Why It Matters: The Louisiana black bear is one of the greatest wildlife conservation success stories in Louisiana in recent memory. Louisiana has not held a black bear hunt in the state since the late 1980s. However, there are now harvestable surpluses of black bears in specific Bear Management Areas (BMAs). With the increase in populations…
Why It Matters: On September 23, 2023, sportsmen and women across the nation celebrated National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD). This year’s efforts from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) helped secure proclamations commemorating the day from 39 governors and the President of the United States. Governors from all 12 Southeastern region states signed NHFD proclamations…
Why It Matters: Senator Cathey taking on this leadership role is important to the advancement of the bicameral and bipartisan Caucus, whose members are committed to ensuring the future of hunting and fishing opportunities critical to sportsmen and women and the state’s economy. Louisiana is known as the “Sportsman’s Paradise” for good reason, and the…
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Why It Matters: In 2016, it was reported that more than 20 million Americans spent an estimated $16.9 billion on equipment and travel to participate in target shooting. The purchase of firearms and ammunition is critical to the “user pays – public benefit” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF)….
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Why It Matters: Louisiana now has a new conservation funding source where the state can leverage significantly more federal funds to implement conservation programs that benefit fish and wildlife resources and by extension, the sportsmen and women who enjoy the “Sportsman’s Paradise.” Funding for projects under the Program will be determined…
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Why It Matters: The passage of HB 762 positions Louisiana to establish a new conservation funding source where the state could leverage significantly more federal funds to implement conservation programs that benefit fish and wildlife resources and by extension, the sportsmen and women who enjoy the “Sportsman’s Paradise.” Counties, municipalities, state…
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Why It Matters: States without a dedicated conservation funding mechanism, like Louisiana, often leave millions of dollars on the table because they cannot provide the match funding to qualify for federal conservation programs. If Louisiana established a dedicated conservation funding source, however, the state could leverage significantly more federal funds to…
Contact: Mark Lance, Coordinator, Southeastern States Highlights Why it Matters: Menhaden are a critical part of the coastal ecosystem serving as an important forage food for many recreationally important species such as redfish, speckled trout, and southern flounder, among others. The establishment of a menhaden harvest exclusion zone would help conserve menhaden and support Louisiana’s…
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: Menhaden are a critical part of the coastal ecosystem serving as an important forage food for many recreationally important species such as redfish, speckled trout, and southern flounder, among others. Louisiana’s recreational anglers have continually expressed concerns about the proximity of industrial purse seines,…
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: Passage of HB 535 would help conserve menhaden which are an important forage food for many recreationally important fish species, and HB 691 would better position the LDWF to provide services for sportsmen and women and manage the fish and wildlife resources in the “Sportsman’s…
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Highlights: Why it Matters: Menhaden are an important forage food for many recreationally important species in Louisiana such as redfish, speckled trout, and southern flounder, among others. The commercial menhaden harvest also results in tens of millions of pounds of non-target species bycatch annually. HB 535 will enhance the…
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: Services for the LDWF’s hunter and angler constituency have declined because of the agency’s lack of funding. The LDWF also faces new conservation challenges – chronic wasting disease, Asian carp, and feral hogs, for example – that require additional management and resources. While most state…