L.D.W.F. News

April 24, 2014 -- Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) will broadcast the complete Alive! In America’s Delta series beginning on Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. with the premiere of the “Life on the Edge” episode.

The six-part series presents a behind the scenes look at Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) biologists, enforcement agents and technicians working to responsibly manage and protect the state's abundant natural resources.

“LPB’s skilled production team has done a remarkable job showcasing our dedicated staff and the mission they serve,” said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham.

The “Life on the Edge” episode tracks efforts to protect threatened species including the gopher tortoise, whose burrows provide homes for over 360 other species, and the Louisiana pine snake, one of the rarest snakes in North America. The recovery efforts devoted to the American bald eagle and the alligator are also outlined.

The final installment in the series, “Alligator: King of the Bayou”, premieres on Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m., detailing the legacy of the alligator in Louisiana. The program explains how LDWF’s innovative, sustained management program restored the reptiles’ once diminished numbers and led to a viable industry that is now a revenue producer for the state’s economy.

Two episodes of the first four in the series have been honored with Silver Telly Awards, a worldwide competition honoring the finest film and video productions, groundbreaking web commercials, videos and films, and outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs. “The Whooping Crane’s Majestic Return” and “Black Bear Comeback” were honored for excellence in the Nature/Wildlife category.

The full series broadcast schedule on LPB-HD network stations including KLPA-DT in Alexandria, WLPB-DT in Baton Rouge, KLPB-DT in Lafayette, KLTL-DT in Lake Charles, KLTS-DT in Shreveport and KLTM-DT in Monroe is as follows:

Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 7 p.m. - Life on the Edge (Premiere)

*Encore: Monday, May 5 at 10 p.m.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 7:30pm - Endangered in the Gulf

*Encore: Monday May 5 at 10:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 7 p.m. - Alligator - King of the Bayou (Premiere)

*Encore: Monday, May 12 at 10 p.m.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. - The Whooping Crane’s Majestic Return

*Encore: Monday, May 12 at 10:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 7 p.m. - Black Bear Comeback

*Encore: Monday, May 19 at 10 p.m

Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. - Delta Guardians

*Encore: Monday, May 19 at 10:30 p.m.

Additionally, the two premiere episodes will be broadcast on WLAE-TV in New Orleans as follows: “Alive! In America’s Delta: Life on the Edge” on Friday, May 9 at 8:30 p.m.; and “Alive! In America’s Delta: Alligator - King of the Bayou” on Friday, May 23 at 8:30 p.m.

For more information on the Alive! In America’s Delta series, please visit www.lpb.org/alive; or contact Bo Boehringer atbboehringer@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-5115.

April 23, 2014 – The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the shrimp season in the portion of state outside waters extending a distance of three nautical miles, seaward of the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line, from the northwest shore of Caillou Boca at -90 degrees 50 minutes 27 seconds west longitude westward to the eastern shore of the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island as delineated by the channel red buoy line, will reopen to shrimping at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29.  This area lies seaward of Terrebonne parish.

According to the most recent trawl samples taken by LDWF biologists, small white shrimp which previously occupied these waters since December have reached marketable sizes and the closure is no longer necessary.

Because significant numbers of juvenile white shrimp remain in state outside waters seaward a distance of three nautical miles westward from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal, these waters will remain closed until further notice.  Except for these waters, all remaining state outside waters will be open to shrimping.

The opening dates for the 2014 spring inshore shrimp season will be considered by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at the May 1, meeting.

Click here for a map detailing this opening

For more information please contact Martin Bourgeois at mbourgeios@wlf.la.gov or (225)765-2401 or Laura Wooderson at lwooderson@wlf.la.gov.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will be hosting the fourth annual "Boating Education Lagniappe Day" on May 10 at eight different locations across the state.

During Boating Education Lagniappe Day, LDWF will provide instructors for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) boating education course, NASBLA boating education certification, food and drinks, giveaways and door prizes all free of charge to the public.

LDWF urges the public to register quickly as most places have limited spaces available and registration is on a first come first serve basis.

Anybody born after Jan. 1, 1984 must complete a NASBLA approved boating education course and carry proof of completion to operate a motorboat in excess of 10 horsepower.

The course includes information on choosing a boat, classification, hulls, motors, legal requirements and equipment requirements.  The course also covers many navigation rules and charts, trailering, sailboats, canoeing, personal watercraft and more.  Completion of the course will result in the student being issued a vessel operators certification card.

Below is the list of class locations and the registration contact information, which can also be found at www.wlf.louisiana/lagniappeday:

Bossier Parish
Academy Sports and Outdoors
2801 Beene Blvd.
Bossier City, La 71111
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To register please call 318-371-3049.
Sponsors include Academy Sports and Outdoors, Bayou Outdoor Supercenter of Bossier City, H&W Marine of Bossier City and O’Reilly Auto Parts.

Ouachita Parish
Academy Sports and Outdoors
111 Constitutional Dr.
West Monroe, La 71292
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
To register please call 318-343-2417.
Sponsors include Academy Sports and Outdoors, Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association and Pizza Hut.

