The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) today approved a Request for Proposals (RFP) to allocate funds for breeding waterfowl habitat work over the next three years.
Since 1965, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has provided funding to support conservation of breeding-grounds habitat for migratory waterfowl and by statute allocates a portion of annual hunting license revenue for that purpose.  Specifically, R.S. 56:104(A)(1)(b) states:
 
“An amount equal to ten percent of the fees collected from the sale of hunting licenses shall be dedicated by the commission to the development and preservation of breeding grounds for migratory waterfowl, the funds to be expended for such purposes through Ducks Unlimited, Inc. or under the direction of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at its discretion ...”
 
Over the last five years, an average of $322,645 annually has been awarded in two-year or three-year contracts for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of breeding waterfowl habitat.  The current contract expires on June 30, 2015 and LDWF is soliciting three-year proposals for use of all or a portion of that funding during the July 2015 through June 2018 period.  Multiple contracts for partial amounts of the available funding have been awarded in the past at the discretion of the LWFC.
 
The new RFP process requires that proposals be submitted by Friday, May 22, 2015. Proposals may be submitted to the LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager via regular mail, fax, or e-mail at:
 
Larry Reynolds, Waterfowl Program Manager
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
2000 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA  70808
Office phone: (225) 765-0456
Fax: (225) 763-5456
E-mail: Lreynolds@wlf.la.gov
 
The top qualifying proposals, as determined by an initial review by the LDWF Waterfowl Section staff, will be presented to the LWFC at their monthly meeting on June 4, 2015 starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Louisiana Room on the first floor of the LDWF Headquarters Building.  No more than five prospective grantees will be given 15 minutes to present proposals to the LWFC.  The Waterfowl Program Manager will inform prospective grantees about the need for a presentation no later than Tuesday, May 26, 2015.  Technical evaluation of proposals by the Waterfowl Section staff will be presented and funding decisions will be made at the July 2, 2015 meeting of the LWFC.