Statewide Environmental Investigations

LDWF’s Statewide Environmental Investigations staff review and provide comments and recommendations on environmental regulatory agencies’ permit applications to ensure proposed activities do not adversely impact Louisiana’s fish and wildlife resources. They also represent LDWF on mitigation banking interagency review teams who review, approve, and oversee compensation for any unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources and provide technical assistance regarding habitat conservation to the public.  

Permit Review

Every year, Statewide Environmental Investigations staff review approximately 1,500 permit applications from state and federal environmental regulatory agencies, primarily the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For nearly all of these applications, LDWF provides comments and recommendations aimed at avoiding, minimizing, and/or mitigating adverse impacts to Louisiana's fish and wildlife resources.

Water Bottom Assessment Review

Before certain activities may begin, Statewide Environmental Investigations staff review water bottom assessments, and other related information for activities that may affect state water bottoms leased to private parties for oyster production. They can require an applicant to modify their project if the proposed location unnecessarily impacts oyster reef habitat.

Mitigation Banking Oversight

Mitigation banks are wetlands, streams, or other aquatic resource areas that have been reestablished, rehabilitated, enhanced, or preserved to compensate for unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources from construction and other activities. Statewide Environmental Investigations staff represent LDWF on two mitigation banking interagency review teams chaired separately by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' New Orleans and Vicksburg districts. These teams provide regulatory review, approval, and oversight of mitigation banks. Other IRT members include representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA Fisheries, and LDNR.

Find out more information on mitigation banks across the country.

Technical Assistance

Upon request, Statewide Environmental Investigations staff also provide technical assistance to the general public regarding habitat conservation, riparian and wetland functions, environmental permitting, Scenic Rivers regulations[Link to Scenic Rivers] , etc. For assistance, contact the appropriate staff listed below.

Contact Us

Statewide Environmental Investigations is authorized under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act and is partially funded by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant.