Wildlife & Fisheries

Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries 2013-2014 Annual Report Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Edwin “Pat” Manuel, Chairman Dan Davis, Vice Chairman Billy Broussard Ronald “Ronny” Graham Edward W. Swindell Bart R. Yakupzack Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries 2013-2014 Annual Report

The charge of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is to protect, conserve and replenish the natural resources, wildlife and aquatic life of the state.

Administration for fiscal year 2014-2015

Bobby Jindal, Governor Robert J. Barham, Secretary Bryan McClinton, Undersecretary Randy Pausina, Assistant Secretary Jimmy Anthony, Assistant Secretary Mark Schexnayder, Deputy Assistant Secretary

Division Administrators Scott Longman, Fisheries Kenneth Ribbeck, Wildlife Robert Love, Coastal & Nongame Resources Col. Joey Broussard, Enforcement

Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Edwin “Pat” Manuel, Chairman Dan Davis, Vice Chairman Billy Broussard Ronald “Ronny” Graham Edward W. Swindell Bart R. Yakupzack

P.O. Box 98000 - 2000 Quail Drive - Baton Rouge, LA 70898 - 225-765-2800 - www.wlf.louisiana.gov IV 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Contents

V. ldWF Organizational Overview

VI. a Word from the Secretary

01. office of Secretary Enforcement Division...... 2

07. office of Management & Finance Licensing...... 8 Property Control...... 8 Fiscal...... 9

11. office of Wildlife Wildlife Division...... 12 Coastal & Nongame Resources...... 31

79. office of Fisheries

This public document was published at a total cost of $???. 100 copies of this public document were published in the first printing at a cost of $???. This document was published by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA to provide an account of the department's activities during the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This material was printed in accordance with the standards for printing by state agencies established pursuant to R.S. 43:31. Printing of this material was purchased in accordance with the provisions of Title 43 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. V Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Organizational Overview

Office of Secretary The Office of Secretary is administered by LDWF’s chief administrative officer, who oversees all scientific operations as organized by the Office of Wildlife and the Office of Fisheries. The Secretary also has ultimate authority over the operation of LDWF’s fiscal and business matters as administered by the Office of Management and Finance. Support operations of LDWF report directly to the Secretary. These include the Enforcement Division and LDWF’s Legal Section. Enforcement Division The Law Enforcement Division is responsible for enforcing laws enacted by the Louisiana Legislature and federal laws relative to fish and wildlife resources, boating safety, waterways enforcement activities, search and rescue, and homeland security missions. Legal Section The Legal Section represents the department and the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in all legal matters involving promulgation, enforcement and administration of the state’s fish and game laws and regulations, litigation involving department programs, daily advising and counsel, and drafting of contracts, legal documents and legislation.

Office of Management & Finance The Office of Management and Finance is directed by the Undersecretary. This unit is responsible for the following functions: accounting, budget forecasting and control, strategic and operational planning, property control and fleet management, boat registration, motor and boat titling, federal grant reporting, license and permit administration and issuing, fees, taxes, and penalties collections. Licensing The Licensing Section administers the issuance of all licenses, harvest tags and most other permits, boat and motor titles and registrations, and is responsible for the collection and deposit of related fees. Property Control The Property Control Section is responsible for LDWF’s movable property program, fleet management program, and managing property, marine, general liability, aviation and vehicle insurance claims. Fiscal The Fiscal Section is responsible for all financial operations of LDWF.

Office of Wildlife The Office of Wildlife consists of two divisions, Wildlife Division and Coastal & Non-game Resources Division. Wildlife Division The Wildlife Division is responsible for the state’s wildlife conservation program and gathering biological data to properly manage wildlife resources. Coastal & Nongame Resources Division Conservation of coastal wildlife species and their marsh habitats, along with statewide responsibility for nongame and threatened & endangered species are the primary division responsibilities. This responsibility is addressed through major programs: Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge; White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area; White Lake Property Advisory Board; Furbearer Management; Fur Advisory Council; Minerals Management; Habitat Program, including Environmental Permitting, Scenic Streams & Rivers, and Nongame; Natural Heritage Program; Oil Spill Response; Natural Resource Damage Assessment; Alligator Program; Alligator Advisory Council; and Coastal Operations Program.

Office of Fisheries The purpose of the Fisheries program is to manage living aquatic resources and their habitat, to support the fishing industry, and to provide access, opportunity and understanding of the Louisiana aquatic resources to the state’s citizens and others beneficiaries of these sustainable resources. The Office of Fisheries is comprised of six sections: Marine Fisheries, Inland Fisheries, Fish Management, Fisheries Extension, Fisheries Oversight, and Fisheries Administration. VI 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report A Word From the Secretary

grow and introduce more youth annually to the competitive sport of target style archery.

Over 800,000 customers were serviced by the Office of Management and Finance, including license sales at over 800 vendor outlets around the state. OMF additionally handled 188,000 boat registration/title transactions while maintaining over one million records on watercraft.

The department also worked closely with Louisiana Public Broadcasting to produce a six-part television series - Alive! In America’s Delta - highlighting the important work performed by our field staff to restore threatened species and protect fish and game populations. The 30-minute programs were premiered and re-broadcast on LPB’s statewide network, and the episodes on whooping cranes and the Louisiana black bear were honored with national awards for excellence in nature programming.

I would like to thank the anglers of our state for supporting a bill to increase the saltwater fishing license fees in our state. This fee increase has allowed LDWF to pull away from NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) in favor of the Louisiana Recreational Creel Survey (LA Creel). A program that started out as a very specific red snapper quota-monitoring program evolved into a robust recreational data collection tool. LA Creel allows the Office of Fisheries to collect better data on recreational saltwater fisheries harvests in Louisiana and has provided more fishing days for our red snapper anglers.

Fiscal year 2013-2014 was a year of notable accomplishments We have always strived to better serve our commercial fisheries and solid progress on projects important to the mission served by during my term as Secretary. The Louisiana Fisheries Forward the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). (LFF) program is a collaboration between the Office of Fisheries and Louisiana SeaGrant that will enhance the opportunities for The Enforcement Division began a new in-service agent training our commercial seafood industry. LFF is a professionalism pro- program that spreads coursework over 10 months to accommo- gram for all sectors of the state’s commercial fishing industry, date seasonal work requirements and any unforeseen events that including fishermen, dock owners, processors and distributors. require agents to be called upon as first responders. The 10 This program will provide the education and training essential for required training components add annual specialized training to the continued success of the industry and will focus on a number keep agents current on procedures and evolving tactics and of important topics, including seafood quality and safety best equipment upgrades. practices. This new program will help Louisiana’s commercial fishing industry gain a competitive edge in the market - developing a A 27th class of cadets graduated from LDWF’s Law Enforcement highly skilled and adaptable industry through training and out- Academy, filling 13 vacant slots in our statewide fish and game reach, for both newcomers and those looking for continuing regulations enforcement staffing. education.

Office of Wildlife staff continued their efforts to manage the 1.6 These are but a few highlights of another busy year for your million acres in the Wildlife Management Area Program which Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The details that provides habitat for numerous wildlife species and outdoor rec- follow illustrate more fully what is involved in this agency’s natu- reation opportunities for outdoorsmen and women. In addition, ral resource management efforts. the department’s Private Land Program biologists provided habitat management information and advice to private landowners with acreage totaling another 458,000 acres.

The Archery in Louisiana Schools Program, within the Wildlife Division, set a record with 714 participants at the state tournament in March, producing 115 qualifiers for the National Archery Robert J. Barham in the Schools Tournament in May. The program continues to LDWF Secretary Office of Secretary Enforcement Division

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division (LDWF-LED) is responsible for enforcing laws enacted by the Louisiana Legislature and federal laws relative to fish and wildlife resources, boating safety, waterways enforcement activities, search and rescue, and homeland security missions.

LDWF-LED is a fully-commissioned statewide law enforcement agency with the primary mission of protecting Louisiana’s natural resources and serving the people who utilize them. Beyond the traditional role of ensuring compliance with licensing and harvesting regulations, LDWF-LED also conducts search and rescue missions, enforces boating safety laws, investigates boating crash incidents and hunting accidents, and provides boater education classes for thousands of citizens each year.

The Law Enforcement Division is responsible for enforcing laws as provided for in the: Constitution of the State of Louisiana Louisiana Revised Statutes U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/LDWF Law Enforcement - Cooperative Enforcement Agreement - Law Enforcement Services under: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Endangered Species Act of 1973 Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 Lacey Act U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/LDWF Law Enforcement - Memorandum of Agreement - Law Enforcement: Migratory Bird Treaty Act Lacey Act; Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act Airborne Hunting Act National Wildlife Refuge System Administrative Act Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act Archeological Resources Protection Act African Elephant Conservation Act Antarctic Conservation Act Wild Bird Conservation Act and Recreation Act U.S. Coast Guard/LDWF Law Enforcement - Statement of Understanding - Boating Safety Regulations: BWI Public Education and Training Boating Accident Investigations Search and Rescue Regattas and Marine Parades Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals/LDWF Law Enforcement Memorandum of Understanding - Louisiana Shellfish Sanitation Program National Shellfish Sanitation Program.

LDWF-LED conducted 292,031 patrol hours in FY 2013-2014: 207,510 on land and 84,521 on water. Agents made 732,881 contacts with the public, the majority of whom were in compliance with state and federal wildlife and fisheries regulations. LDWF-LED agents issued 12,551 criminal citations and 5,020 warnings during this period. The most common types of citations were fishing without a license, failure to comply with personal flotation device requirements, not abiding by rules and regulations on wildlife management areas, and failure to comply with deer tagging or harvest record regulations. Office of Secretary 3 Chief of Law Enforcement Col. Joey Broussard Figure 1. LDWF Law Enforcement Division Organization Chart

Asst. Chief of Asst. Chief of Patrol Administration Lt. Col. Peter Oliver Lt. Col. Sammy Martin

Odd Numbered Regions Even Numbered Regions Bureau of Operations Public Information Patrol Patrol Major Spencer Cole Major Cliff Comeaux Major Rachel Zechenelly

Statewide Strikeforce Search and Rescue, Region 1 Maritime Security and Region 2 Emergency Services

Boating Safety and Region 3 Education Training and Continuing Education Region 4

Covert Operations Quartermaster and Region 5 Fleet Region 6

Aviation Communications Region 7 Region 8

Budget

ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURE & PERSONNEL Figure 2. Enforcement Division Regions LDWF-LED is organized in a paramilitary structure to assure the efficient use of resources, consistent statewide enforcement policy, and an effective, coordinated response to urgent needs (Figure 1). LDWF-LED is com- manded by one colonel, the Chief of Enforcement, who reports directly to LDWF’s Secretary and oversees administration of the division. Reporting to the colonel is two Lieutenant Colonels. One Lieutenant Colonel who serves as assistant chief of administration which includes state boating law administrator, statewide strikeforce, covert, public Information and aviation sections supervisor. The other Lieutenant Colonel serves as the assistant chief of patrol and supervises all state regional field operations. There are three majors: one over the even- numbered enforcement regions of the state and serves as policy and procedure administrator; one over the odd-numbered regions and safety coordinator; one over the emergency services, training, support and budget sections.

The Enforcement Division is divided into eight enforcement regions (Figure 2), each composed of two or three multi-parish districts, with headquarters in Baton Rouge. Each region is managed by a captain who supervises two or three district supervisors of the lieutenant rank. Regions have between 16-25 agents, depending on regional size, resident population and participant population. Current funding provides a field enforcement staff of two to four agents per parish, according to the nature of wildlife-based activities in the area, the number of people participating, the frequency of their participation and other factors.

Total division head count is 257 positions including 235 enforcement agents, 24 administrative staff, six communications officers and two pilots. The actual number of filled positions (as of January 2015) is 235. 4 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

operational fields. Agents in specialized units Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and REGIONAL operate in relatively broad geographic areas High-yeild Explosives (CBRNE) prevention, and and may work alongside regional enforcement response and tactical support for LDWF’s fed- ENFORCEMENT agents when appropriate. eral, state and local partners. PROGRAMS Special Operations Section Aviation Section Most of the law enforcement activity per- The Special Operations Section houses covert The Aviation Section contains two pilots and formed by LDWF-LED is conducted by regional operations in which undercover agents work to three airplanes. The Aviation Section’s aircraft agents. Regional agents work a schedule stem the illegal sale of fish and wildlife, devel- provide a valuable platform for detecting ille- assigned by their supervisors to address sea- op information about ongoing criminal enter- gal hunting and fishing activities and frequent- sonal needs, reported violations, weather con- prises, and address major violations of state ly play a vital life-saving role in search and res- ditions and predominant activities. Agents are and federal law. cue operations. The Aviation Section also con- on-call 24 hours per day and must be willing to tributes its services to other divisions for bio- change their work hours and locations as cir- Statewide Strike Force logical missions, such as waterfowl counts and cumstances require. Schedules are often The Statewide Strike Force is assigned to work the monitoring of commercial fisheries. changed due to weather and reported viola- problem areas statewide. They devote atten- tions, and agents are often called out to tion to commercial fisheries operations, license respond to violations in progress, boating and fraud and white collar crimes. Violations Boating Safety hunting accidents, and calls for search and include smuggling, interstate commerce viola- rescue. tions and false reporting, and under-reporting Program of commercial fish harvests. These agents pro- With 15,000 miles of tidal coastline, 5,000 Agents use a variety of vehicles during land vide regional patrol with additional manpower miles of navigable waterways, three of the patrols, primarily four-wheel drive trucks and on wildlife management area (WMAs) and busiest ports in the country, a thriving shipping all-terrain vehicles. The primary patrol vessels places of high seasonal utilization, such as industry, a large commercial fishing fleet, and used during water patrols are outboard bay Grand Isle and other locations throughout the over 320,000 registered boats, Louisiana con- boats and 19-to-40-foot marine patrol vessels. state. Strike Force agents also assist regional tains many geographic, demographic and eco- LDWF-LED also deploys go-devils, airboats, agents with oyster harvest enforcement, which nomic features that pose special challenges for surface river mudboats, bass boats and flat- primarily addresses harvesting oysters in boating safety enforcement. LDWF-LED agents boats. closed waters, stealing from oyster leases and made 243,383 public contacts during the state grounds, and oyster size regulations. course of 73,803 patrol hours dedicated to boating enforcement, education and accident Specialized Units Maritime Special Response investigation in FY 2013-2014. Of those hours, Team 56,044 patrol hours were performed in vessels LDWF-LED contains four specialized units with The Maritime Special Response Team coopera- on the water. selected missions or purposes: the Special tive endeavor by LDWF-LED and the Louisiana Operations Section; the Statewide Strike Force; State Police SWAT team addresses maritime The adoption of “Rules of the Road” regula- the Maritime Special Response Team; and the security threats within the state of Louisiana. tions for boaters has enhanced the enforce- Aviation Section. Agents in specialized units The team provides a maritime tactical response ment of boating safety regulations and boating have developed specific skills, expertise and capability at the state level in order to effec- under the influence laws. These regulations knowledge appropriate for their particular tively provide public safety, officer safety, Office of Secretary 5