Rapides Parish
Academy Sports and Outdoors
3205 S MacArthur Dr.
Alexandria, La 71301
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To register please call 318-487-5634.
Sponsors include Academy Sports and Outdoors and the Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association.

St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Lumber
207 N Railroad Ave.
Opelousas, La 70570
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To register please call 337-948-0257.
Sponsors include Raising Canes of Opelousas, Acadiana Outfitters of Iberia, Walmart of Eunice and St. Landry Lumber of Opelousas.

Calcasieu Parish
Lake Charles Civic Center
900 Lakeshore Dr.
Lake Charles, La 70601
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To register please call 337-591-2580
Sponsors include the Calcasieu Chapter Whitetails Unlimited.

Lafourche Parish
Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Rifle Range
1156 Hwy. 90
Raceland, La 70394
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To register please call 985-447-0821.
Sponsors include the Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association and Kief's Hardware Inc. of Cutoff.

Ascension Parish
Cabelas
2200 W Cabela's Pkwy
Gonzales, LA 70737
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
To register please call 225-765-2999.
Sponsors include Cabela’s and Louisiana Waterway Safety Inc.

St. Tammany Parish
Madisonville Branch of St. Tammany Parish Public Library
1123 Main St.
Madisonville, LA 70447
9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Please call 504-284-2023 to register.
Sponsors include the Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association.

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

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited a Dubach man for alleged turkey hunting and trespassing charges on April 19 in Union Parish.

Agents cited Anthony J. Lewis, 40, of Dubach, for intentional concealment of wildlife evidence, failing to comply with turkey tagging requirements, hunting turkeys with no basic hunting and big licenses and turkey stamp, criminal trespassing and operating an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) on a public road.

Agents received a complaint from an anonymous hunter about Lewis turkey hunting on private property without permission near Dubach.  When agents arrived to the location, Lewis was no longer hunting in the area.  Agents then drove to Lewis’ residence and found him driving down a public road on an ATV.  When Lewis saw the agents he turned the opposite direction to avoid detection.

After a brief pursuit, agents were able to make contact with Lewis to which he admitted to dumping a harvested turkey from earlier in the day in a field during the pursuit.  Agents were able to locate the harvested turkey and issue Lewis his citations.

Intentional concealment of wildlife evidence brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.  Failing to comply with turkey tagging requirements and hunting without a big game license each carry up a $100 to $350 fine and up to 90 days in jail.  Hunting turkey without a turkey stamp and basic hunting license each bring up to a $50 fine and 15 days in jail.  Criminal trespassing carries a $100 to $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail.  Operating an ATV on a public road brings up to a $175 fine and up to 30 days in jail.

Agents participating in the case are Lt. Scott Watson and Senior Agent David Nelson.

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

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents arrested a Bunkie man for alleged flight from an officer and resisting arrest on April 16 2014 in Avoyelles Parish.

Agents arrested Shannon Stevenson, 30, and booked him into the Avoyelles Parish Prison for resisting an officer by flight and resisting arrest.

Agents attempted a license check of Stevenson who was fishing over 140 crawfish traps from the bank on Bayou Rouge near Bunkie.  Stevenson then tried to elude the agents by attempting to swim across the bayou.  Agents were able to quickly apprehend Stevenson from the water.

Agents also charged Stevenson with taking commercial fish without a commercial license and a commercial gear license and trespassing.

Taking commercial fish without a commercial license and gear license each brings a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail for each offense.  Resisting an officer by flight carries up to a $500 fine and six months in jail.  Resisting arrest brings a $25 to $100 fine and 30 days to six months of jail.  Trespassing carries a $100 to $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail.

Agents participating in the case are Lt. Travis Burnett, Senior Agent Douglas Anderson, Senior Agent Byron Cammack and Senior Agent Jay Callegari.

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

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited two Louisiana men for allegedly trawling for shrimp during a closed season on April 18 in Terrebonne Parish.

Agents were on patrol in Caillou Bay near Bayou De West in inside state waters when they observed a commercial shrimping vessel actively trawling for shrimp.  Agents boarded the vessel and found Justin Griffin, 28, of Theriot, and Spencer Callahan, 21, of Dulac, on board.

Agents seized 177 pounds of shrimp and the vessels two trawls.

Taking shrimp in a closed season brings a $400 to $900 fine and up to 120 days in jail.

Agents involved in the case are Senior Agent Dean Aucoin and Senior Agent Thomas Wolf.
For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014 1:00 p.m.
UNO Advanced Technology Center
2021 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 210
New Orleans, Louisiana 70122

AGENDA

I.  Roll Call and introduction of guests

II.  Approval of April 22 agenda and February 11, 2014 minutes

III. Financial Report

IV. Old Business

    A.  Data Request- LDWF 
    B.  2014 legislation update 
    C. Marketing 
    D. Sustainability
    E. Management

V. New Business

    A. Sub-Committee Selections

VI.  Public Comment

VII. Set Next Meeting

VIII.  Adjourn

The meeting will be held in compliance with Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law as defined by Louisiana R.S. 42:11, et seq.  The public is invited to attend.

