2015 Dates Announced for Use of White Lake WCA Facilities by Groups for Other Public Uses and Nature Trips

Jan. 15, 2015 — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has designated dates between Feb. 1 and May 31, 2015 for public use of facilities at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WCA). For profit or commercial activities are prohibited.

White Lake WCA is located south of Gueydan in Vermilion Parish. LDWF owns and manages lodge facilities and 71,000 acres of wetlands and marsh land. The lodge facilities, accessible only by water, will be available for day-use or overnight use at rental rates that vary based on level of services required by the group using the site. Boat transportation to and from the site will be provided as part of the day use and overnight use access for 2015 group use dates.

The facilities and landscape are ideal for birding groups, nature photographers, environmental or wetland ecology students, or small business retreats. LDWF can provide site staff for guided boat tours and biologists for lectures on the ecosystem within the conservation area, which now includes an experimental population of whooping cranes.

White Lake WCA and the surrounding Mermentau River Basin provide abundant habitat for a variety of avian and aquatic species. The property will seasonally have migrant passerine birds, shorebirds, wading birds, rails, gallinules, and the common moorhen. Hawks and owls are also common. Coastal terns and gulls use habitat contained on White Lake at times. Several large breeding rookeries of waders are present on the property. Access dates and fees for 2015 are as follows:

SCHEDULE FOR OTHER PUBLIC USES AND NATURE TRIPS AT WHITE LAKE WCA

Site visits may be scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between Feb. 1 and May 31, 2015.

Site visits will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis pending facility and staff availability. At this time, WLWCA will only accommodate one group per day/week and all facility reservations must be made two weeks in advance to allow for staff scheduling.

FEE SCHEDULE FOR WHITE LAKE WCA FACILITY USE

Day Use (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

$300 – Includes one-day use of Lodge for meetings with no food or drink or additional services provided by LDWF. (For up to 15 people.)

$300 + $10/person – Includes one-day use of Lodge for meetings with coffee, cold drinks and bottled water provided. (For up to 15 people.)

$300 + $20/person – Includes one-day use of Lodge for meetings with coffee, cold drinks, bottled water and lunch provided. Lunch provided (for up to 15 people) will consist of a sandwich tray and chips or something similar. It will not include a hot lunch.

Exemptions from day-use Lodge rental fee: State agencies, local and federal agencies, and universities conducting research, or educational activities, conducted in cooperation with LDWF. Costs for beverages or lunch may apply ($10/person for drinks, $20/person for drinks and lunch).

Overnight Use (arrive 2-4 p.m. day 1; depart 1 p.m. day 2)

$400 + $25/person/night –Includes overnight stay at Lodge with only linens provided.

(For up to 12 people.)

$400 + $35/person/night — Includes overnight stay at Lodge with coffee, cold drinks, bottled water and linens provided. (For up to 12 people.)

$900 + $35/person/night — Includes overnight stay at Lodge with coffee, cold drinks, bottled water, meals (breakfast, lunch and supper) and linens provided. (For up to 12 people.)

Exemptions from overnight Lodge rental fee: State agencies, local and federal agencies, and universities conducting research, or educational activities, conducted in cooperation with LDWF. Costs for beverages or lunch may apply ($10/person for drinks, $20/person for drinks and lunch).

Skeet Range (optional activity for groups using site for scheduled events)

$10/person/25 clay pigeons.

$15/person/25 clay pigeons, 25 shotgun shells provided.

Exemptions – Any persons using the skeet range at LDWF-sponsored events.

Boat Tours (optional activity for groups using site for scheduled events)

$10/person/ride. Limited to authorized function attendees.

Exemptions: Any state, local or federal agency working in cooperation with the LDWF on cooperative initiatives or universities/conservation organizations working with LDWF on cooperative research projects, or educational activities conducted in cooperation with LDWF.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reserves the right to schedule other public use activities and nature trips for educational purposes, outside the advertised dates, should the need arise.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

For more information on White Lake WCA facility use, visit the LDWF website at

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/other-public-uses-and-nature-trips, or contact Wayne Sweeney at 337-536-9400, ext. # 1 or wsweeney@wlf.la.gov .

Dec. 12, 2014 — As the holidays approach and winter sets in, we are all reminded that this time of year is about giving back and showing goodwill toward others. The hunting community is no exception. Louisiana’s deer hunting season is in full swing, and hunters are heeding the call to give by donating part and sometimes all of their harvest to families in need this holiday season.