provide the boating public with clear rules for another means of effective detection in their the manner in which boats are operated and Search & Rescue efforts to prevent fatalities on the water. are an important tool in determining fault in boating accidents. The “Rules of the Road” Operations At the end of 2013, LDWF-LED agents com- also enhance the ability of agents to address LDWF-LED is responsible for providing and pleted training in Boating Accident Report reckless and careless operation of motorboats. coordinating search and rescue response and Database (BARD) using their issued iPads. This In FY 2013-2014, LDWF-LED agents issued 60 maritime security activities for the state. This training allows the investigating officer to citations for careless and reckless operation of activity supports the state’s goal of hurricane enter accident data, which will allow for a a vessel and 60 citations for operating a vessel recovery and emergency preparedness by more accurate account of the investigation. while intoxicated. planning, training and coordinating local, state and federal response for search and rescue The statewide LDWF-LED boater education associated with natural or manmade disasters. Joint course teaches safe, legal and responsible Preparedness and efficient execution of search boat operation and is approved by the and rescue response events is essential to sav- Enforcement National Association of State Boating Law ing lives and swift recovery efforts. Providing Administrators. This program provides a vital maritime security on our state’s waterways is Agreement outreach to the community and has greatly essential to protection of critical infrastructure LDWF-LED again entered into a Joint improved the awareness of and compliance located in maritime environments throughout Enforcement Agreement with the National with boating safety practices and regulations Louisiana. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s in Louisiana. Agents hold monthly classes in Office for Enforcement. LDWF-LED received each region for anyone who wishes or is Emergency Support Function Annual Support approximately $976,976 in FY 2013-2014 to required by Louisiana law to take them. In FY Plan for our search and rescue partners has patrol for compliance with federal commercial 2013-2014, 9,429 citizens were certified in been completed. LDWF-LED serves as the pri- and recreational fisheries regulations, primari- classroom and online classes. LDWF-LED con- mary state agency for search and rescue. ly in the Gulf of Mexico. Several patrol vessels tinues to recruit and train additional volunteer and other necessary equipment has been instructors to complement and enhance the acquired under this program. Agents have efforts of its own agents. Since the inception Agent Training been very successful identifying illegal and of the boating safety education course in unregulated fishing activity and obtaining a 2003, LDWF has certified 75,006 students. Program number of large cases involving commercial and recreational violations. LDWF-LED remained committed in marketing LDWF-LED annual in-service program consists and promotion of boating education courses by of 10 training sessions conducted over a creating special events and activities for stu- 10-month period. In addition to the required dents attending courses. LDWF-LED coordinat- areas of training, this new program allows for Operation Game ed its third annual “Statewide Boating areas of specialized training to be added to the Education Lagniappe Day” certifying 164 boat- curriculum each year while ensuring the con- Thief ers on May 10, 2014. LDWF-LED sponsored two tinuance of training throughout unforeseen Louisiana Operation Game Thief (OGT), Inc. is Summer Day Camps for children 12 to 16 years events and relieves the schedule burden of the a program which provides cash rewards to old at the Waddill Outdoor Education Center consecutive week program. those providing information leading to the and certified 43 children in both boating and apprehension of wildlife violators. Violations hunter education. LDWF-LED participated in The LDWF Law Enforcement Academy gradu- can be reported anonymously by calling a “Operation Dry Water” from June 27-29 and ated its 27th class of cadets into the ranks of 24-hour toll-free telephone number (1-800- made contact with 3,102 boaters resulting in LDWF Enforcement Division Agents in June. 442-2511) or by using LDWF’s tip411 program. 98 safe boating violations including five Boating After six months of intensive physical and aca- To use the tip411 program, citizens can text Under the Influence (BUI) violations on the demic training at the academy, 13 newly com- LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download water. LDWF-LED also promoted and partici- missioned agents are ready to begin enforcing the “LADWF Tips” iPhone or Android apps pated in “Safe Boating Week” from May 17-23, hunting, fishing and boating regulations that from the Apple App Store and Google Play free stepping up safe boating patrols and promo- govern the use of state’s natural resources. At of charge. The hotline and the tip411 program tion of safe boating during the week. the academy, cadets train to enforce the state’s are monitored 24 hours a day by the LDWF recreational boating laws, the state and federal Communications Center. Reports are immedi- Agents also provided an emergency pedestrian wildlife and fisheries laws, and general law ately referred to agents for action. shuttle service to 18,459 pedestrians on Bayou enforcement work on the state’s many WMAs. Grosse Tete after damage occurred to the The academy also covers general law enforce- During the 2014 year, OGT paid out $16,200 in Bayou Grosse Tete Bridge when it was hit by a ment training equal to that of other state law rewards. The OGT board reviewed a total of 40 barge. Agents spent over 2,500 hours ensuring enforcement officers. cases with a total of 67 subjects apprehended waterway safety and provided the service free and a total of 218 offenses/violations. The to the public. At the end of 2013, LDWF-LED completed cer- total amount of rewards paid by OGT since its tifying all agents in the National Association of inception 28 years ago is $358,900. Safe Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) BUI Program, which includes the new validated seated test battery. This training gave agents 6 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

overall Strategy, Concept of Operations, Standard Operating Procedures and an implementation and sustainment strategy through a programmatic assistance effort. Public Information The LDWF-LED Public Information team consists of two people who do various media and public information related tasks. The team handles public email, Facebook questions, media requests including setting up interviews, and gathering enforcement related information. LDWF-LED is a member of the First Responder Homeland Committee through GOHSEP which was legisla- LDWF-LED issued 95 enforcement related tively created. LDWF-LED’s maritime security press releases during FY 2013-2014. These Security role coincides as a multi-mission responsibility press releases were issued to a media contact and further enhances the agency’s core mis- list via email both state and nationwide. They LDWF-LED is an active participant in Louisiana’s sion responsibilities: to improve public safety were also posted on the LDWF website. The Homeland Security Plan and represents the services and protect natural resources and the press releases ranged from rewards for infor- state in waterborne emergencies. Through the supporting ecosystem while improving security mation on current cases, conviction results, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and in the state and nation. announcements of event and upcoming cadet Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), LDWF- academies, highlighting big, important and LED is the lead agency for search and rescue LDWF-LED participated in a State and Local unusual cases, enforcement division and agent operations during natural disasters and mari- Stakeholders Working Group Meeting held in achievements and awards won, and boating time security of Louisiana’s vital business and St. Louis, Mo., to discuss Global Nuclear safety Information. government interests along the coast and Detection Architecture (GNDA) topics and to major rivers. As members of the Governor’s hold the Interior Focus Group, the Training The media production team produced a total Homeland Security Advisory Council and all Advisory Forum, and the Radiological-Nuclear of 20 video projects and photographed over major port security committees within the (R/N) Interior and Maritime Assistance Working two dozen events throughout the year, as well state, LDWF-LED agents frequently respond to Group meetings. This meeting is a well-estab- as provided footage and photos to media out- requests to deploy LDWF marine resources for lished Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lets both in-state and nationally. In an effort to security concerns. LDWF-LED’s specialized Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) raise public awareness to hunting rules and training and equipment and its ability to oper- outreach effort aimed at DNDO’s working-level regulations, a series of hunter safety videos ate throughout the state’s vast maze of water- state and local partners in the R/N detection were launched covering basic hunting practic- ways and wild areas has complemented mission. This working group is designed to fos- es and step-by-step guides to activities like Louisiana’s ability to respond to emergencies ter strong partnerships with state, local and tree stands. At the end of each video, a union land and water. tribal agencies. It also promotes a sense of formed wildlife agent would appear with size community and cooperation which serves to and bag limits and a brief summary of the Emergency Support Function annual support strengthen R/N detection capabilities across documentation a hunter would be required to plan for maritime and port security has been the nation in support of the GNDA. present if approached by an agent in the field. updated. LDWF-LED serves as the primary port The videos are shared through LDWF’s web- and maritime security support partner. LDWF-LED initiated efforts within the state to site, Facebook and Youtube. In-house, the establish a partnership between DNDO and key production team began to produce videos LDWF-LED developed a five-year maritime state and federal partners in order to develop specific to the training wildlife cadets receive security strategic plan in order to provide and implement a Preventive Radiological and at the academy. Many of these videos are used direction and guidance for the expansion of its Nuclear Detection Program. The mission of the in the early weeks of the academy in order to mission to include maritime security. This role Louisiana Preventive Radiological/Nuclear prepare cadets for what is expected. This is an further advances coordination efforts between Detection (PRND) Program is to provide the on-going effort between the academy staff the United States Coast Guard, Louisiana State capabilities to enable Louisiana and its partici- and public information. Police, ports, federal, state, and local govern- pating agencies to protect Louisiana’s resi- ment, and private partnerships to increase the dents, economy, critical infrastructure and efficiency and effectiveness of maritime safety natural resources against threats posed by the and security and all hazards response for unauthorized use of radiological or nuclear Louisiana and our nation. This expansion is materials. A steering committee was formed necessary in order to meet the needs and and will work to develop and implement a threats that we face within Louisiana’s mari- statewide PRND Program strategy to include an time domain. Office of Wildlife 7

Office of Management & Finance 8 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report Licensing

The Licensing Section serves as the information hub for more than 1 million customers who operate businesses, fish commercially, recreationally fish and hunt, and use state lands for non-consumptive purposes. The staff provides customers with state, federal and commission laws, rules and regulations that govern fishing, hunting and titling/registration of boats and motors in Louisiana. The Licensing Section handles the issuance of all commercial licenses, boat and motor title and registration services, and various permits; manages the statewide electronic licensing system providing recreational license availability at more than 800 locations statewide. The Licensing Section continues to evaluate processes and streamline to improve availability and reduce processing time for licenses and boat titles and registrations.

License and boat and motor title/registration activities and related revenue collections are as follows: Issue in excess of 2.5 million recreational hunting, fishing, trapping and non-consumptive use licenses and permits sold to 800,000+ customers, generating in excess of $20 million in revenue. Maintain license records for in excess of 70,000 lifetime licensees. 65,252 commercial licenses sold, representing 12,402 commercial fishermen, 2,755 business entities, 880 charter businesses, and various permits that generate in excess of $3.8 million in revenue. 188,000 boat registration/title transactions that generate in excess of $4 million in revenue. Maintain boat data in excess of 1 million records - 322,159 of which are actively registered. Make available various types of game harvest tags to deer and turkey hunters and oyster tags to oyster fishermen and processors as required by federal and state law - in excess of 3 million.

Property Control

The Property Control Section is responsible for managing the Louisiana Department of Wild- Fleet Risk life and Fisheries’ Property, Risk Management Insurance Claims, and Fleet Management pro- Management Management grams. The section is staffed with five full-time Program Program employees. In accordance with state fleet management The Property Control Section is responsible for regulations this section records, approves and filing insurance claims and recovering payment Property processes requests for personal assignment from the Office of Risk Management and third or home storage, daily vehicle usage, vehicle party insurance companies for property dam- Control maintenance, and title, registrations and ve- age, automobile physical and liability damage, hicle licenses for LDWF’s 584 fleet vehicles and and wet marine, aviation, boiler and machin- Program 1,038 other licensed equipment. ery damage. The section is also responsible for filing general liability insurance claims. During FY 2013-2014 this program certified a The Property Control Section also managed the moveable property inventory which consisted vehicles assigned to the Baton Rouge Head- Driver’s authorization and annual certification of 9,597 items for a total acquisition cost of quarters Motor Pool. for LDWF’s approximate 900 employees is also $71,448,464.31. Annually, the program is re- a responsibility of the Property Control section. sponsible for ensuring that a physical inventory This process is accomplished in accordance of moveable property is conducted at its loca- with Office of Risk Management’s loss preven- tions throughout the state. tion guidelines. Office of Management & Finance 9

LDWF Expenditures by Category Fiscal (FY 2013-2014) Total Expenditures: $129,640,473

The Fiscal Section staff consists of 14 employees who are responsible for all financial operations of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The main goal of the Fiscal Section is Salaries and Benefits to achieve compliance with all applicable laws, 52.5% Other Charges rules, policies and regulations governing the functions managed. This section develops and Interagency Transfers 11.1% implements fiscal controls, provides advice, as- Operating Services sistance and training, and standardizes procedures for approximately 900 employees. Supplies Acquisitions The functions include: 8.3% Professional Services budget and expenditure control and monitoring. Major Repairs 7.9% federal grant tracking and reporting. Travel preparation of all required financial 0.4% 7.5% reports. 5.3% reviewing and processing professional and 3.5% consulting contract payments. payment of all vendors. 3.5% receipt and classification of various sources of revenue. fund management. assessment of civil fines. processing of employee travel reimbursements. strategic and operational planning. financial management of FEMA projects and other disasters. How Expenditures Were Funded (FY 2013-2014) During FY 2013-2014, the Fiscal Section staff: Total Means of Financing: $129,640,473 prepared four agency budgets consisting of five programs totaling $205 million 2.3% audited and processed 641 contract invoices payments with a total amount payable of $17.7 million. 4.5% processed 9,143 vendor invoice payments. 4.6% audited and processed 20,026 purchasing card transactions. Conservation Fund audited and processed 1,706 travel reim- Federal Funds bursements. 14.4% processed 3,079 checks through Quick- Other Statutory Dedications Books. Interagency Transfers warranted funds and prepared periodic 52.5% reports for 119 federal grants. Rockefeller Refuge & Game Preservation Fund deposited $44.16 million in receipts from various sources on 439 pay in vouchers. Fees & Self-Generated Revenue 21.7% 10 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Expenditures by Category Salaries and Benefits 68,119,221 Sources of Revenue to the Conservation Fund Other Charges 14,354,015 Interagency Transfers 10,745,090 (FY 2013-2014) Operating Services 10,353,298 Total Revenue: $107,246,990 Supplies 9,728,734 Acquisitions 6,836,665 Professional Services 4,479,937 Major Repairs 4,473,194 Royalties, Rentals, Bonuses on Land, and Other Royalties Travel 550,319 TOTAL $129,640,473 72.3% Recreational Hunting & Fishing Licenses Other Fees (Boat Registration, How Expenditures were Funded Survey Fees, DMAP. etc.) Conservation Fund 68,016,788 Commercial Licenses Federal Funds 28,181,324 Miscellaneous Other Statutory Dedications 18,665,943 Seismic Fees Collected by LDNR Interagency Transfers 5,996,913 Interest Income Rockefeller Refuge & Game 5,862,243 17.2% Preservation Fund 0.5% Fees & Self-Generated Revenue 2,917,262 State General Fund 0 1.1% TOTAL $129,640,473 1.9% 3.1% 3.9%

Sources of Revenue to the Conservation Fund Royalties, Rentals, Bonuses on Land, and Other 77,530,016 Royalties LDWF Expenditures by Program Recreational Hunting & 18,482,832 Fishing Licenses (FY 2013-2014) Other Fees (Boat Total Expenditures: $129,640,473 Registration, Survey Fees, 4,203,276 DMAP, etc.) Commercial Licenses 3,320,378 Miscellaneous 2,008,628 Office of Fisheries Seismic Fees Collected by 1,195,035 LDNR 32.8% Office of Wildlife Interest Income 506,825 Office of Secretary - TOTAL $107,246,990 Enforcement Office of Management & Expenditures by Program Finance Office of Fisheries 47,363,014 36.5% Office of Secretary - Administration Office of Wildlife 42,571,274 Office of Secretary - 22% 28,488,982 Enforcement Office of Management & 10,259,044 Finance 8% Office of Secretary - 958,159 Administration TOTAL $129,640,473 0.7% Office of Wildlife Wildlife Division

Wildlife Research

A wide range of research and management 2013-2014 season. Harvest data for WMAs and work is conducted in order to maintain healthy DMAP cooperators are summarized in Federal productive populations of wildlife and to pro- Aid W-55-26 Report. vide wildlife associated recreational opportunities for citizens to enjoy. Staff biologists Bucks harvested during 2013-2014 that scored conduct research and surveys for use in formu- high enough to qualify for the Louisiana Big lating hunting regulations and for development Game Records Recognition Program were doc- and management of habitat. They present in- umented in the annual Deer Program report. formation to the public and develop workshops Trophy deer that qualify for the State Record for personnel of the Louisiana Department of List were also added. Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and other agencies. In addition, the staff represents LDWF on In order to better manage the state’s white- state, regional and national committees, pro- tailed deer population, several research proj- viding input to a wide array of public agencies, ects are ongoing. Efforts by the Coastal and non-governmental organizations and private Nongame Resources Division to capture and industry. The species programs are White- mark deer at Pass-a-Loutre WMA have been tailed Deer, Webless Migratory Game Birds, completed. Researchers are currently analyz- Wild Turkey and Resident Small Game, Water- ing home range, mortality and survival data fowl, Large Carnivore, and Wildlife Disease. to prepare a final report. Herd health collections and disease and parasite investigations continued on both private and public lands. WHITE-TAILED DEER The Tensas deer research project designed to During the 2013-2014 deer season, 191,300 measure fawn mortality and adult deer move- deer hunters harvested 166,200* white-tailed ment at Tensas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) deer. On wildlife management areas (WMAs), continued for the second season. Researchers 2,654 deer were harvested during managed captured and collared another 15 males, 32 fe- deer hunts. During managed deer hunts, hunt- males and 19 fawns. ers are required to bring their deer to a check station where LDWF staff collect biological data from the deer. The total hunter effort (a hunter WEBLESS MIGRATORY having used a WMA for a hunt) for the managed deer hunts was 25,401. BIRDS * Senior hunters and harvest included in the mail survey. Dove Mourning dove call counts were conducted The Deer Management Assistance Program along established routes throughout Louisiana. (DMAP) harvest was 15,002 deer. There were With the new mourning dove harvest strategy, 742 clubs/cooperators with 1.62 million acres the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is participating in the program, similar to the pre- no longer collecting dove call count data from vious year. states. Louisiana will continue to collect dove data along the established dove call count sur- Deer harvest information from across the vey routes. In addition to collecting data on state was analyzed and evaluated. These data mourning dove trends, data on white-winged were used to establish deer regulations for the and collared doves will be collected. White- Office of Wildlife 13

after-hatch-year birds and 29 were hatch year birds; 29 were females and seven were males. During the 2014-2015 season, an additional 40 woodcock will be fitted with radio transmitters and vegetation data at both use and random sites will be collected.

