Governor Bobby Jindal announced Aug. 7 the appointment of Bart Yakupzack to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC).
Yakupzack, of Lake Charles, is an attorney with the Gray Law Firm in Lake Charles. Yakupzack is on the Board of Directors for the Chamber Southwest Louisiana and is a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, the Coastal Conservation Association, and the LSU FWF Alumni Association.
LWFC members welcomed Yakupzack at their monthly meeting in Baton Rouge on Thursday. He will fill the at-large member vacancy on the commission and serve through April 30, 2019.
Yakupzack is a lifelong resident of south Louisiana, which has been his family’s home for over four generations, and where he and his wife Kathryn are raising their two children. He received both a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries, and a law degree from Louisiana State University. He has practiced oil and gas and land management related law for over 10 years.
The LWFC was created to protect, conserve, and replenish the natural resources and wildlife of the state, including all aquatic life. The commission has the authority to establish definite management programs and policies and to approve and accept all contracts at its discretion.
According to the statute, the commission is comprised of seven members appointed by the governor, subject to senate confirmation. Members include three residents of the coastal parishes of the state who are representatives of the commercial fishing and fur industries and four members from the state at-large.
For more information, contact Bo Boehringer at 225-765-5115 or bboehringer@wlf.la.gov.