Oct. 3 Public Meeting in Marksville to Provide Update on Louisiana DWF’s Black Bear Program

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 09.25.12

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will hold a public meeting in Marksville on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. to present information about black bears in Louisiana. The meeting will be held at the Avoyelles Parish School Board office at 221 Tunica Drive West.

LDWF biologists will present an update on the Louisiana Black Bear Program and discuss various techniques the public can use to avoid contact with bears and prevent property damage. Methods to prevent bears from gaining access to camps and buildings will be demonstrated and discussed. Hunter/bear conflicts will be addressed and suggestions to avoid problems will be offered. The future goals of LDWF bear management and the necessary steps to reach those goals will be presented.

Following the presentation there will be a question and answer period to allow for general discussion about the bears in Louisiana and living with bears. There will also be examples of various bear deterrent devices on display. For more information contact: Maria Davidson (337) 948-0255 or mdavidson@wlf.la.gov .

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.