LDWF participated in the USFWS Annual Wood- cock Wing Bee in 2013. Data derived from aging and sexing about 12,000 woodcock wings were used to develop trend data on woodcock production and hunter success. These data, in combination with breeding bird surveys, are used to develop management strategies for woodcock. Although many people in Loui- siana consider woodcock an under-utilized LEFT: Banded mourning dove. RIGHT: American woodcock. species, Louisiana’s harvest of woodcock at one time ranked among the nation’s highest. However, the number of woodcock hunters winged doves were detected on three of the ers. Soil samples were collected post-hunt has decreased by over 90 percent since their 19 routes. Collared doves were detected on 10 (October 2012 & 2013), pre-field preparation peak in the early 1980s. Nonetheless, Louisiana of the routes. (March 2013 & 2014), and post-field prepara- still consistently ranks fourth in the nation for tion (June 2013 & 2014). Soil samples will con- woodcock harvest. A survey of resident license Dove hunting regulations for Louisiana in 2013- tinue to be collected and will be subsequently holders indicates that approximately 3,700 2014 were set at 70 days with a bag limit of analyzed for lead pellets. Louisiana hunters harvested 9,800 woodcock 15 birds. A survey of resident license holders during the 2013-2014 season. indicates that approximately 38,300 Louisi- Data are summarized in the Federal Aid W-55- ana hunters harvested approximately 728,800 28 Annual Report. Data are summarized in the Federal Aid W-55- doves during the 2013-2014 hunting season. 28 Annual Report. An estimated 26,100 Eurasian collared-doves Woodcock and 40,500 white-winged doves were also Beginning in October 2013, a research project Annual Hunter Harvest taken. examining diurnal microhabitat use by Ameri- can woodcock was initiated. Woodcock were Survey In addition to dove fields on 11 WMAs, LDWF captured at night, fitted with a U.S. Geological Big and small game harvest indices for the 2013- leases property from private landowners for Survey (USGS) aluminum band and a backpack 2014 hunting season were obtained through a public hunting. This land is leased for public style radio transmitter. Woodcock were then mail survey based on the purchasers of basic hunting on opening day only. In 2013, three relocated at least once per week, and vegeta- resident hunting licenses or any other resident fields totaling 702 acres were leased. During tion data at both use and random sites was col- license that included the basic resident hunting the opening day hunt, 604 hunters participat- lected. Thirty-six woodcock were captured and privileges for 2013-2014. The 2013-2014 Game ed, bagging 1,102 doves. fitted with radio transmitters and relocated Harvest Survey was mailed to 17,242 (6 per- from Dec. 11, 2013 through Jan. 23, 2014 at cent sample) residents who had purchased the In the spring of 2003, USFWS adopted a Na- Sherburne WMA. Seven of the birds were license for the current year’s hunting season (or tional Mourning Dove Harvest Management Plan. Determining current harvest rate in each management unit was identified as a key component of the plan. Wildlife Division personnel banded 1,967 doves during July-August 2013 as part of a national effort to provide information needed to develop harvest rate estimates for mourning doves. Another aspect of this study has been the development of production indices from mourning dove wings collected from hunters. A Wildlife Division biologist participated in the annual Mourning Dove Wing Bee held in Missouri. During a three-day period, state and federal biologists from across the country aged more than 40,000 wings.

Soil samples were collected at four dove fields at Sandy Hollow WMA to examine lead deposition rates within these fields by dove- hunt LEFT: Wildlife biologists searching a field at night for woodcock.RIG HT: American woodcock are aged and sexed by examining the wing feathers. 14 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

had a lifetime license). Non-deliverables num- lolly/Shortleaf/Hardwood region exhibited a significant long-term (1983-2013) declines in bered 1,805. The survey questionnaires were slight decrease in production from 2012. calls per stop. A spring bobwhite survey was completed and returned by 3,077 individuals also conducted on the Sandy Hollow WMA. In- before the cutoff date. The estimated harvest The most recent turkey hunter survey estimat- ferences about population status and habitat and hunter efforts for the 2013-2014 hunting ed 21,300 turkey hunters harvested 5,200 wild conditions were developed based on the com- seasons utilized 2,050 responses. According turkeys during the spring of 2014. These num- bined results of these survey techniques and to the responses, the 2013-2014 basic license bers do not include youth and exempted hunt- general observations by LDWF personnel dur- was not purchased by 185 respondents (ap- ers. The wild turkey population in Louisiana is ing the breeding season. Data are summarized proximately 8 percent). The procedures used estimated at about 60,000 birds. in the Federal Aid W-55-28 Annual Report. to calculate the 2013-2014 estimates were the same as those used for the 2012-2013 harvest LDWF is involved in several wild turkey research A survey of resident license holders indicates estimates. The 2013-2014 harvest estimates projects. LDWF supports a wild turkey research that approximately 1,100 Louisiana hunters were extrapolated based on the current year’s project on the Kisatchie National Forest in con- harvested 1,200 wild quail during the 2012- license sales of 254,970. Hunter numbers re- junction with the University of Georgia, with 2013 season. Hunters were also asked about flect those that hunted a species even if they additional support from the National Wild Tur- their harvest of pen-raised quail. About 1,700 did not bag. No attempt was made to adjust key Federation (NWTF). This project is investi- hunters harvested over 29,000 pen-raised the statistics to compensate for the lack of resi- gating the movements of female wild turkeys quail. dents under 16 years old who are not required and broods in relation to large scale prescribed to purchase a basic license. burning. LDWF is also engaged in banding gob- LDWF continues to work with its partners to blers on all five ranger districts of the Kisatchie address the decline in bobwhite populations. Data are summarized in the Federal Aid W-55- National Forest. Banding and subsequent re- Habitat development efforts using U.S. Depart- 28 Annual Report. porting by hunters of banded gobblers pro- ment of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill programs vides information needed to estimate wild tur- and the State Wildlife Grant Program have key harvest rates. Information collected to date been developed and were operational in 2012- has helped justify expanded youth hunting op- 2013. WILD TURKEY AND portunities on Kisatchie. During the past year RESIDENT SMALL GAME 19 wild turkeys were restocked in Northwest Louisiana. Most of the restocked turkeys were WATERFOWL tagged with GPS telemetry to monitor success. Louisiana has approximately 3.5 million acres Wild Turkey of coastal marsh that winter large and diverse A poult production survey was initiated in waterfowl populations. Aerial waterfowl inven- 1994 to assess annual brood rearing success Quail tories of the entire coastal marsh, as well as and monitor long-term production trends. The Statewide fall whistling counts were conducted associated agricultural lands in north central 2013 survey indicated an improved hatch in on 42 randomly located routes and an addition- and northeast Louisiana, are conducted each two of the five habitat regions. The North Mis- al six routes on LDWF WMAs and the Kisatchie winter. sissippi Delta, Southeast Loblolly Pine, Western National Forest. Fall whistle counts did not Longleaf, and Atchafalaya/South Mississippi differ among four of the five habitat types The mid-winter inventory conducted in early Delta all experienced increases in production for 2013, but was improved in the Southeast January 2014 maintained traditional meth- from the previous year. The Northwest Lob- Loblolly region. All regions continue to exhibit ods in all surveyed regions and indicated 4.05 million ducks and 897,000 geese wintered in coastal marsh and inland areas of the Missis- sippi Delta. This was 29 percent more ducks than 2013 and 23 percent more than the most recent 10-year average. Similarly, this was 57 percent more geese than in 2013 and 37 percent more than the most recent 10-year average. It was an unusual outcome because populations of ducks and geese were far below average on November and December aerial surveys and during the majority of the waterfowl hunting season. Indeed, the November aerial survey in the coastal zone was the lowest on record, and December counts were below average before the late migration moved large numbers of birds into the state for the mid-Jan- uary survey. Especially impressive were counts of scaup on lakes Maurepas, Pontchartrain and Borgne, where the estimated 733,000 scaup were the most ever seen on the January scaup survey.

LEFT: A wild turkey hen on Kisatchie National Forest. RIGHT: A bobwhite quail monitored at Sandy Hollow WMA. Office of Wildlife 15

Figure 1.

Waterfowl Hunting Zones For the second of at least four years, Louisiana used three zones for waterfowl hunting to pro- (2012-2015) vide more targeted season dates in each region of the state and offer additional opportunities. Because Thanksgiving Day was very late (Nov. 28) and the latest closing date allowed by USFWS was early (Jan. 26), season dates established in the East and West Zones included only a five-day split for the first time, rather than a 12-day split as In past years, to increase the number of open hunting days later in the season. Based on federal harvest estimates, 77,600 active duck hunters harvested 2.39 million ducks. This represents a 25 percent decline in the number of active duck hunters from 2012-2013 and a 13 percent reduction in ducks harvested. The reduction in hunter numbers is likely unreasonable, especially when sale of resident duck licenses actually increased. USFWS has acknowledged there were problems with the 2013-2014 harvest survey, and other Mississippi Flyway states reported similarly unreasonable declines in hunter numbers. However, LDWF’s Big and Small Game Harvest Survey also estimated an 11 percent decrease in duck hunters and a 32 percent reduction in duck harvest. It is suspected that low populations and poor hunting success in November and early-December reduced hunting activity later in the season. Despite the decline from 2012-2013, the estimated harvest of 2.39 million ducks in Louisiana is still the highest of all states, as is the estimated 30.8 ducks killed per hunter during the season. Species composition in the 2013-2014 harvest included 27 percent blue-winged teal, 20 percent gadwall, 18 percent green-winged teal, 7 percent wood duck, 6 percent ring-necked duck, 6 percent shoveler, and 5 percent mallard. Scaup, mottled duck, pintail, wigeon, canvasback, and redhead comprised the remainder. LEFT: New pump at Ouachita WMA. RIGHT: Geese in southwest Louisiana. Louisiana goose hunters harvested 37,000 geese during the 2013-2014 waterfowl hunting season; another 30 percent decline from Enhancement work on Russell Sage included the previous year, further reinforcing concerns North American initiating repair to a flood-damaged spillway about Louisiana’s declining goose harvests. Waterfowl Management and site preparation for the installation of a This spring was the third consecutive year of Plan large re-lift pump on Bayou Lafourche. Con- at least average breeding conditions on arctic Louisiana continues to play an important role tractor delays necessitate extending both of breeding grounds, of expected at least average in the North American Waterfowl Manage- these projects into next fiscal year. Duck Stamp production on the breeding grounds, and of in- ment Plan (NAWMP). LDWF strives to maintain funds were used to improve a previous NAWCA creases in the fall staging survey of white-front- ongoing projects and other activities associ- grant project on Ouachita WMA. Activities on ed geese. Furthermore, the goose migration ated with NAWMP. In FY 2013-2014, North Ouachita included replacement of a power was not as delayed as in 2012-2013. Harvests American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) unit on the refuge units, construction of a new of both snow geese and white-fronted geese project construction continued on Sherburne re-lift pump to provide reliable water delivery declined by 30 percent despite above-average WMA’s South Farm and Russell Sage WMA’s to impoundments and replacement of dilapi- mid-winter population estimates. The goose Pump Trail Road greentree reservoir. Work yet dated water control structures and culverts. An harvest was comprised of 58 percent white- to be completed on the South Farm includes additional 58 acres of managed wetlands will fronted geese and 42 percent snow geese. land levelling to improve moist soil manage- be enhanced using local Delta Waterfowl Foun- Federal harvest surveys picked up no Canada ment capability and increase wetland acreage. dation chapter funding on Buckhorn WMA. geese in the sample of hunters. 16 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Prolonged high water levels minimized undesir- were banded during the winter and spring. Summer hair-snare surveys were conducted able vegetative treatments on Catahoula Lake This is over three times that in 2012-2013 and again in the Tensas River and Upper Atchafa- during FY 2013-2014. Herbicide spraying, bush is the highest number ever banded by LDWF. laya River basins during this fiscal year. Samples hogging and bulldozing activities are planned The NAWMP Coordinator has expanded band- were collected from 209 and 116 sites, respec- for summer 2015 pending favorable water ing efforts throughout the coastal parishes to tively, resulting in 2,256 samples. levels on Catahoula Lake. Herbicide applica- generate a database that may have to depend tions are planned for Sherburne’s Des Ourses on recaptures rather than hunter-recoveries to To estimate population size (N), change in pop- Swamp and North and South Farms, as well as obtain information on movement and survival ulation (λ), density and genetic characteristics on Buckhorn during summer 2014. Many other of these birds and support future harvest man- of bears in the Three Rivers Complex subpopu- mechanical, chemical and prescribed fire treat- agement decisions. lation, non-invasive hair traps were placed ran- ments were conducted on other WMAs to in- domly in a systematic grid encompassing the vigorate wetlands. The wood duck nest-box program completed entirety of the repatriation area. A sampling its 25th year in 2014. LDWF personnel are grid utilizing a spacing of 2.5 km2 x 2.5 km2 was Construction of a 3,007-acre greentree res- maintaining 2,068 boxes currently in use. That constructed and superimposed across the land- ervoir on Dewey Wills WMA will begin dur- is about the same as last year, but fewer than scape using ArcMap 10.1, and a final sampling ing FY 2014-2015. This work includes con- the 2,269 in use in 2012. Substantial loss of grid composed of 140 contiguous sampling struction of a large canal gate, installation of boxes to Hurricane Isaac in southeast Louisiana cells that covered a 875-km2 area was used. several weirs and screwgates, and elevating and prioritizing replacement of old boxes and Hair trap spacing was determined by the aver- Hunt Road and an ATV trail. Investigations into relocation of existing boxes to more productive age annual female home range size of Louisiana habitat enhancement opportunities on Wham nesting and brood-rearing habitat over install- black bears based on existing radio-collar data. Brake were conducted, including a topographic ing additional boxes has stabilized the number The spacing utilized ensures at least two hair survey and LIDAR data acquisition. A NAWCA of boxes in the program to between 2,000 and traps were established within the average an- grant application will be developed seeking 2,100. The number of boxes maintained and nual female home range size of Louisiana black funding assistance to replace dilapidated wa- monitored through landowners in the Private bears. A larger spacing was used for Three Riv- ter control structures and a spillway with a new Lands Program continues to grow. Utilization ers Complex than for Tensas River Basin and Up- structure that will better enable shallow water was monitored at 1,957 boxes, which is back per Atchafalaya River Basin because the extent management. to the level prior to Hurricane Isaac. Utilization of occupied bear range at Three Rivers Complex has ranged from 45-100 percent in past years was unknown; therefore two hair traps per fe- Wood Ducks with an average utilization of about 80 percent. male home range allowed sampling of a larger During 2013-2014, LDWF banded 2,489 wood area. A single baited, barbed-wire hair trap was ducks. It was a substantial decline over last constructed within each sampling cell to collect year’s 3,227, but is still the second highest Large Carnivore black bear hair. All hair traps were constructed number banded. The unprecedented three- using two wires placed 35 cm and 65 cm above year run of banding over 2,400 wood ducks Program the ground; each were wrapped around three has been due to increased effort and success to five perimeter trees to form an enclosed in all regions of the state including mandatory Bear Research polygon. Traps were baited with pastries and The Louisiana black bear is designated as a training courses held by the NAWMP Coordi- raspberry scent, and traps were checked threatened species under the Endangered Spe- nator and Turkey Program Manager to improve weekly for eight consecutive weeks from June cies Act. LDWF’s bear research efforts are target- trapping techniques and rocket-netting skills to August. Traps were not moved between or ed at gathering information that will enable the combined with continued maintenance and during any sampling sessions. Each barb on the department to remove the Louisiana black bear intense trapping at stations established near barbed-wire was treated as an individual sam- from the threatened list and effectively manage Baton Rouge. Pre-season rocket-netting ac- ple, and hairs were removed using tweezers for sustainable black bear populations. There counted for 2,136 of the total bandings, and that are sterilized between collections. Only were 13 bears captured for research purposes. 353 hens were captured in nesting boxes. In samples containing five or more hairs were addition, 3,639 black-bellied whistling ducks collected. The collected samples were placed

