Louisiana DWF Announces Series of Wetland Management Workshops

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Technical Services Section, along with partners, will present Wetland Management Workshops at two locations in Louisiana’s Red River Valley Region.  The target audience for these events will be landowners managing shallow water impoundments for waterfowl and wetland birds.

The Tuesday evening workshops are scheduled from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the following locations:

Sept. 24 – Natchitoches Arts Center

716 Second Street, Natchitoches, La.

Oct. 1 – Red River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters

150 Eagle Bend Point, Bossier City, La.

Each workshop will cover fundamentals associated with management of wetland impoundments for waterfowl and wetland birds. Topics will include timing of drawdowns, beneficial and invasive plant species, maintenance practices and a brief discussion on timber management in bottomland hardwood reforestation projects. Speakers will include LDWF technical services biologists, waterfowl and forestry program staff, and representatives from the USDA-NRCS and Ducks Unlimited. Experienced wetland managers will be on hand to discuss your particular situation.

Over the last 20 years, thousands of acres of wetland impoundments have been constructed, both independently and with the assistance of government cost share programs.  Some landowners are finding that, without management, these wetland units do not remain productive over extended periods of time.  There are certain management practices that when utilized can maximize use by wetland birds.  Landowners managing Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) properties should find this opportunity particularly beneficial.

LDWF technical services biologists are available to provide technical assistance to support the efforts of Louisiana landowners. LDWF is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources.  For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb, or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

For more information on the workshops, contact David Hayden at 318-487-5885 or dhayden@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.