Hunters for the Hungry, founded in the 1990s by a group of well-meaning hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, is helping the hunting community route excess wild game to families who struggle with food security. Last year, the program provided nearly 40,000 pounds of protein that went directly to feed the hungry.

For families struggling with food access, protein can be the most expensive and hard to come by food source. That’s where hunters come in. This holiday season, Hunters for the Hungry is calling on the hunting community once again to help bring vital nutrients to those who need it most during the harsh, colder months of the year.

Hunters interested in donating part or all of their harvest after a day in the field can bring their field-dressed game to any processor in the Hunters for the Hungry network. To view the network of processors, visit www.hunters4hungrylouisiana.org.

Donated deer are processed at no cost to the hunter, and all donations are tax-deductible. Many hunters opt to keep the more desirable cuts of meat, such as the tenderloin and back strap, and then donate the rest of the deer to be ground and used in recipes like spaghetti, casseroles and sausage.

The donated protein is routed to area food banks and local charities that directly serve those in need. Around the holidays, food is never merely a matter of nutrition. Food is about family and belonging. The mission of Hunters for the Hungry is not only to help feed the hungry, but also to welcome those less fortunate into the extended family of the hunting community during the holidays.

To learn more about their work, visit Hunters for the Hungry online at www.hunters4hungrylouisiana.org, or call the Development office at 225-765-2860.

Dec. 17, 2014 — Each year, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Wildlife Division schedules either-sex firearms deer hunts on many of the state Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).

These opportunities are greatly anticipated by many hunters across the state and out-of-state as well. The hunts provide time when deer hunters and their families can enjoy the outdoors and have the opportunity to harvest deer of either-sex.

Good hunter participation and ample opportunity continue to result in good harvest rates and hunter success, and this year was no different. This year 26,469 hunter efforts were tallied during the 37 managed hunts that provided opportunities. Richard K. Yancey, Fort Polk, Dewey W. Wills, Sherburne and Boeuf WMAs attracted the greatest numbers of hunters with Richard K. Yancey drawing 5,264.

The total deer harvest for the 37 hunts was 2,600 which included 1,323 bucks and 1,215 does.
Wildlife Division personnel were able to collect valuable data during these hunts which help them manage each WMA’s deer herd.  WMA hunter efforts were consistent with past years while having a slightly higher success rate.  To view the full list of WMAs and data collected, go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/deer/seasons and scroll down to the Documents section.

WMAs are distributed across the state and within a reasonable drive from any location.  WMA habitats for these hunts range from upland hardwood and pine sites to bottomland hardwoods. To view a complete list of state WMAs, visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma .

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Wildlife Management Area Program is charged with providing necessary habitats to manage and protect both game and non-game wildlife, as well as to provide quality outdoor recreation for the public.

For more information: visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, at www.facebook.com/ldwffb; on Twitter @LDWF; or by contacting Steve Smith at ssmith@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-2359.

Dec. 17, 2014 — The access road to the Hope Canal boat launch on Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area in St. John the Baptist Parish has reopened.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries had closed the road Dec. 14 for bridge repairs.  Repairs to the bridge were completed by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

For more information, contact Christian Winslow at 985-543-4777 or cwinslow@wlf.la.gov.

(Dec. 18, 2014) – The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the state recreational red snapper season will remain open through the rest of December and will close at 11:59 pm on December 31, 2014. Using real-time data from LA Creel, our recreational landings monitoring program, we have determined that Louisiana anglers have not yet landed our state’s historic and projected share of the total Gulf of Mexico recreational red snapper harvest (14 percent, or 754,000 pounds). The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission previously opened a state waters season for red snapper to extend Louisiana’s season from the nine-day federal waters season originally proposed by NOAA. NOAA based this short season on imprecise estimates of recreational red snapper landings from their Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP); with LA Creel’s more precise estimates, Louisiana officials knew that nine days would not allow our anglers sufficient opportunity to catch their share.

On January 1, 2014, the Department withdrew from MRIP and replaced it with LA Creel due to MRIP’s history of providing poor data and its inability to monitor landings in real-time. Had the Department accepted MRIP’s estimates and the subsequent nine-day season, Louisiana anglers would have only been able to land about 150,000 pounds of red snapper—far short of Louisiana’s historic landings. Through the extended state waters season, Louisiana anglers have landed about 605,000 pounds of red snapper to date, which is why the season can remain open through the rest of the year. Thanks to tremendous angler support of LA Creel and a recent saltwater license fee increase to continue to fund the program, the Department has the necessary tools to precisely monitor our recreational red snapper landings, flexibly manage the fishery, and maximize our anglers’ opportunities to fish red snapper.