LEFT: Repair work on the spillway at Russell Sage WMA. RIGHT: Herbicide treatment of undesirable vegetation at the North Farm at Sherburne WMA. Office of Wildlife 17

in individually labeled paper coin envelopes Carnivore Program staff attended a South- that were then stored at room temperature. eastern Association of Fish and Wildlife A flame was used to sterilize barbs following Agencies (SEAFWA) Large Carnivore Work- individual sample collections in an attempt ing Group sponsored Bear Attack Response to prevent cross-contamination of samples. training in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Work contin- A total of 574 samples were collected dur- ued with USGS to improve the BearTrak da- ing this period. Collected hair samples were tabase. The Large Carnivore Program Man- sent to Wildlife Genetics International (WGI; ager presented a bear workshop to the Law Nelson, British Columbia) for analyses using Enforcement Cadet Class educating cadets microsatellite markers. on bear behavior and biology. Presentations were provided to law enforcement in areas To investigate bear connectivity and gene experiencing range expansion to educate flow between the Three Rivers Complex agents on bear biology and ecology. LDWF and the Tensas River Basin subpopulations, Large Carnivore staff, along with others, LDWF has established a linear non-invasive continued to work on a Louisiana Black Bear hair trap transect between the Tensas River Management Plan. The population monitor- Basin and Three Rivers Complex subpopula- ing portion of a Post Delisting Monitoring tions to collect black bear hair. A sampling Plan was written and provided to USFWS for grid utilizing a spacing of 2.5 km2 x 2.5 km2 their review and comment. Program staff was constructed and superimposed across worked with film crews to obtain footage the landscape using ArcMap 10.1, and a fi- for a new National Geographic show featur- nal sampling grid composed of 94 contigu- ing denning of Louisiana black bears. LDWF ous sampling cells that covered a 587.5-km2 personnel responded to 141 bear calls from area was used. Hair trap spacing was deter- the public and other government agencies. mined by the average annual female home Response varied from technical assistance range size of Louisiana black bears based on being provided over the phone to site visits existing radio-collar data. The spacing uti- with recommendations provided to reduce lized ensures at least two hair traps were es- conflict. During this time period 18 manage- tablished within the average annual female ment captures of bears occurred to address home range size of Louisiana black bears. nuisance behavior reported to LDWF. Ninety four samples were collected during this sampling period. Bear safety in Mind Accomplishments include: There were 26 bears captured for research Maintain close communications with purposes. Bears were either marked and biologist to assist specific call areas by collared (VHF or GPS-VHF) or marked based working closely with the caller report- on sex and age class. VHF signals were moni- ing the nuisance bear behavior to en- tored by fixed-wing aircraft across all study sure all bear proofing efforts are being areas for 35 bears fitted with VHF-only ra- implemented. dio collars and four bears fitted with a GPS- Daily monitoring of bear proof cans oc- VHF radio collar during each month of this curs to assist homeowners and indus- reporting period. Locations were obtained trial complexes with questions, dam- for the GPS-VHF bears. Fifty six mortalities ages and procedures to further bear from all causes were recorded. Den work proof their property and facilities. was conducted on all radio-collared females Maintain close communications and to determine reproductive status and obtain work with Bill Frey, Division Manager DNA samples from their cubs. and Kuchonnie Lewis, District Man- ager of Progressive Waste Solutions to Bear Management resolve damage/maintenance issues, LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager customer concerns and proper can dis- participated in a Safe Capture Chemical Im- tribution of bear proof cans. mobilization Course in order to maintain Maintain close communications and certification addressing the need to sedate work with the city of Patterson lead- bears. LDWF Private Lands biologists worked ers Mayor Rodney Grogan, Community to identify landowners willing to pursue Development Director Ryan Aucoin, habitat restoration within the Louisiana and Utilities Director Steve Bierhorst to black bear corridor. The Private Lands biolo- ensure new bear-proof cans are distrib- gists are in the process of connecting these uted to residents in newly constructed landowners with the restoration program homes in high nuisance areas, commu- that will best suit their needs. The Large nications/maintenance regarding dam- 18 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

aged bear-proof cans, and issues Education and with garbage pick-up. Outreach Continue to work on the Board of A large portion of outreach centered on Directors with the Bayou Teche hosting “Bear With Us” educator work- Black Bear Festival. shops. Two workshops were held be- Working with LDWF and St. Mary tween July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Parish to implement a No Feeding A total of 41 educators from Louisiana Bears Ordinance. participated in these professional devel- Sugar Ridge Apartment complex opment workshops and the majority of in Patterson began using tall side, educators were middle and high school “bear-proof” dumpsters at their teachers. facility to help with bear proofing efforts in that high nuisance area. Workshop length varied between a day- Worked with LDWF on nuisance long workshop to a more extensive 1.5 calls and monitoring bear traps in day workshop. Each educator workshop Patterson, Glencoe, Louisa and LA featured an overview of the LDWF Loui- Highway 317. siana black bear program presented by Distributed bear-proof garbage LDWF biologist(s). Participants were giv- cans to residents along LA Highway en the historical overview of the state’s 317. bear population, information about the Coordinated the placement of a current recovery efforts in Louisiana, bear-proof dumpster at the Bur- and black bear lessons to be utilized in guieres Memorial Boat Landing the classroom setting. Participants of located under the LA Highway 317 each workshop were required to take a bridge and adjacent to Cabot In- pre- and post-test, with questions com- dustries. prised of topics discussed throughout Participated with the Youth- Wet the course of the workshop. Additional- lands Program at the Palmetto ly, each participant completed an evalu- State Park through LSU AgCenter ation of the workshop, rating their “Bear Southwest Region Extension Asso- With Us!” workshop experience. ciate Natalie McElyea. Worked with the town of Berwick The following is a summary of each and the Bayside Village Apartments workshop hosted by LDWF: to replace slant top dumpsters Cypress Black Bayou Nature Cen- with bear-proof dumpsters due to ter - Benton, La. (February 2014) bear(s) getting into the non-bear- This workshop was held in conjunction proof dumpsters. with the 2014 Louisiana Environmental Progressive Waste Solutions re- Education annual conference. A total of ceived shipment of new bear-proof 15 educators were in attendance. The garbage can lids to repair damages workshop agenda included PowerPoint caused by garbage trucks and mis- presentations with topics including handling of bear-proof cans by gar- bears of the world and Louisiana black bage truck drivers. bear research. A total of four lessons Participated with outreach mate- applicable for the classroom setting rial during the Black Bear Festival. were demonstrated. Each participant Conducted black bear “proofing” received a certificate for seven hours presentations to the Franklin Ro- of instructional time to be used toward tary, Hattie Watts Elementary in needed professional continuing learning Patterson, Raintree Elementary in units (CLUs). Baldwin, Patterson Boy Scouts, and at the LDWF’s teacher workshop at Palmetto State Park in Abbeville. Palmetto Island State Park - Placed additional bear-proof -gar Abbeville La. (June 17-18, 2014) bage cans to further bear-proof A total of 25 educators were in atten- Kemper Williams Park and The dance at this 1.5 day workshop. Topics Atchafalaya Golf Course. covered within the agenda ranged from bears of North America to preventing conflicts with bears. A total of four lessons were demonstrated for use in the classroom. In addition, each participant TOP: All captured bears are marked with eartags and PIT engaged in a structured field activity, in tags. CENTER: Dewey Wills WMA black bear. BOTTOM: Garbage management remains our main challenge in coastal Louisiana. Office of Wildlife 19

A study of the gastric contents of feral swine was initiated this year. To date, nearly 10 percent of the stomachs examined contained some sort of animal matter. In conjunction to this study, feces from feral swine is being evaluated for the presence of novel parasites, unique to feral swine.

Smaller research projects include analysis of coyotes for stomach contents, heartworms, intestinal parasites and serological disease markers. Additionally, a study investigating the prevalence of the zoonotic parasiteBaylisasca - ris procyonis was initiated.

LDWF “Bear With Us workshop” attendants reviewing materials contained within the workshop The Wildlife Disease Program initiated a study binder into the interaction of waterfowl and feral swine in regards to the transmission of influ- which participants learned how to plot points “Bear Deterrents For Louisiana Outdoor enza viruses on Catahoula Lake, La. using a GPS, entered coordinates for potential Enthusiasts” - This publication provides black bear habitat, and gained an apprecia- suggestions of physical and psychological Disease investigations included several mortal- tion for the use of tracking devices in wildlife barriers applicable for the outdoor en- ity events involving birds, including a traumatic management. This field activity also allowed thusiast. These suggestions may help to injury event in waterfowl in northeast Louisi- participants to become familiar with a GPS unit ensure an enjoyable outdoor experience ana and a poisoning event in northwest Loui- prior to utilizing the device in their respective while hunting and recreating in Louisi- siana. classrooms. Upon completion of the -work ana bear country. Barriers and deterrents shop, participants received a certificate for 10 described include electric fencing, bear The Wildlife Disease Program participated in professional contact hours (CLUs) and a Gar- proof ice chests and use of bear spray. the treatment and rehabilitation of numerous min Etrex 20 GPS unit for use in the classroom. birds, amphibians and reptiles injured during an oil spill in northeast Louisiana. In summary, each participant of the “Bear With WILDLIFE DISEASE Us” workshops received the following work- The statewide Wildlife Disease Program was A study utilizing GPS technology and telemetry shop deliverables: administered by the State Wildlife Veterinarian was concluded in East Feliciana Parish to evalu- Workshop binder containing Louisiana and the Assistant State Wildlife Veterinarian. ate the movement and habitat utilization of fe- black bear factsheets, high school, mid- ral swine. Much information was gained from dle school and technology-based lesson Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance the study, including home ranges, feeding pat- plans, black line masters, rubrics, and ad- continued as 18 samples were submitted from terns, and vegetation densities of the bedding ditional resources all regions of the state to the Southeastern areas of feral swine. USB memory stick containing all lessons Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study laboratory. within the binder and copies of Power- Due to cessation of federal funding for this pro- Points presented during the workshop gram, only target animals such as neurological or emaciated deer, deer hit by cars, deer har- The Louisiana Black Bear outreach program vested adjacent to captive cervid facilities, and also provided educational information to escaped exotic cervids were tested. members of the general public and school age children. This method of outreach was ac- A study funded by the USFWS was continued complished through exhibitions at festivals and on Catahoula Lake to determine the status of other local events, presentations at school as- lead shot consumption by ducks and to evalu- semblies and public functions, and general dis- ate and compare the current lead shot content tribution of literature. of soil with historical levels.

The following literature was designed in 2013- Surveillance of feral swine for Brucellosis and 2014 in order to inform Louisiana residents of Pseudorabies was continued this year, with black bear safety: nearly 1,200 animals tested. To date, sampling “Preventing Bear Conflicts Around Your has revealed a 5 percent incidence of Swine Home” - This document provides tips on Brucellosis and a 12 percent incidence of Pseu- deterring bears from frequenting neigh- dorabies. Surveillance efforts will continue. Ad- borhoods. The publication provides -sug ditionally, LDWF cooperated with University of gestions and deterrents ranging from Louisiana at Monroe graduate students to in- proper garbage storage to the removal vestigate depredation of alligator nests by feral of attractants such as pet food bowls and swine. bird feeders. 20 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Land Development & Management

the WMAs are grouped by ecoregions - Gulf plantations, natural pine stands, and mixed WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT Coastal Plain (east and west) and Mississippi pine-hardwoods. Recent land additions includ- AREAS Alluvial Valley (north and south). ed 17,999 acres added to Peason Ridge WMA The Wildlife Division of LDWF currently manag- in April 2014. es over 1.1 million acres in its Wildlife Manage- West Gulf Coast Plain ment Area Program. These areas are distribut- (WGCP) WMAs A total of 112,666 user days were estimated ed across the state and are comprised of a vast (425,554 acres): for WGCP WMAs during FY 2013-2014. These array of habitat types. The WMA Program’s Alexander State Forest areas are readily accessible and very popu- mission is to deliver conservation priorities to Bayou Pierre lar with the public. Along with public hunting Louisiana’s landscape, as well as provide an ar- Bodcau and fishing opportunities, these areas provide ray of outdoor recreational opportunities to Camp Beauregard many types of non-consumptive outdoor activities. Managed deer hunts were conducted the public. The lands in the program serve to Clear Creek on several of the WMAs to collect accurate in- protect, conserve, replenish and manage the Elbow Slough formation on herd health and hunter success wildlife resources occurring on those areas. Fort Polk rates. Collectively, managed deer hunts on Habitats within these lands harbor and help Jackson-Bienville WGCP WMAs resulted in 8,696 hunter efforts conserve a multitude of endangered species Loggy Bayou such as the Louisiana black bear, red-cockaded accounting for 925 deer harvested. Marsh Bayou woodpecker and gopher tortoise. The major- Peason Ridge ity of these lands are available for the public Guided youth-only lottery turkey hunts were to utilize in recreational pursuits. Recreational Sabine conducted on Ft. Polk, Jackson-Bienville, Loggy opportunities range from a variety of hunting Sabine Island Bayou and Union WMAs. In addition to the reg- and fishing, to canoeing, hiking, ATV riding, Soda Lake ular physically challenged hunts scheduled on and berry picking. Habitats range from upland Union several WMAs, a lottery physically challenged pine-hardwood, to cypress tupelo, pine sa- Walnut Hill hunt was conducted on Sabine WMA. The Sa- vanna, bottomland hardwood, brackish marsh, West Bay bine physically challenged hunt is conducted in and the list goes on with many globally rare conjunction with the local organization known habitat types and plant communities as well. Habitat on these WMAs includes bottomland as HELP (Hunters Enriching the Lives of People). For administrative and management purposes, hardwoods, upland hardwood bottoms, pine Persons participating in the hunt are provided

