Hoosier National Forest Updated General Prohibitions

Last updated on Monday, October 9, 2017

(UNDATED) - Effective immediately, the Hoosier National Forest has implemented a updated list of General Forest Prohibitions. Forest Order Number 09-12-104 is necessary to reduce or eliminate numerous acts and omissions that negatively affect the administration of the Hoosier National Forest.

Implementation will serve to increase protection of natural and cultural resources and protection of public and employees while on Hoosier National Forest lands.

The new order consolidates multiple previous orders for clarity. The new order replaces and supercedes Forest Order Number 09-12-75 and Forest Order Number 09-12-35. Changes in the new order include:

Addition of a prohibition of camping withing 300 feet of designated trailheads and wilderness access points, or in areas posted closed.
Addition to the list of permitted ways of hitching, tethering, or hobbling a horse to include use of highlines while utilizing tree saver straps, as well as hitching posts, fences, or within corrals.

Following Forest Orders is in the best interest of current Forest users, future users, and the long-term health and sustainability of natural and cultural resources. Only by collectively agreeing to respect resources and regulations will the treasures on the Hoosier National Forest be sustained into the future. Additionally, failure to comply with Forest Orders can lead to fines and/or imprisonment.

This new Forest Order does not include every prohibition or regulation on the Forest. The Federal Code of Regulations (36 CFR) applies to all National Forest System Lands; to view please visit https://www.ecfr.gov

To view all current Hoosier National Forest Orders, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/hoosier/alerts-notices. Additionally, the Hoosier National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Maps prohibit all use of ATVs; to view complete maps of acceptable vehicle use, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hoosier/maps-pubs/?cid=fsbdev3_017520. To speak with someone about General Forest Prohibitions or other Forest Orders, contact Andrea Crain, acrain@fs.fed.us or 812-276-4770.

The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Forest Service's Eastern Region includes twenty states in the Midwest and East, stretching from Maine, to Maryland, to Missouri, to Minnesota. There are 17 national forests and one national tallgrass prairie in the Eastern Region. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R9.

The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

Click here to go back to previous page