The Department has continued negotiations with NOAA to recognize the validity of LA Creel and recently reached an agreement to “benchmark” LA Creel and officially establish it as a replacement for MRIP. Through the benchmarking process, the Department will run the MRIP survey side-by-side with LA Creel for the 2015 recreational fishing season. NOAA will compare the results from both surveys and adjust historic recreational landings estimates accordingly. Once LA Creel is benchmarked, Louisiana will no longer run MRIP, and officials hope that NOAA will support LA Creel and use its more precise results to conduct future stock assessments. This process paves the way for other Gulf states to adopt their own recreational angler survey programs, improves data collection, and helps move management of the recreational red snapper fishery forward.

Beginning in January 2015, Louisiana anglers can expect to see an increased survey presence as Department personnel conduct both surveys statewide throughout the calendar year. “Our anglers have always been incredibly patient and helpful with our biologists, whether at the dock, over the phone, or via email,” said Department Secretary Robert Barham. “We ask for and greatly appreciate their continued cooperation as we take this important step in our quest towards regional management.” Secretary Barham recently testified on the benefits of Louisiana’s enhanced data collection in support of state management of red snapper during the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs hearing on H.R. 3099—the Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Conservation Act of 2013.

The Commission will determine Louisiana’s 2015 recreational red snapper season in their early 2015 meetings. For the latest updates on Commission meetings and actions, sign up for Department meeting alerts and/or news releases.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

For press inquiries, contact Rene LeBreton at rlebreton@wlf.la.gov or (504) 286-8745.

Chenier.Plain.Alliance.to.protect.La ,.Texas.coastline
BY JOHN GUIDROZ

jguidroz@americanpress   com
Officials with three coastal parishes in Southwest Louisiana and
three Southeast Texas counties signed an agreement Wednesday to form
the Chenier Plain Alliance. The partnership is intended to help
protect the coastline in both states and possibly secure additional
state and federal dollars for restoration projects.

Calcasieu, Cameron and Vermilion parish officials, along with
officials in Chambers, Jefferson and Orange counties, signed a
memorandum of understanding after a presentation at the SEED Center.
Sixty percent of the Chenier Plain’s 5 million coastal acres is in
Louisiana, and more than 30 percent is in Texas.

A Chenier Plain report shows that Cameron Parish has nearly 670,000
acres of wetlands — more than any county or parish in the Gulf Coast
region. Its rate of losing more than 33,000 net acres is the second
highest in the Gulf region. America’s Wetland Foundation has reported
that Louisiana loses up to 35 square miles of wetlands annually.

Counting the Chenier Plain ports together, including Beaumont, Port
Arthur and Lake Charles, “would rank higher than the New York/ New
Jersey Port Authority in tonnage,” according to the report.

Calcasieu Police Jury President Dennis Scott said the effort to put
together a Chenier Plain Alliance began after the Louisiana Parishes
Against Coastal Erosion formed in response to the 2010 Deepwater
Horizon oil spill. Once that group was formed, he said Louisiana and
five Gulf Coast states, including Texas, began to collaborate.

“The Chenier Plain is what we have in common,” Scott said. “For us
to try and preserve just what we have doesn’t make a lot of sense. We
should work on it as a group.”

Scott said the partnership could help secure money from the RESTORE
Act trust fund to use for coastal restoration projects and protecting
wildlife along the Gulf Coast.

Sen. Dan “Blade” Morrish, R-Jennings, called the partnership a
“natural marriage” because of how alike Southwest Louisiana and
Southeast Texas are.

“Wind and water don’t recognize political subdivisions,” he said.
“This is an effort for us to join together and focus on the Chenier
Plain, which protects us from wind and that water. At least they’ll be
on the same page.”

Laurie Cormier, assistant planner and coastal zone manager for
Calcasieu Parish, said the alliance helps Louisiana and Texas band
together to make sure the Chenier Plain “will still be here for
generations to come.”

—

© 2014 Jennifer Marusak – “On Track With Marusak” on-line clipping
service compilation is subject to United States copyright laws. Any
unauthorized reproduction or transfer of this material is strictly
prohibited.

Dec. 22, 2014 — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is looking for volunteers who want to share their dedication to the sport of fishing.

A certification course for Aquatic Education Instructors is being offered on the weekend of January 23-25, 2015 at the department’s education facility located in Woodworth, south of Alexandria.  The course is provided at no cost to participants who will be given the information and tools to help them organize free fishing education programs in their communities.