Louisiana Wildlife Management Areas (FY 2013-2014)

TOP: Calcareous prairie on Bodcau WMA. BOTTOM: Successful youth lottery hunter on Jackson Beinville WMA. Office of Wildlife 21

were maintained and monitored by WGCP trails. Managed public hunts were also con- WMA personnel. ducted on several WMAs. Combined results for managed deer hunts were 1,347 hunter efforts Personnel also reviewed and monitored oil and with a total of 81 deer harvested. gas exploration activities and interstate- pipe line installations on several WGCP WMAs. On Sandy Hollow WMA, the USDA Natural Re- sources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wildlife East Gulf Coast Plain (EGCP) Habitat Incentive Program (prescribed -burn WMAs ing) and cogongrass control projects were (205,846 acres) completed. Three miles of bird dog field trial Hutchinson Creek courses were maintained, as well as six dove Joyce fields and 10 acres of food plots for upland birds. Alligator egg collections were moni- Water control structures placed on Bayou Lake Ramsey Savannah tored by EGCP personnel on Manchac, Pearl Pierre WMA Impoundment. Manchac Maurepas Swamp River and Maurepas Swamp WMAs. A total of 12,840 eggs were collected. Pearl River food and transportation to blinds and assisted Sandy Hollow with recovering/cleaning deer and any special EGCP personnel maintained 98 wood duck needs. The hunt is intended to get people into Tangipahoa Parish School Board boxes. Eighty-three boxes were added to the the field that may not otherwise have an op- Tunica Hills 15 previously monitored in 2012-2013. Prior portunity to hunt. to Hurricane Isaac, 192 boxes were maintained Habitat types on these WMAs include marshes but were destroyed. Plans are in place to re- Except for Bayou Pierre, Elbow Slough, Marsh and swamps, natural longleaf and plantation place these boxes. Personnel also participat- Bayou and Walnut Hill, which are owned by loblolly pine stands, bottomland hardwoods, ed in the statewide mourning dove banding LDWF, at least a portion of the remaining WGCP and rugged loess bluff uplands. In July 2013, program, responded to numerous deer and WMAs are leased free of charge to LDWF for 4,960 acres were acquired and added to Mau- nuisance animal complaints, provided techni- public use from the landowners (Hancock Tim- repas Swamp WMA. Additionally, 480 acres cal assistance to the public, conducted public ber, Roy O. Martin, Plum Creek, U.S. Army, U.S. were added to Sandy Hollow WMA in October meetings, and collected white-tailed deer brain Forest Service, Forest Investments, Calcasieu 2013. and lymph node samples across the region for School Board, Molpus, Weyerhaeuser and the CWD testing. EGCP personnel continued to State of Louisiana). To continue these lease ar- A total of 90,437 user days were estimated for work with the deer program manager to collect eas, LDWF personnel are required to meet and EGCP WMAs during FY 2013-2014. An alliga- deer reproductive data to better understand negotiate annual agreements with the - land tor season was available on Joyce, Manchac, deer breeding periods within the ecoregion. owners. The leases help the landowners and Maurepas Swamp and Pearl River WMAs with LDWF to properly manage and maintain these a harvest of 1,233 alligators by 17 commercial Feral hogs have become a serious nuisance properties for wildlife and public recreation. alligator trappers. Recreation alligator harvest and ecological threat throughout the state. opportunities were also made available to the Aggressive control methods have been used WGCP personnel participated in a variety of public. To facilitate recreational alligator -har on certain WMAs, such as Pearl River, to re- Wildlife Division activities. These include envi- vest, 59 additional people were selected by duce their numbers. Each year, feral hog blood ronmental assessments, technical assistance, lottery, issued three tags each, and harvested samples are collected and tested for a variety research, planning, development, manage- an additional 137 alligators on these four- ar of diseases. ment, and alligator and nuisance animal pro- eas. EGCP personnel maintained existing WMA grams. A total of 420 wood duck nesting boxes boundaries, buildings, equipment, roads and

LEFT: Longleaf pine savanna on Lake Ramsay WMA. CENTER: Successful waterfowl hunt on Pearl River WMA. RIGHT: Prescribed burning on Sandy Hollow WMA. 22 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

LEFT: Greentree pump project on Russell Sage WMA. CENTER: Biologist collecting data on managed deer hunt at Boeuf WMA.RIG HT: Banded wood duck hen.

Mississippi Alluvial Valley - mary management objective for this property Sicily Island Hills WMAs. Bayou Macon, Big Lake, North (MAVN) WMAs is to be recreational fishing. The acreage added Boeuf, Buckhorn, Ouachita and Russell Sage (132,330 acres): to Ouachita WMA is wetland mitigation prop- WMAs provided quality waterfowl hunting for Bayou Macon erty acquired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- 10,693 hunters, including some who traveled neers (USACE). from out of state. Waterfowl impoundments Ben Lily on Ouachita and Russell Sage WMAs were not Big Colewa Bayou MAVN biologists conducted a wide range of ac- operational during a portion of the season due Big Lake tivities including research and surveys involving to ongoing pump replacement projects. A total Boeuf mourning doves, Canada geese, wood ducks, of 10,197 small game hunters enjoyed hunting Buckhorn wild turkey, bald eagles, bobwhite quail, shore- on MAVN WMAs. Bussey Brake birds, white-tailed deer, and other species. Ad- Floy Ward McElroy ditional effort was expended conducting public MAVN WMA technicians performed a variety of Ouachita meetings, interacting with various universities development and maintenance functions such Russell Sage as well as parish, state and federal agencies in as boundary marking, road maintenance, water Sicily Island reference to projects of mutual concern, con- control structure operation, moist soil manage- ducting the alligator management program at ment, timber marking, shorebird management, The primary habitat type found on MAVN the ecoregion level, and various other projects. beaver and other nuisance animal control, farm WMAs is the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley contract supervision, equipment maintenance, bottomland hardwood forest, with the- ex Recreational opportunities were provided to public user data collection, vegetation control, ception of Sicily Island Hills which provides a thousands of hunters, fishers, campers, sightse- food plot planting, and reforestation. They also unique mixed pine upland hardwoods habitat ers and other public users. A total of 92,565 user assisted biological staff in conducting managed on the fringe of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. days were estimated for MAVN WMAs during hunts and research projects. A total of 292 Several of the WMAs feature reclaimed agri- FY 2013-2014. Deer hunting was the most pop- wood duck nesting boxes were maintained and cultural lands which have been reforested with ular utilization of these WMAs. Either-sex deer monitored by MAVN WMA personnel. bottomland forest hardwood species. Moist hunts, with mandatory deer checks were held soil management units and greentree reser- on the WMAs, with 3,309 user-days recorded The “Wish I Could ATV Trail Ride,” an annual voirs are managed to provide habitat for wa- and 545 deer harvested. An additional 15,338 one-day ATV trail riding event, was held on terfowl and other wetland birds. hunters harvested 994 deer during the either- Boeuf WMA in June 2013. The event attracted sex gun, primitive weapon and archery hunts 2,850 ATV riders who entered the WMA to Recent additions to lands within the MAVN where self-clearing permits were utilized. Youth ride the 17-mile long trail. This ATV trail ride is WMA ecoregion include Ben Lily WMA (247 deer and dove hunters on Big Lake, Boeuf, Buck- sponsored by a charitable organization and is acres), Bussey Brake (2,614 acres), and 2,954 horn, Ouachita, Russell Sage and Floy McElroy legislatively mandated. Even though this event acres added to Ouachita WMA. Ben Lily is a WMAs had a successful season. A deer hunt for is extremely popular, it has caused extensive small tract adjacent to Chemin-a-haut State women who participated in the Becoming an ecological damage to hundreds of acres of bot- Park and Bayou Bartholomew. It was donated Outdoors Woman program was conducted on tomland hardwood habitat, virtually destroy- to LDWF by The Nature Conservancy in 2013. Floy McElroy WMA. Deer and waterfowl hunting the original ATV trail. Plans for the area include limited lottery only ing opportunities were provided for wheelchair hunts, the inclusion of horse riding trails, and a confined hunters on Big Colewa Bayou,- Buck canoe/kayak launch into Bayou Bartholomew. horn and Ouachita WMAs. Turkey hunting was Bussey Brake is a man-made reservior. The pri- provided on Bayou Macon, Big Lake, Boeuf and Office of Wildlife 23

Mississippi Alluvial Valley - The WMAs are maintained and managed to South (MAVS) WMAs provide outdoor recreation opportunities for (259,364 acres): all user groups, including both consumptive Acadiana Conservation Corridor and non-consumptive. WMA personnel - per formed a variety of development and main- Attakapas tenance functions such as boundary marking, Dewey W. Wills building maintenance, road maintenance, wa- Elm Hall ter control structure operation, moist soil man- Grassy Lake agement, beaver and other nuisance animal Little River control, farm contract supervision, equipment Pomme de Terre maintenance, public user data collection, veg- Richard K. Yancey etation control, food plot planting, reforesta- Sherburne tion, and conducting managed hunts. Spring Bayou Thistlethwaite A total of 216,339 user days were estimated for MAVS WMAs during FY 2013-2014. Turkey telemetry research project on Habitat types range from mixed pine-hard- Sherburne WMA. woods to backwater bottomland hardwoods White-tailed deer is the most popular game interspersed with agricultural lands, and cy- animal hunted on the MAVS WMAs. Either-sex press-tupelo swamps to open-water areas. deer hunts, with mandatory deer checks were food plots. Feral hogs have populated many of One USFWS Refuge (Atchafalaya NWR) and held on the WMAs, with 12,049 user-days the WMAs and damaged the resource. Hunting four USACE properties (Bayou des Ourses, recorded and 1,103 deer harvested. An addi- is used as a tool to help reduce feral hog popu- Dewey W. Wills tract, Little River tract and tional 735 deer were harvested during other lations. Hog hunting with dogs was allowed Shatters Bayou) are also managed within the either-sex, bucks-only, youth/handicapped, under permit. MAVS. In June 2014, LDWF entered into a co- archery and muzzleloader hunts, where self- operative agreement to add 1,109 acres of US- clearing permits were utilized. Turkey hunts Biologists and technicians maintain and moni- ACE property to Little River WMA and 256 of were held on seven WMAs, where 33 turkeys tor over 530 wood duck boxes, conduct pre- USACE property to Dewey W. Wills WMA. were harvested by an estimated 925 users. season wood duck banding, and collect sam- This includes 27 youth hunters who partici- ples for CWD, avian influenza and other disease MAVS personnel administer and manage a va- pated in the Sherburne, Spring Bayou, Grassy testing. They also assisted with numerous nui- riety of wildlife oriented activities. These per- Lake, and Pomme de Terre WMAs youth lottery sance animal complaints, illegal captive deer sonnel work in conjunction with and provide hunts. A member of NWTF or MAVS staff mem- and sick deer complaints. Biologists assisted technical advice to many different agencies, ber served as a guide for each youth hunter to LSU researchers with ongoing research proj- including other state agencies, USFWS, USACE, ensure a quality hunt and to teach youth safe ects. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources turkey hunting techniques. Squirrel and rabbit (LDNR), Louisiana Department of Environmen- hunting is also very popular on the ecoregion’s Youth lottery deer and duck hunts were also tal Quality (LDEQ), USDA, and local parish enti- bottomland hardwood WMAs, accounting for held in MAVS, with great success on these ties. MAVS personnel helped deliver alligator over 24,740 user days. Waterfowl hunting is hunts. Twenty-one youth waterfowl lottery and nuisance animal programs and assisted very popular as well on MAVS WMAs in moist hunters harvested 109 ducks, for an average with program projects such as dove and wood soil impoundments, greentree reservoirs, of 5.2 ducks per youth hunter. One-hundred duck banding, as well as deer, woodcock, tur- swamps and flooded bottoms. Waterfowl user and ten youth deer lottery hunters harvested key, black bear and nongame research projects. days totaled over 12,260 for this period. Dove 27 deer on 18 hunts. Youth hunters observe fields are maintained, along with many acres of many deer on these hunts. The hunts are held in refuge areas set aside for youth hunts, where these youth hunters have a quality hunt and learn about hunting in a safe environment. Wheelchair-bound waterfowl and deer hunts were held in MAVS with much participation and success from this group of hunters.

Alligator applications were reviewed, and licenses and tags were issued to 70 WMA hunters. There were also seven WMA alligator hunters who bid on tags on the WMAs, with all but one WMA hunter participating in the season. One hunter was not allowed to complete the hunt, due to failure to follow contract guidelines. These hunters filled 312 tags. This lottery hunt is done through an application process, with each hunter selected receiving three tags. This gives the public an opportunity to participate in the alligator harvest program. LEFT: Parking area construction on Dewey W. Wills WMA.RIG HT: Chemical control of invasive exotic vegetation on Sherburne WMA. 24 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Major project being completed included: our forest and wildlife resources in the future. Buckhorn, Ouachita, Red River and Sherburne completion of the Sherburne WMA head- General habitat inventories were conducted WMAs. Initial measurements and treatments quarters renovation. to facilitate the development of management were completed on the Ouachita WMA plan- installation of handicapped restrooms at prescriptions for Dewey Wills, Grassy Lake, tation study in order to investigate wildlife re- the Sherburne WMA campground. Little River, Loggy Bayou, Ouachita, and Three sponse and tree growth to various silvicultural completion of Phase 1 of the Spring Rivers WMAs treatments. Bayou Boat Launch Project. completion of ATV trail projects on Harvest preparations including timber sale Our GIS program continued with emphasis on Pomme de Terre, Sherburne and Little development, inventory, regeneration counts, updating timber sale data, boundaries, roads River WMAs. timber marking, GIS map development, sale and streams data input relative to our WMA for- proposal preparations, sale amendments, and est management and development activities. Routine maintenance activities on MAVS areas contract development were completed on Work continued on the comprehensive forest included road grading, culvert replacement, Bayou Bacon, Boeuf, Dewey Wills, Grassy Lake, management database with support from part- road and trail repairs, drainage improvements, and Sandy Hollow WMAs. Harvests to improve ner of the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Ven- beaver control, boundary work, sign replace- wildlife habitat were initiated and/or com- ture and Gulf Coastal Plains/Ozark LCC. ment, self-clearing station maintenance, veg- pleted on Big Lake, Boeuf, Dewey Wills, Grassy etation control, equipment maintenance, and Lake, Ouachita, Red River, Russell Sage, Sandy Growth Monitoring Plots were reevaluated on facility upkeep. Efforts to improve the road sys- Hollow, and Walnut Hill WMAs. Elbow Slough, Sandy Hollow and Three Rivers tem on Dewey Wills WMA continue. Repairs on WMAs. These permanent plots aid in monitor- all WMA roads and trails were made as funding Chemical treatments of invasive/non-native ing habitat conditions and effects of our forest allocations allowed. species, primarily Chinese tallow tree and co- management program on the habitat compo- gon grass continued on Alexander State - For nents represented on the WMAs. WMA personnel conducted user interviews est and Sandy Hollow and Grassy Lake WMAs. and operated check stations. Wildlife food plots Invasive control was initiated on the Acadiana A “Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survival” were also planted on several MAVS WMAs. Conservation Corridor. Beaver control activities project continued on Sherburne WMA with continued on Big Lake, Boeuf, Buckhorn, Rus- seven stations and on Pearl River WMA with sell Sage and Dewey Wills WMAs. No forest loss two stations. Results from this study will aid us FORESTRY PROGRAM was reported this year from beaver activity. in understanding avian use of the various silvi- The mission of the Forest Management Pro- cultural treatments applied across WMAs. gram is to improve forest and wildlife habitat The annual statewide WMA mast survey was on WMAs through sound forest management, conducted to estimate annual mast produc- Forestry Section personnel continued to imple- reforestation practices and active forest/wild- tion. The survey is used as an indicator of mast ment the Louisiana Statewide Red-cockaded life research activities. availability for wildlife as well as a predictor of Woodpecker (RCW) Safe Harbor Program (SHP) small mammal populations. The mast survey is to benefit the federally and state endangered Customized wildlife habitat/forest invento- also used to map local abundance which aids in RCW. LDWF has entered into a total of 14 Safe ries were completed this year on Little River, seed collection efforts. Harbor Management Agreements, enrolling Ouachita, Pearl River, Pomme de Terre, Sicily Is- 494,855 acres in the RCW SHP with 126 base- land, Spring Bayou, and Tunica Hills WMAs. Ap- Our reforestation program supplement planted line RCW family groups and one above-base- proximately 38,550 acres were inventoried this approximately 120 acres on Grassy Lake WMA. line RCW family group. LDWF personnel con- year under an inventory method that measures This planting effort is one part of a larger study ducted annual site visits to 13 SHP properties both forest and wildlife variables. This method evaluating harvest patch size and seedling sur- to confirm compliance with the voluntary RCW helps us both identify present conditions and vival/sapling development. Hardwood planta- management activities that each landowner better understand the long term changes of tions were inventoried and evaluated on Boeuf, agreed to implement on their property and