To join the meeting via webinar register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8672584139350107393

For press inquiries please contact Ashley Roth, 504-286-4162 or aroth@wlf.la.gov

To sign up for LDWF Alerts sent as text messages and emails directly to your mobile device click   here.

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.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents arrested Jason P. Mire, 39, of Crowley, for alleged theft of crawfish and criminal trespassing on April 15 in Acadia Parish.
 
LDWF Agents had received complaints from crawfish farmers in the Mowatta area about people stealing crawfish from traps in their ponds.  At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 15, LDWF Sgt. Justin Sonnier was on surveillance in the area when he observed Mire allegedly taking crawfish from traps in a pond that did not belong to him.
 
Sgt. Sonnier was able to apprehend Mire with 31 pounds of live crawfish.  The 31 pounds of crawfish were valued at approximately $62 and were returned to the victim’s pond.
 
Mire was booked into the Acadia Parish Jail and his bond was set at $1,000.  Theft of crawfish valued less than $500 brings up to six months in jail and up to a $500 fine.  Criminal trespassing carries a fine between $100 and $500 and up to 30 days in jail.
 
Sgt. Sonnier was assisted by Acadia Parish Sheriff’s deputies Sgt. Glenn Johnson, Deputy Timmy Leleux and Deputy Randy Chaisson.
 
For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

A Port Sulphur man pleaded guilty on April 15 to his sixth offense of taking oysters in a polluted area and felony public intimidation of a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Agent.

Judge Michael C. Clement of the 25th Judicial District in Plaquemines Parish accepted the guilty plea from Jonathan K. Ragas, 51, and sentenced him to pay a $2,500 fine plus court costs, five years in parish prison suspended and probation for six years.

Judge Clement also revoked all of Ragas’ commercial and recreational licenses for two years.  Ragas was also ordered to not be on a vessel that possesses oysters or any gear that takes oysters and he cannot act as deckhand on any commercial fishing vessel for those two years.  After the two-year revocation, he cannot be on a vessel with oysters or gear to take oysters, or work on a vessel with oysters for a period of three years unless the vessel is equipped with a vessel monitoring system that is monitored by LDWF.

The sentence stems from an incident when an LDWF agent and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office (PPSO) deputies caught Ragas harvesting polluted oysters for the sixth time in an area closed to the harvest of oysters by the Department of Health and Hospitals on March 20, 2013.

After the stop occurred, Ragas resisted and threatened the LDWF Agent with a hatchet that was on board.

Edward McGowan prosecuted the case for District Attorney Charles Ballay’s office.

LDWF Sgt. Adam Young and PPSO Marine Division deputies assisted in the stop.

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

(April 15, 2014) – The foremost crane experts in North America heard encouraging news for Louisiana’s experimental whooping crane population when news of eggs produced by a mating pair was announced at the 13th North American Crane Workshop in Lafayette, La.
 
“I am proud today to announce to you that our small population of whooping cranes is adjusting well to life in the wild and a mating pair has produced eggs in the wild for the first time in over 70 years on the Louisiana landscape,” said Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Secretary Robert Barham. “Our biologist team and partners including the International Crane Foundation, the Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation and project funding donors have all made this moment possible.”
 
Barham and Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne welcomed the workshop group on Tuesday morning at Hotel Acadiana.
 
“Thanks to the completion of our state birding guide—published through my office in partnership with the American Birding Association and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area -- Louisiana has become a strong competitor for birding-related tourism,” said Dardenne. “Similarly, conservation efforts such as the reintroduction of the whooping crane to Louisiana since 2011 are positive steps toward ecotourism in our state.”
 
The state whooping crane reintroduction project began with the release of an initial cohort of juvenile cranes in 2011 at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in Vermilion Parish. The single nest with eggs, on the northern end of the Cajun prairie, remains under observation by project biologists.
 
Including subsequent cohorts, 50 whooping cranes have been released in Louisiana. Thirty of those birds have survived. Some have been lost to predators, some to naturally occurring health problems, and five in total have been confirmed as killed or wounded in shooting incidents.
 
The North American Crane Working Group, meeting this week in southwest Louisiana, is being briefed on Louisiana’s whooping crane reintroduction, the wild Aransas/Wood Buffalo whooping crane flock, the technology utilized in crane research and challenges to crane survival.
To learn more about LDWF’s whooping crane re-population project, visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wildlife/whooping-cranes .

For information LDWF’s whooping crane reintroduction project, contact Bo Boehringer at 225-765-5115 or bboehringer@wlf.la.gov. For more information on the workshop, call Sammy King at 225-578-4179 or sking@agcenter.lsu.edu .
 
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Photo 1: Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne welcomes North American Crane Workshop attendees to Lafayette.
Photo 2: LDWF Secretary Robert Barham announces news of the first whooping crane eggs produced in the wild in Louisiana in 70 years.
Photo 3: Whooping crane nest with eggs on the northern end of Louisiana’s Cajun prairie.