LDWF’s education section is seeking outgoing and responsible adults who are interested in passing on their enthusiasm for fishing to children and novice adults, to serve as volunteer instructors. LDWF provides overnight accommodations on Friday and Saturday for course volunteers.  All Saturday meals and breakfast and a sack lunch on Sunday will be provided.  Check-in time is 6:30 p.m. on Friday and instruction begins at 7 p.m. The course will conclude at 11 a.m. on Sunday.  Class size is limited to 25 volunteers.

For more information, or to register, contact Theresa Cross at tcross@wlf.la.gov or ph. 337-491-2575, ext. 3009.

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The island in Terrebonne Parish once stretched 11 miles long and five miles wide. What’s left is a parcel of land almost certainly unrecognizable to those who settled the area in the 19th century. Now cut down to just a quarter-mile wide and not even two miles long, most of the population has fled the encroaching Gulf waters.

The theme may be a reoccurring one in coastal Louisiana for many years to come, according to a study published by researchers with the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy.

“Community Resettlement Prospects in Southeast Louisiana” was published in September with a focus on areas in Louisiana outside structural protections in the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.

According to the study, “even if every project in the Plan is funded and works as intended, there will still be a large number of Louisianans displaced by sea level rise, storms, erosion, and, perhaps, by the planned projects themselves.”

The authors concluded relocation, or the movement of individuals, away from the coastline is “inevitable,” and is already gradually taking place.

The study assumes resettlement, or the movement of entire communities, would be the preferred method of dispersal among Louisianans faced with the decision to move due to the “strong ties to place and community.”

The study also determines, however, given the history of failed intervention by government in the past, local communities would likely have a distrust of programs intended to move them.

The $50 billion master plan does have measures to help those outside structural protections. Individual relocation is, indeed, being considered on a voluntary basis, but resettlement of entire communities is not an option being discussed by state officials.

“The master plan is not focusing on or suggesting certain communities need to relocate,” said Jerome Zeringue, former Terrebonne levee director who now heads the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

The Flood Risk and Resilience Program would instead funnel $10 billion in master plan money to several non-structural projects to increase “flood risk awareness” and support “state-level policies that promote greater resilience across the coast.”

Non-structural projects would include adding protections to future buildings, including ordinances and building codes; increasing awareness of future flood risks; and adding safeguards to existing buildings like flood proofing and elevation. Voluntary acquisition of structures and relocation is also an option.

“We cannot protect everyone from everything,” Zeringue said. “There are vulnerabilities with living on the coast. We can achieve risk reduction and resilience with a combination of restoration projects or non-structural methods.”

Zeringue said the master plan doesn’t list particular communities that would potentially need to face voluntary acquisition, and that would be up to the individual communities and residents. Though the master plan recommends acquisition for structures that would need to be elevated more than 18 feet to reach the Federal Emergency Management Agency Base Flood Elevation.

At this point, what the program will look like and where exactly dollars will go is still yet to be decided, said Karim Belhadjali, who is involved with the non-structural program at the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Zeringue admits the non-structural component was one of the weaker parts of the master plan, and the state is working on it for the 2017 updated plan.

“In 2017 we are definitely working to improve and clarify and identify projects related to non-structural,” he said.

Zeringue said his agency will be meeting with communities in 2015 to address non-structural risks.

“We can work with them now before it’s to the point of no return,” he said. The CPRA is acting to “be proactive in the approach to help increase resiliency if communities choose to start considering… some form of relocation — that’s left to communities.”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for an illegally killed black bear who was found in Avoyelles Parish.

A combined reward of $7,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the illegal killing of this bear. LDWF’s Operation Game Thief program and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation are each offering a reward of $1,000 for a total of $2,000. Additionally, The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering a reward up to $5,000.

A citizen alerted authorities on Dec. 5, 2014 about a dead black bear lying in the woods on Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge. The bear was collected by LDWF and USFWS agents.

A necropsy revealed that the bear was shot with a bullet that went through the abdomen and was likely dead for about 10 to 14 days before he was found. The length, weight and teeth wear of the bear suggest that the animal was a juvenile. The bear weighed approximately 70 pounds.

Anyone with information regarding this illegal killing should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF’s tip411 program. Information can also be provided to USFWS Federal Wildlife Officers at the Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex by calling 318-253-4238.

To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone and Android app from the Apple App Store or Google Play free of charge.

The hotline and the tip411 are monitored 24 hours a day. Upon request, informants can remain anonymous.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed by the federal Endangered Species Act as a threatened species since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both State and Federal laws. Violators are subject to penalties up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a restitution fine of $10,000 for the bear may be imposed.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.