LEFT: Timber marking on Boeuf WMA. RIGHT: Red-cockaded woodpecker banding at Alexander State Forest WMA. Office of Wildlife 25

Native coastal prairie southwest Louisiana. to provide technical assistance regarding RCW management. LDWF hosted a Private Lands meeting for all SHP participating- land Program owners in Bastrop, La., and conducted a The Private Lands Program offers assis- field tour of two Safe Harbor properties. tance to landowners, land managers, Forestry Section personnel continue to hunting clubs and others who desire to promote SHP via press releases, presen- improve habitat and/or manage wildlife tations at public forums and the LDWF on their property. Assistance can vary website. from answering simple questions to a comprehensive written management Forestry Section personnel performed plan. Assistance is not only available for RCW demographic monitoring and traditional game species such as deer, management for 13 RCW family groups ducks and turkey, but includes all wildlife at Alexander State Forest WMA located and their habitats. Most Private Lands in Woodworth, La. These activities in- Program biologists are responsible for cluded: annual activity status checks of three to five parishes, with those along over 200 RCW cavity trees, adult RCW the coast responsible for six to nine par- capturing and color banding, RCW nest ishes. Killdeer Eggs checks and nestling color banding, RCW fledgling checks to determine survivor- Many landowners are already working ship, RCW artificial cavity installation with a natural resource professional, and maintenance, midstory control in 14 such as a consulting forester, or are en- RCW cluster sites, and providing techni- rolled in state or federal programs such cal assistance to Louisiana Department as DMAP, Forest Stewardship and/or of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) staff USDA-NRCS programs such as the Wet- regarding timber management to - ben land Reserve Program, Conservation Re- efit the RCW. serve Program or Environmental Quality Incentives Program. LDWF Private Lands Forestry Section personnel performed biologists cooperate with other natural RCW demographic monitoring and resource professionals to achieve the management for 39 RCW family groups landowner’s objectives. Most impor- located at Jackson-Bienville WMA and tantly, landowners are encouraged to other lands owned by the Weyerhaeus- develop a cooperative relationship with Florida Paspalum and Bushmint er Company. These activities include: LDWF Private Lands biologists and other adult RCW capturing and color band- natural resource professionals. Wildlife ing, RCW nest checks and nestling color habitat is dynamic, and with the assis- banding, RCW fledgling checks to de- tance of knowledgeable wildlife profes- termine survivorship, and RCW artificial sionals, landowners can provide produc- cavity installation and maintenance. tive habitat for wildlife while meeting other goals they may have, such as in- In addition, Forestry Section personnel come generation and optimizing recre- provided technical assistance to US- ational opportunity. FWS staff performing RCW demographic monitoring for 17 RCW family groups at During FY 2013-2014, Private Lands Big Branch Marsh NWR in Lacombe, La. Program biologists made habitat recommendations impacting 457,756 acres by Other survey and research projects on conducting 340 site visits and delivering the WMAs that were supported by For- 48 written habitat management plans. estry Section staff involved wildlife use These same staff members conducted of forested habitats and their response 53 deer browse surveys. They fielded to various silvicultural treatments. Con- 8,801 requests for information from the tinued research efforts, especially long- public. Under an agreement with USDA term, will be sought and cooperatively -NRCS, Private Lands Program biologists engaged in to learn more about the for- conducted 359 inspections of Wetland est systems we manage across the state. Reserve Program properties to assess Continuing education for the Forestry conditions and make recommendations Section staff was practiced through -par for management. This project provided ticipation at various symposiums, work- these biologists an opportunity to im- shops, seminars, research meetings and pact an additional 104,913 acres of wild- conferences throughout the year, in and life habitat. out-of-state. Alligator emerging from winter den in spring. 26 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

on WRP/ACEP easements in Louisiana, which currently total approximately 298,000 acres. Additional accomplishments in FY 2013-2014 include working with numerous partners and states through Conservation Delivery Networks to develop a tri-state project proposal for the newly created Regional Conservation Partner- ship Program for Louisiana, Mississippi and Ar- kansas. This project involves creating additional wetland habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife and enhancing water quantity and quality on the working agricultural landscape in northeast Louisiana. Farm Bill program coordination from many states through the National Bobwhite Technical Committee resulted in additional lands becoming eligible for CRP under LEFT: Biologist assesses property with Morehouse Parish landowner. RIGHT: Landowner the CP33 practice for quail and other grassland presented with sign upon certification of his property in the Forest Stewardship Program. birds. Input was also provided on concise recommendations to the Farm Service Agency on implementing a practice for CRP that will Private Lands Program biologists are actively 2013-2014, the program provided direct input provide incentives for landowners to enhance engaged with other agencies and organizations on many conservation programs, such as the habitat for quail and other grassland birds on to coordinate conservation delivery efforts in Agricultural Conservation Easement Program upland CRP tracts in Louisiana which total ap- Louisiana. Program biologists chair the LA Pre- (ACEP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), proximately 40,000 acres. Lastly, the program scribed Fire Council and Louisiana Conserva- Environmental Quality Incentives Program participated in a partner effort between USDA- tion Delivery Committee. They are also active (EQIP), Regional Conservation Partnership Pro- NRCS, USFWS and The Nature Conservancy to partners on the Texas/Louisiana Longleaf Pine gram, Conservation Stewardship Program(CSP) revise the ACEP program ranking criteria for Task Force, West-Central Louisiana Ecosystem and Working Lands For Wildlife Program includ- Louisiana to ensure that the program favors Partnership, Louisiana/Mississippi Alluvial Val- ed in the newly passed Agricultural Act of 2014. those tracts that provide the best opportunity ley Conservation Delivery Network (CDN), and In addition, the program conducted four train- to restore wildlife habitat and wetland hydrol- other groups focused on natural resource man- ing sessions for Private Lands Program staff and ogy. agement of private land in Louisiana. The Loui- developed articles providing updates on chang- siana/Mississippi CDN, along with the Lower es made to conservation programs that impact Grants Mississippi Valley Joint Venture, have created Louisiana landowners and wildlife habitat. The During FY 2013-2014, three separate State a priority planning tool and a landowner da- Farm Bill Program also successfully established Wildlife Grants were administered under this tabase for that region that are assisting these an agreement with the USDA-NRCS to provide program with assistance from the Private biologists in strategically identifying areas to technical assistance for the Wetland Reserve Lands Program. Both the East Gulf Coastal Plain focus efforts toward conservation delivery in Program (WRP) and Agricultural Conservation and West Gulf Coastal Plain Prescribed Burn the region. Easement Program (ACEP). This agreement Initiatives provided funding to enhance wildlife provides funding to develop wildlife habitat habitat on privately-owned forestlands in Loui- Private Lands Program biologists are also re- management recommendations in response siana. Cumulatively these initiatives funded sponsible for carrying out activities such as to Compatible Use Authorization requests prescribed burning activities on 31 tracts to- waterfowl and dove banding, collection of biological data for research, habitat evaluations, disease investigations, administration of the alligator program, delivery of the DMAP program, and public outreach.

Farm Bill/Grants Program Farm Bill The Farm Bill Program provides support for many species management programs and the Private Lands Program within LDWF. A primary function of the program is to provide input on conservation and other programs contained within the Farm Bill at the national, state and local level to enhance wildlife habitat. During FY

LEFT: Biologist scores elk harvested by a Louisiana resident. RIGHT: Biologist instructs students in Biology lab at UL Monroe. Office of Wildlife 27

Blazing Star taling 4,796 acres in FY 2013-2014. These activities will continue during the current fiscal year as additional State Wildlife Grant funding has been obtained. In addition, a Na- tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant was secured in FY 2013-2014 to fund prescribed burning activities in north Louisiana on 6,000 acres of private forestlands.

Pine Savannah site in St. Tammany parish enrolled in the EGCP Prescribed Burn Initiative. Pitcher plant and other understory species respond after prescribed burning.

Education

Conservation education is a vital part of the LDWF mission. The Education Program is a component of the Wildlife Division and focuses on three main areas: Hunter Education, Aquat- ic Education, and General Wildlife Education/ Outdoor Skill Development.

Staffing for the Education Program consists of 12 educators who work in the field, three supervisors who have field responsibility in addition to their supervisory duties, one National Archery in Schools coordinator, one administrative specialist, one education manager, and one education program manager. Three wildlife technicians staff LDWF-operated shooting ranges, and one maintenance repairer is responsible for maintenance of an education facility, including a shotgun and air rifle range. requirements, and these exemptions, includ- Hunter education classes are taught by Educa- ing the POST/military exemption, apply only in tion Program staff and a network of volunteer Louisiana. The regular Louisiana hunter edu- instructors. There are approximately 1,500 vol- cation certification card is honored in all50 unteer hunter education instructors in Louisi- HUNTER EDUCATION states. ana. Volunteer instructors complete an instruc- Hunter and bowhunter education classes cover tor training course and background check prior firearm safety and operation, hunter ethics, Students have two options for taking a hunter to being certified. Education Program staff co- principles of wildlife management, outdoor education class. The classroom course consists ordinate the delivery of classes with volun- survival, and treestand safety. Hunter educa- of 10 hours of instruction, usually spread over teers, recruit and train volunteer instructors, tion certification is mandatory for hunters born two to three days. The home-study course and keep volunteer instructors supplied with on or after Sept. 1, 1969. There are exceptions consists of an interactive online or CD based materials to teach classes. In FY 2013-2014, to the hunter education requirement that al- course that the student can complete at home 116 new volunteer instructors were trained low persons to hunt without hunter education and is followed by a mandatory four to six hour through 10 instructor courses. A volunteer certification if they are directly supervised by field day event. The field day reinforces the les- instructor workshop was held at Camp Grant someone 18 or older with hunter education sons learned in the home-study version and Walker in Pollock, La., with 128 instructors in certification or by a licensed hunter born prior provides an opportunity for hands-on learning. attendance. Service and performance awards to Sept. 1, 1969. An exemption is also provided Both the classroom course and the home-study were presented to volunteer instructors. The for persons with a current POST certification field day include a live-fire exercise where stu- time volunteer instructors and volunteer range or military experience, and a hunter education dents must demonstrate that they can safely officers give to delivery of hunter education exemption card is issued to those who qualify. handle and discharge a firearm. classes and shooting range operation is used as Most states have mandatory hunter education in-kind match for the hunter education federal grant. In FY 2013-2014, volunteers contributed 22,147 hours of service time. 28 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Student Certification Shooting Range/Training outdoor education environment in an urban Total hunter education certifications declined Facilities setting. A classroom, shotgun range, archery from last fiscal year (15,817 in FY 2012-2013). Two education centers and four shooting rang- range and air rifle range are used for hunter The home-study version continues to increase es are available to the public and managed by education instruction and recreational - shoot in popularity as the number and proportion of the LDWF Education Program. ing opportunities. The facility is staffed by one students choosing this option increased in FY manager and one technician. 2013-2014 (3,039 students for 19 percent in FY Bodcau Shooting Range 2012-2013). Demand for bowhunter education This range is located in Bossier Parish on the Honey Island Shooting Range continues to decline as this requirement is no Bodcau WMA. Accommodations for public The Honey Island Shooting range is located longer mandatory to hunt with archery equip- use include 25 shooting points on the rifle/ on the Pearl River WMA in St. Tammany Par- ment on national wildlife refuges in Louisiana. handgun range and a shotgun range with four ish. The range is managed under an agreement Certification details are as follows: manual and one remote controlled clay target with Southeast Louisiana Firearms Safety, Inc. thrower. The range is open to the public three (SLFS). SLFS is a non-profit organization staffed Hunter Education days a week and is staffed by one technician. by volunteers that maintains and operates the range for public use. Shotgun, rifle and hand- Course # Courses # Students Percentile Woodworth Education Center gun shooting opportunities are available to the Type The Woodworth Education Center located in public. The range is open to the public three Classroom Rapides Parish contains a classroom, lodging days per week. There is a $6 per day fee to use 382 11,864 79% Course facilities and a public shooting range. Range the range that is collected by SLFS. Some of the Home facilities consist of a rifle range, handgun range SLFS volunteers also serve as hunter education Study/ 101 3,114 21% and a five-stand shotgun range. The range is instructors and offer hunter education field Field Day open for public access and receives a high de- day courses at the range. Total 483 14,978 gree of use. The range is staffed by one wildlife technician and a part-time range officer with assistance provided by the manager. Volun- AQUATIC EDUCATION teer help to operate the range is provided by LDWF’s Education Program introduces people Bowhunter Education the Bayou State Muzzleloaders Association and to the sport of fishing and promotes awareness Four bowhunter education classes were- of other volunteers. An effort is being made to of Louisiana’s aquatic resources. This is accom- fered, with 16 students certified. increase volunteer recruitment to assist with plished through fishing clinics, camps, teacher range duties. Volunteers are certified through workshops and distribution of publications. Hunting Incidents the NRA Range Officers Safety Course. Aquatic education programs are delivered by During FY 2013-2014, there were 17 reported Education Program staff and volunteers.- Dur hunting incidents involving injury or death. Sherburne Shooting Range ing FY 2013-2014, volunteer aquatic education Two of the 17 resulted in fatalities. Three of the Located in Pointe Coupee Parish at the Sher- volunteers provided 12,881 hours of service incidents involved falls from an elevated stand. burne WMA, the Sherburne range consists of which was used as in-kind match for the aquat- The remainder involved firearms. Incidents two shotgun ranges, one archery range, one ic education federal grant. were compiled and entered into the Interna- handgun range and one rifle range. It is oper- tional Hunter Education Incident Database. ated by one technician and is open to the pub- Fishing Clinics Information on these incidents was presented lic seven days per week. Fifty-five aquatic education clinics were held to instructors at the 2014 Volunteer Instructor across the state, with 7,343 people partici- Workshop. Education Program staff and volun- Waddill Outdoor Education Center and pating. Subjects covered in aquatic education teer instructors are placing additional empha- Refuge clinics include outdoor ethics, fish identifica- sis on treestand safety in their hunter educa- The Waddill Outdoor Education Center and tion, tackle selection, casting and fishing tech- tion classes and field days. Refuge in East Baton Rouge Parish provides an niques. Participants also had an opportunity to go fishing. A week-long fishing day camp for Primary causes for these incidents were as follows:

