The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Proposed Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness
Record date · May 23, 2024
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes to establish the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness within the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana. It outlines management requirements for recreation, hunting, and water protection while ensuring no additional federal funds are authorized for these activities.
The bill designates approximately 29,382 acres as a National Recreation Area and adds roughly 15,300 acres to the existing Charles C. Deam Wilderness, which will change land management rules for residents and visitors in those areas.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Local residents near the National Recreation Area
Residents living within 2 miles of the boundary are eligible for appointment to the advisory committee.
Utility companies and local government entities
Entities like the Smithville Telephone Company and Jackson County Water Utility retain access rights to maintain infrastructure within the wilderness addition.
Recreational users
Users are subject to new management plans, trail plans, and potential seasonal closures for specific activities.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this bill cost taxpayers more money?
Can I still hunt, fish, or trap in these areas?
How will this affect private land within the area?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Zero-Budget Mandate
The bill explicitly prohibits new appropriations, forcing the Forest Service to reallocate existing resources to manage the new 29,382-acre recreation area.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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