.
Alongside organizations like the Department of Natural Resources and Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, many city-wide environmentalists presented information to the committee.
Tim Maloney represented the Indiana Conservation Alliance, a “group of organizations sharing a common interest in the protection, stewardship and sustainable use of our natural resources.”
In his testimony, Maloney cited a quote from Dr. Howard Frumkin, former dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health: “If we had a medicine that delivered as many benefits as parks, we would all be taking it. Parks deliver cardiovascular benefits, fight loneliness, combat osteoporosis, counter stress, anxiety and more, and they do these things without adverse side effects and at minimal costs.”
Maloney highlighted the millions of Hoosiers that “find inspiration by visiting Indiana’s great outdoor places” and cited real-world examples of why state funding is essential for natural resources.
Andrew Forrester, a Jefferson County local and executive tourism director with Visit Madison, expressed the importance of funding for national and state parks. While highlighting the 1 million annual visitors to Clifty Falls State Park each year, Forrester explained that it is not only a park but also a space for weddings, conventions and camping.
“With even more investment in these facilities, and marketing and adding other amenities, I’m confident you’ll see additional economic development in communities like Madison,” said Forrester.
According to Forrester’s testimony, Clifty Falls is a sought-after tourist destination and an economic benefit for Jefferson County, accounting for “tens of millions of dollars in visitor spending” each year.
John Payne, the midwest regional director of Fallen Outdoors, a “national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to organizing outdoor adventures such as hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping for Veterans, active-duty service members, and Gold Star families,” also spoke to the committee.
“I was almost a statistic, and it was this organization that kept me from doing a permanent solution for a temporary problem,” Payne said. “The power of the outdoors heals you—it’s hard to describe.”
According to Payne, Fallen Outdoors has helped over 200,000 veterans nationwide and over 500 Hoosiers in the last year through outdoor activities and crisis management. He expressed the importance of public land and the outdoors as a solution for mental health issues.
The Interim Study Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources will meet again on Oct. 2.
Chloe White is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news site powered by Franklin College journalism students.