Hunting Incidents (FY 2013-2014) Type # Victims Careless Handling of Firearm 6 Failure to Use a Fall Restraint Device 3 Trigger Caught on Object 2 Failure to Identify Target 2 Failure to Check Beyond Target 2 Faulty Equipment 1 Shooter Stumbled & Fell 1 Total Incidents 17

LEFT: Kids fishing event. RIGHT: Alligator hatchlings in the classroom. Office of Wildlife 29

LEFT: FUN Camp at Indian Lake. RIGHT: FUN Camp with Biologist Supervisor Dana Norsworthy. youth aged 10-15 was held for the second time bring this message back into the classroom. and meetings to ensure successful preparation at the Woodworth Outdoor Education Center. Partial funding was made possible through for receiving paddlefish eggs in the spring. Twenty youth participated and learned about a grant by the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Teachers then participated in the spring pad- fishing techniques, fish identification, fish Program, who partners with LDWF to host this dlefish spawn where they received paddlefish cleaning, boating basics and aquatic ecology. workshop. Twenty-one teachers were trained eggs to hatch and raise in their classrooms. and equipped to return to their respective ju- The paddlefish fingerlings were then returned Publications risdictions and train additional teachers about to the LDWF Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery. Three publications were distributed to teach- bringing wetland education into the classroom. Schools brought students on a field trip to the ers in Louisiana schools for classroom use. hatchery to return their classroom raised fish. These publications promote appreciation of Coastal Wetland Workshops The hatchery then released the student-raised aquatic resources and habitats. Coastal Wetlands Workshops were held to train paddlefish into suitable aquatic habitats. Dur- “Fishing For Fun” - 7,558 distributed teachers about wetlands ecology in coastal ing the 2013-2014 school year, 23 teachers and “Let’s Go Fishing” - 7,525 distributed habitats. “Wonder of Wetlands” manuals and 2,300 students participated in the NFC project “Finnie the Fingerling” - 4,996 distributed other resources were provided to help prepare teachers to deliver wetland education to their Teacher Workshops students. Two workshops were held in which GENERAL WILDLIFE Teacher workshops were conducted to pro- 29 teachers were trained. vide training in aquatic education that can be EDUCATION and brought back to the classroom. The following Native Fish in the Classroom Outdoor Skill workshops were conducted: Native Fish in the Classroom (NFC) is - amul tidisciplinary, classroom-based aquaculture Development Wetland Education for Teachers stewardship project for middle school and high Education Program staff are involved in a va- (WETSHOP) school students. The goal of the NFC project riety of activities beyond hunter and aquatic WETSHOP was held July 6-11, 2014 at the is to develop an attitude of natural resource education. Staff provide information and make Grand Isle Marine Laboratory. WETSHOP is a stewardship and to create a constructive, ac- presentations on topics of interest to civic or- week-long teacher workshop that focuses on tive learning situation in which students can ganizations, school groups and others. Outdoor the important role wetlands play in our coastal explore strategies for sustaining aquatic eco- skill development programs and efforts have ecosystem. Teachers spent time learning about systems. Students obtain hands-on, science- increased in recent years. Demand is high for wetland plant communities, aquatic life, how based knowledge of the state’s aquatic re- programs that teach beginners about getting fragile coastal ecosystems can be, and how to sources. Teachers attended several workshops started in hunting, fishing and the shooting sports. In recognition that funding and support for conservation is directly linked hunters, fishers and shooters, the LDWF Education Program has expanded its efforts to recruit and teach skills to new outdoor enthusiasts.

National Hunting & Fishing Day The general public is invited to join LDWF and other conservation partners in an open house atmosphere that involves hands-on activities and information about conservation. The Edu- cation Section provided training to the public in the safe use of shooting and fishing equipment. Four LDWF-sponsored events were held at the following locations: Bodcau WMA, Mon- roe Field Office, Woodworth Outdoor Educa- tion Center and Waddilldoor Out Education Private Lands information booth at National Hunting and Fishing Day. Center and Refuge. 30 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Archery in Louisiana Schools Becoming an Outdoors Archery in Louisiana Woman (BOW) Schools (ALAS) BOW is a popular program with women ALAS is Louisiana’s version of the Na- interested in learning about outdoor tional Archery in the Schools Program recreation. During the BOW weekend (NASP). ALAS promotes international workshop, education staff and volun- style target archery as part of the physi- teers conduct classes on a variety of cal education curriculum for grades outdoor skills, including shooting, fish- 4-12. The curriculum covers archery ing, canoeing, hunting, orienteering, history, safety, technique, equipment, camping, and wildlife appreciation. One mental concentration, core strengthen- BOW workshop was conducted in FY ing physical fitness, and self-improve- 2013-2014 with 135 participants and a ment. The ALAS state tournament was Beyond BOW deer hunt was conducted held in March 2014 at the mega-shelter of Floy McElroy WMA. in Alexandria. Thirty schools were represented and 656 archers in the elemen- Louisiana Women in tary, middle and high school divisions the Wild (LWW) participated. The Benton Elementary LWW is a recruitment and retention pro- School team qualified for the national gram that strives to introduce women to NASP tournament in Kentucky, finish- the outdoors through hands-on learning 8th. Benton Elementary then went ing. One workshop was held to intro- on to compete In the NASP World Tour- duce the participants to the basics of nament in Wisconsin and placed first, hunting and another was held to teach bringing home the World Champion tro- fishing basics. Approximately 50 wom- phy to Louisiana. en participated in the two workshops. Hunting Heritage mentor and The hunting workshop was followed by Louisiana Hunting apprentice with first deer. a hunting trip where the workshop- at Heritage Program tendees were selected by lottery to par- (LHHP) ticipate in either a deer or duck hunting The LHHP is a program to recruit and trip. The fishing workshop was followed develop new hunters by matching indi- by a fishing trip to Grand Isle for work- viduals who want to learn to hunt (ap- shop attendees. prentices) with experienced hunters (mentors). Many individuals have an in- Families terest in hunting but lack the social net- Understanding Nature work to become involved. Once accept- (FUN) Camp ed in the program a pairing is made of Families Understanding Nature provides an apprentice with a mentor who agrees both fun and education to a parent and to take the apprentice under their guid- youth through a weekend of staff-lead ance. Since the program began 67 ap- outdoor activities. Family members are prentices and 30 mentors have signed introduced to archery, rifle and shotgun up, with 17 new pairings being made for shooting, kayaking, fishing and camping. FY 2013-2014. The education staff participated in two FUN Camps during FY 2013-2014. One camp was Mother/Child and the other was Father/Child. Hunting Heritage mentor and apprentice duck hunt Office of Wildlife 31 Coastal & nongame Resources

Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge

Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge (RWR), located in Based on the original deed of donation, the coastal Cameron and Vermilion parishes, was primary goal of RWR is to provide a refuge and created in 1920 through a land donation preserve for all wildlife and fisheries species. developed by E.A. McIlhenny. He later per- Therefore, management activities are used to suaded the Rockefeller Foundation to deed the promote appropriate habitat and conditions land to the State of Louisiana. Along with serv- for waterfowl species (the original intent of ing as a refuge for fisheries and wildlife spe- E.A. McIlhenny for the property), establish/ cies, RWR is also considered an “outdoor labo- maintain historic flora and fauna of RWR, and ratory,” with the property serving as a site for maintain the hydrology of the Mermentau marsh-related research pursued by RWR staff, River Basin. In many cases, refuge manage- collaborators and governmental and academic ment activities positively benefit other marsh researchers. RWR staff also provides profes- inhabitants including shorebirds, wading birds, sional expertise regarding the sustainable use alligators, furbearers, and estuarine organisms of alligators, management of coastal wetlands, (i.e., fish, shrimp and crabs). Another main and other important wildlife and fisheries goal is to study wildlife, fisheries and wetlands resources. Further, management expertise, in order to 1.) address pertinent ecological technical assistance and guidance is provided research questions and 2.) to disseminate find- by RWR staff to local landowners for the wise ings to local, state, national and international use of their marshland. Lastly, RWR serves as a audiences. Since 1955, RWR staff has contrib- recreational outlet for the local populace, as uted over 500 professional and popular publi- well as a destination for regional tourists. cations, as well as contributed papers to pro- 32 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

fessional conferences and to a wide array of audiences. Secondary goals include 1.) providing technical assistance and public outreach and 2.) to provide a popular destination for recreational activity, primarily through the use of abundant fisheries resources (i.e., fishing, shrimping, crabbing) and the diversity of watchable wildlife (i.e., birdwatchers); it should be noted that these two activities never super- sede the main goals of RWR.

RWR staff provided a presentation to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for the 2013 Rockefeller Programmatic Review. The program was found to be in compliance with the Deed of Donation and doing “an exemplary job of managing the land base” and providing research “that is very useful to all of southwest Lineham Creek well on Rockefeller. Louisiana natural resource managers and the overall scientific community.” The review recommended placement of a law enforcement waterfowl food plants, and incorporate multi- officer to be stationed at RWR. Mineral Management species management when possible. Biological Beginning in October 2011, Chevron began rig staff uses the approved RWR management setup and exploration for an ultra deep gas plan, which acts as a tool to guide research and venture (known as Lineham Creek) in the Construction/Repairs management on the property. RWR personnel and administrators continue to northwestern corner of RWR. Biologists spent work with FEMA to move post hurricanes Rita considerable time working with Chevron to Habitat conditions have become more stable, and Ike construction projects forward. In FY minimize environmental impacts associated with many water control structures replaced 2013-2014, construction was completed on with access and well pad development. The (or planned to be replaced) for management the four residences, the Lake 2 nature drive, well pad created a large foot print (660 feet by of water levels throughout RWR. Further, staff Joseph Harbor boat launch, and the Price Lake 660 feet) due to the size of the rig, with Unit has also worked on wetland permit applica- fishing piers. Maintenance and construction Rig 201 being one of the largest land rigs in tions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff continued to clean ditches and maintain North America (200 feet tall, 1500 tons). (USACE) for over 20 miles of levee restoration. levees throughout the marsh on RWR. Initially, Chevron was drilling to depths of Projects to restore hydrology continued as a approximately 30,000 feet, making it one of result of damage sustained from Hurricane Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries the deepest on-land oil/gas wells in the United Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008, but (LDWF) personnel have completed negotia- States. However, due to mounting costs and these projects have experienced heavy delays tions with FEMA and the Governor’s Office of several failed attempts, it stopped drilling at due to FEMA and permitting issues. Homeland Security and Emergency approximately 24,500 feet to produce oil/gas Maintenance personnel continued cleaning Preparedness (GOHSEP) to reconstruct the above that level; the rig was demobilized and ditches, maintaining levees, and repairing laboratory and build a new alligator research off site by June 2014. Along with this project, water control structures in Units 8, 10 and 13, grow-out facility. The lab and grow-out facility staff monitored the removal of pipelines and which directly benefits the management of will be moved to the storm platform area for oilfield related structures on RWR. 3,280 wetland acres. In addition to water con- storm surge protection and efficiency. Staff trol, staff performed vegetation control with began working with architects on the design of herbicides via airboat to help improve habitat the new laboratory and alligator grow-out Marsh, Wildlife and in Units 6, 8, 10 and 13. Aerial applications facility FY 2013-2014. Engineering and design were also conducted to assist with vegetation continued on the FEMA project to replace the Fisheries Management control of 500 total acres in Units 8, 10 and 13. Vermilion Nine-Pipe Water Control Structure. Construction should begin in 2014-2015. Marsh Management Marsh fires during the right time of the year Additional water control structures and levees RWR staff maintains over 200 miles of levees have been shown to decrease fuel loads of that were damaged by the hurricanes are and 40 water control structures for the conser- marsh vegetation, prevent catastrophic fires scheduled for replacement with FEMA funds vation of approximately 71,000 wetland acres when the marsh is excessively dry during the (Old Cop Cop, Josephine, Dyson, Dyson Plug) on RWR and 100,000 private sector acres summer, and also provide new stem growth or to be repaired (Big and Little Constance, within the Mermentau River Basin. Objectives for migratory waterfowl species. Generally, Unit 3 levees) in 2014-2015. Marsh terraces of maintenance and manipulation of RWR’s one-third of the refuge is burned on a yearly were designed for the Superior and Price Lake system of levees and water control structures basis. During FY 2013-2014, approximately Units to be completed in FY 2014-2015, while vary somewhat by management unit, but gen- 13,850 acres were burned on RWR. In addi- Capital Outlay levee work was in the design eral goals are to maintain marsh health, pro- tional, approximately 4,000 acres of marsh phase during FY 2013-2014 and is anticipated vide conditions favorable for production of burned naturally in the Superior Unit by light- in FY 2015-2016. ning fires. Office of Wildlife 33

Two invasive species were the target of (LDNR) and was implemented in 2011 with management activities during 2013-2014: the barrier placed approximately 2.5 miles giant salvinia and feral hogs. Giant salvinia west of Joseph Harbor Bayou. The objective became an issue on RWR and adjacent land- is to evaluate an oyster break system’s owners in the spring of 2013 and continued capacity to reduce and/or prevent shoreline into 2014. In an effort to halt the move- erosion and wetland loss. Preliminary obser- ment/growth of the giant salvinia, weevils vations indicate that the breakwater sec- were introduced in areas without access to tions are slowing coastline erosion and saltwater (i.e., inland freshwater areas). catching sediment behind the structures. Dr. Higher levels of salinity were introduced via Steve Hall and students continue to monitor staff opening the East End Locks; the effort the structures for oyster development. was a success and restored navigability of water ways and ponds without severely Preparations were also made by refuge staff impacting the marsh or impacting freshwa- for Phase II CWPPRA funding for 3 miles of ter sources for the rice/crawfish agricultural breakwater sections with design work assis- areas north of Grand Lake. Since 2011, feral tance from J. Foret National Oceanic and hogs have been trapped on the eastern end Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A deci- Giant salvinia infestation at East End of the refuge, primarily Unit 14, in order to sion by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Locks on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge prevent wetland and levee damage. Efforts Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) will continue in 2014-2015 to monitor the board is anticipated December 2014. status of these two invasive species on Close up of giant salvinia (photo by Troy Evans, Great Smoky Mountains RWR. Wildlife Management National Park, forestryimages.org)

