Governor Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced the acquisition of 15 acres of land that will become the newest addition to Austin Bottoms Conservation Area in Scott County.
The acquired land is undeveloped and completely forested. It adds to the more than 26,000 acres Austin Bottoms already covers, which is permanently protected for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation.
The Central Indiana Land Trust (CILTI) purchased the property in February 2024 and then conveyed it to DNR at a discount in May 2026. DNR used President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust (PBHCT) funds to acquire the property from CILTI.
The PBHCT is primarily funded through the sale of the blue Environmental license plate and works to ensure that Indiana's rich natural heritage is preserved for future generations. Since 1992, DNR has used proceeds from the Environmental Plate to purchase and protect more than 74,000 acres of land on behalf of all Hoosiers.
"Expanding the Austin Bottoms Conservation Area strengthens Indiana's long standing commitment to working alongside partners to safeguard our natural resources," said Governor Braun. "Thanks to the work of the Central Indiana Land Trust, we were first able to protect this land, and thanks to Hoosiers' support through the blue license plates, this land is now open for all to come explore."
Austin Bottoms Conservation Area stretches along the Muscatatuck River and through Scott, Jackson, and Washington counties. It comprises a variety of habitat types, dominated by bottomland forests and wetlands. The bottomland forest is host to maples, oaks, sweetgum, river birch, sycamore and beech. Many birds use bottomland hardwood forests such as wild turkey, yellow- and black-crowned night herons, wood ducks, red-headed woodpeckers, and many others. These bottomland hardwoods also provide excellent habitat for many mammals such as white-tailed deer, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, fox, beaver, otter, mink, opossum, gray fox, flying squirrel, and fox squirrel.
"Indiana is home to a rich variety of landscapes, and protecting ecosystems like those at the Austin Bottoms Conservation Area is essential to preserving that diversity," DNR Director Alan Morrison said. "One of the simplest ways Hoosiers can support future conservation efforts is by choosing the blue environmental license plate, which directly helps fund land protection across the state."
For more information about Austin Bottoms Conservation Area, visit on.IN.gov/austin-bottoms-ca, and for more information on Indiana's Environmental License Plate, visit on.IN.gov/EnviroPlate.