Marsh Creation and Habitat Alligator Nuisance Harvest Enhancement with Beneficial Use of An experimental nuisance alligator harvest Dredge Material was conducted on RWR from Sept. 4-6, LWDF entered into an agreement with 2013 by nine Rockefeller alligator hunters USACE and other regulatory agencies to (with 40 tags each). The harvest was done construct the Rockefeller Mitigation Bank to by alligator hunters with a prior trapping offset wetland losses caused by adverse history on RWR, as well as two hunters impacts in Louisiana’s Coastal Zone. The selected via a lottery system; all were major objective of LDWF in establishing the approved by LDWF after successful comple- Mitigation Bank is to compensate for tion of an enforcement background check. impacts occurring on RWR or for impacts Hunting areas were distributed throughout outside the refuge (provided there are no RWR with the intent of taking alligators from available approved mitigation projects). areas with high public use, thus reducing the chance of negative interactions between LDWF originally permitted three areas on alligators and humans. The average length RWR as potential wetland mitigation sites in of 2013 harvested alligators was 7.61 feet, 2000 (totaling 177.7 acres). Actual work compared to 7.53 feet in 2011. The average began on the first site (4.7 acres) in 2007, price per foot was $32.03 per foot in 2013, with dredging completed on Feb. 24, 2010. compared to $23.74 per foot in 2011; 2013 In June 2009, construction on the second prices were slightly lower than the high of site (66 acres) was completed during FY $38.28 per foot in 2008. 2011-2012. Grass plantings have been very successful at both sites and sites have Fisheries Management attracted fisheries species, a diversity of RWR began a more active approach with the birds and even muskrats. Construction at operations of water control structures Construction of the third wetland the third site (107 acres) began in April 2013 across the refuge. This permits the ingress mitigation site on Rockefeller and dredging was completed FY 2013-2014; and egress of estuarine marine organisms it is anticipated that grass plantings will into and out of the marsh without impacting occur during FY 2014-2015. established habitats on RWR and adjacent landowners. Shoreline Protection and Stabilization The $1.7 million Bio-Engineered Oyster Reef Staff continued efforts in stocking Florida- Demonstration Project LA08 is sponsored by strain largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoi- Louisiana Department of Natural Resources des v. floridanus) to supplement populations lost on the refuge due to hurricane impacts and extreme drought conditions; these efforts will also improve recreational oppor-

Shoreline protection and stabilization. 34 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Fingerling Florida Largemouth Bass tunities for the species on RWR. In the spring of 2014, the rearing ponds at RWR were stocked with 531,000 fry, and later seining of these ponds resulted in approximately 224,657 fingerlings (42.3 percent survival rate). In June 2014, 70,058 Florida-strain largemouth bass fingerlings were stocked on RWR with the remaining fingerlings produced stocked by LDWF Inland Fisheries division at Toledo Bend in May 2014 (128,586 fingerlings). We hope to continue this cooperative effort to assist Inland Fisheries with their target stocking goals. Mottled Ducks Waterfowl Program In 1994, RWR began a long-term mottled duck banding program to monitor annual survival yield an estimate of total ducks on the area. scape, 10 of 16 (63 percent) are from the sec- rates and analyze distribution along the Gulf The mean survey estimate on RWR during ond cohort, 10 of 14 (71 percent) are from the Coast between Texas and Louisiana. The band- 2013-2014 was approximately 31,719 ducks third cohort, and eight of 10 (80 percent) are ing effort is now a cooperative effort with per survey. The mean survey estimate from from the fourth cohort. Unfortunately, this Texas and Louisiana and involves many state 1999-2012 is approximately 63,000 ducks per population suffered another shooting incident and federal biologist, technicians and student survey. The 2013-2014 estimates were about in February 2014. The lone surviving male from workers. Some of the early analysis of data has 50 percent below the 10-year average, but 63 the 2010 cohort (L3-10) and his mate (L4-11) shown high variability in survival rates with lit- percent higher than 2012-2013 average counts were shot; this pair had built two nests in early tle mortality being attributed to hunting. (20,164). We anticipate that ongoing intensive 2013. L4-11 was found dead while L3-10 was Coastal and Nongame Resources (CNR) biolo- marsh management activities will continue to found alive but with a broken left wing. The gists completed the 20th year of the program improve habitat conditions for waterfowl in male was captured and underwent surgery to by banding 957 mottled ducks statewide in the upcoming years. try and repair his wing. However, his condition 2013. Since 1994, CNR staff have banded declined over the next two weeks and he was 37,643 mottled ducks. euthanized. A $20,000 reward was posted for Whooping Cranes information leading to the suspect of the shoot- Winter waterfowl surveys are conducted via As of June 30, 2014, 28 of the 50 reintroduced ing, but the case remains open and no arrest airplane over CNR areas in south Louisiana on whooping cranes (56 percent) survive on the has been made. a monthly basis from November through southwestern Louisiana and mid-Texas land- January of each year. Transects are flown in scapes. These birds represent members of the On Dec. 11, 2013, a fourth cohort of 10 new each management unit and the unmanaged 2011-2013 cohorts; none of 10 members of the whooping cranes (seven males and three marsh area, and thereafter, extrapolated to 2010 cohort remain. Of those on the land- females) arrived from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md. The birds were held in the top-netted portion of the release pen at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WLWCA) before being released on Jan. 2, 2014. Conditions in the WLWCA marsh were excellent and the majority of the birds remained in the marsh for months following the removal of supplemental food. The remains of one bird were recovered shortly after the food was discontinued (scavenged, likely killed by a coyote) and the birds began using new areas of the marsh. The satellite transmitter on a second bird failed in mid-June, but the bird was seen and positively identified during an aerial survey 11 days later. However, this bird was not seen or found during additional surveys throughout the summer and fall, with the male missing/presumed dead.

The 2012 birds who moved to areas near Dallas, Texas, in the spring of 2013 returned to southwestern Louisiana in the fall of 2013. One individual from this group hit a powerline in Acadia Parish and died. The remaining birds separated into a trio and a pair during the winter. The pair remained in Louisiana throughout Office of Wildlife 35

the spring, but the three other birds returned Again in 2012-2013, a large grant was obtained Ornithologist received another position, so to the Dallas area during the spring of 2014. Of from Chevron specifically for education and this position will be filled in FY 2014-2015. the trio, the lone female returned to the same outreach. Funding was used to promote the location used the previous year, while the pair importance of the reintroduction project and Staff Research at RWR headed to Dallas several weeks later with a implemented with teacher training workshops, different lone female; the latter female billboards, short radio spots and TV advertise- Diamondback Terrapin Distribution, returned to the same ranch she used the previ- ments. Chevron funds purchased 11 vinyl bill- Abundance and Population Status ous year. The pair used a new location for the boards (each about 12 x 40 feet in size) that In 2011, RWR staff determined that critical spring and summer, but it was only about 8 were displayed along the I-10 and I-49 corridor, information regarding the abundance and miles northeast of their previous location and resulting in over 500,000 weekly views by the population of diamondback terrapins where the third member of their trio was traveling public, beginning in the summer of (Malaclemys terrapin) in Louisiana was lacking located. These four birds remain in Texas as of 2013. and conducted a study to address that need. June 30, 2014. During the spring of 2014, staff sampled at In summation, we believe that this region is eight sites in Iberia, Vermilion and Cameron Four birds were documented molting this the best hope for reintroducing whooping parishes. Terrapins (n = 314) were captured at spring (two 3-year-olds and two 2-year-olds). It cranes in North America due to the: all five sites sampled, including 19 long-term is unknown if the birds in Texas molted or not, vast amount of available and suitable recaptures at three sites. Terrapins were though as 2-year-olds some of them may have. habitat. recorded in new locations in Turner’s Bay One bird, L5-11 was found dead, likely killed by relatively small human population and (Calcasieu Parish), which is a new parish record a predator while he was molting, but the rest low probability for large population for the species. Over the four-year study (2011 survived and completed their molt. growth in the future. – 2014), 800 terrapins (including 19 recap- stable agricultural/natural resource econ- tures) have been captured at 14 of 17 sample Most exciting this year was the development omy. sites, with terrapin site abundance varying of a new pair of birds (L7 & L8-11, 3-year-olds), whooping cranes utilizing almost all habi- considerably. High terrapin abundance was who built a nest and laid eggs on a private tat types throughout 3.5 million acres in always associated with large expanses of crawfish farm in Avoyelles Parish (this was southwestern Louisiana. unmanaged, brackish and salt marshes, while especially exciting following the shooting in abundance was typically negatively associated early February 2014 of the pair that had previ- with smaller marsh sizes and channels or bay- ously built a nest in 2013). The birds incubated Wildlife and Fisheries ous that are no longer connected to the Gulf of full term, but after the eggs failed to hatch, Mexico. All sites with terrapin captures repre- they were collected and determined to have Research A unique attribute of RWR is the emphasis on sent either a new locality for terrapins or the been infertile. We were surprised when wildlife, fisheries and marsh management first record for that locality in over 40 years. approximately 2.5 weeks later the birds re- research. Throughout the year, staff biologists nested and once again incubated both eggs to conducted independent and collaborative Diversity and Abundance of Birds in term. These eggs were also infertile, but it was research, while also presenting research find- Altered Wetlands and Effects of Mineral encouraging that the pair were able to incu- ings at regional, national, and international Exploration bate both clutches to full term. This was huge meetings. Several notes or manuscripts The loss of wetlands is one of the most press- accomplishment for the birds and for the proj- describing research results or observations ing environmental issues across coastal ect, with infertile eggs not surprising because were also accepted for publication in peer- Louisiana. However, many altered wetlands they were young birds. reviewed journals. Our staff Research still provide some value to wildlife species.

LEFT: Louisiana whooping crane on nest. RIGHT: Whooping crane nest with eggs. 36 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Diamondback Reddish Egret Terrapin

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

RWR staff designed a field study to document two fledglings) and reddish egrets (21-24 pairs) wildlife, and fisheries research projects on the the avian diversity and abundance in altered for southwestern Louisiana. Field work has refuge, across the region and state, and wetlands (i.e., pump-off wetlands); this project been finalized on the project and results are beyond. These projects include: also secondarily documents the effects of the forthcoming. Conservation genetics of the ringed saw- Chevron Lineham Creek well on avian diversity back turtle. W. Selman with D. Gaillard, and abundance. Throughout the three-year Movements of Black-Bellied Whistling The University of Southern Mississippi study (July 2011 – 2014), we observed a total Ducks Captured in Louisiana Evaluating the effects of coastal restora- of 23,423 individuals of 67 species on line tran- Black-bellied whistling ducks (BBWDs) have tion on shorebirds and shorebird habitats sects over 138 weekly sampling periods. recently expanded their range to include in Cameron Parish. W. Selman with A. Dominant species include red-winged black- southern Louisiana. A recent species account Arfman and E. Lyons, McNeese State birds (40 percent), eastern meadowlarks (14 shows BBWDs breeding in south Louisiana, but University percent) and boat-tailed grackles (12 percent). does not report wintering BBWDs in south History, nesting population, migration, In addition, 10 Louisiana bird species of con- Louisiana. However, numerous large flocks of home range, and habitats used by cern were documented during the study. Field BBWDs are seen in late winter in coastal Louisiana Bald Eagles. T. Hess with A. work has been finalized on the project and Louisiana, and BBWDs have been seen regu- Afton and N. Smith, LSU results are forthcoming. larly in Gulf Coast habitats and associated Hybridization and population structure of agricultural areas during summer. The extent Mottled Ducks in the western Gulf of Rabbit Island Colonial Waterbird and chronology of migration occurring in Mexico. W. Selman with R. Ford and S. Nesting, Diversity and Abundance BBWDs present in southern Louisiana is Taylor, LSU Rabbit Island is a relatively small island (220 unknown. Sport hunters in Louisiana harvest Population status of diamondback terra- acres) located in West Cove of Calcasieu Lake. BBWDs as a part of an aggregate daily bag limit pins in Louisiana and the interaction of In spite of its small size, the island is the most during the regular duck season; hunter harvest crab fisheries on population viability. W. important colonial waterbird nesting island in in Louisiana appears to have increased dra- Selman with J. Wiebe and S. Pearson, southwestern Louisiana, supporting the only matically since 2000, but data for accurate LDWF colony of brown pelicans in the region. In estimates of hunter harvest are currently lim- Population genetics of diamondback ter- February 2013, staff biologists began a ited. rapins in Louisiana. W. Selman with C. research project to document the bird species Petre and B. Kreiser, The University of diversity and abundance on the island through- Pilot work was continued in spring 2014 to Southern Mississippi; S. Pearson and J. out the annual cycle, as well as the number of evaluate and assess movements of BBWDs in Wiebe, LDWF nesting species present on the island. Bi-weekly the area. Transmitters from 2013 failed at high Pigment variability of diamondback ter- and monthly sampling was completed via rates, presumably due to a circuit board failure rapins in Louisiana. W. Selman with B. shoreline survey, line transects and perimeter by the transmitter company. In April 2014, six Reinke, Dartmouth point counts; the latter was done in place of transmitters were affixed to male BBWDs and Spatial and temporal differences in diets line transects when birds were nesting on or were monitored after deployment. Because of diamondback terrapins in southwest- near line transects. Through 29 sampling peri- the biologist conducting this project moved on ern Louisiana. W. Sylvest and E. Lyons, ods, 52,318 and 68,315 bird observations were to another position, this project will be consid- McNeese State University made of 63 species (17 Louisiana species of ered for full implementation at a later date. Surveys of the aquatic turtle fauna in concern) on shoreline and transect/point southwestern Louisiana, with emphasis count surveys, respectively. Fifteen species (six Collaborative Research at on three Louisiana species of conserva- Louisiana species of concern) were also con- RWR tion concern. W. Selman with E. Lyons, C. firmed nesting on the island, including the first During the 2013-2014, RWR biologists collabo- Huntzinger, I. Louque, McNeese State records of American oystercatchers (one pair, rated on a number of marsh management, University; P. Lindeman, Edinboro State University Office of Wildlife 37

Publications by RWR Staff Selman, W., R. King, B. Stultz, D. Cassady, A. Biologists Magro, T. Credeur, and J.J. Wiebe. 2014. Selman, W. 2014. Macrochelys temminckii Chelonia mydas (Green Sea Turtle). (Alligator Snapping Turtle). Geographic distri- Geographic distribution note. Herpetological bution note. Herpetological Review 45:90. Review 45:89.

Selman, W. and C. Baccigalopi. Malaclemys Walter, S.T., M.R. Carloss, T.J. Hess, and P.L. terrapin (Diamond-backed Terrapin). Leberg. 2013. Hurricane, habitat degradation, Geographic distribution note. Herpetological and land loss effects on Brown Pelican nesting Review 45:460. colonies. Journal of Coastal Research 29:187- 195. Selman, W., B. Kreiser, and C. Qualls. 2013. Conservation genetics of the yellow-blotched Walter, S.T., M.R. Carloss, T.J. Hess, G. Athrey, sawback (Emydidae: Graptemys flavimacula- and P.L. Leberg. 2013. Brown Pelican move- ta). Conservation Genetics 14:1193-1203. ment patterns and population structure. Condor 115:788-799. Selman, W., C. Qualls, and J. Owen. 2013. Effects of human disturbance on the behavior and physiology of an imperiled freshwater tur- Technical Assistance, tle. Journal of Wildlife Management 77:877- Outreach and A. Arfman, McNeese State graduate student, 885. surveys shorebirds on Rockefeller Wildlife Education Refuge Refuge personnel continued public outreach activities, hosting several events to educate lege, local and professional groups, as elementary, high school and college students well as providing an informational table at in wildlife, marsh ecology and coastal erosion. multiple local and state festivals. RWR staff also participated in guided tours for presented lectures to visiting college and a number of organizations and groups. One of university students on wetlands ecology, the largest groups the refuge hosts each sum- wetlands management, waterfowl ecolo- mer is the 4-H Marsh Maneuvers Camp. In gy and conservation research. 2013, 65 high school students from 18 parish- reviewed research and grant proposals for es throughout Louisiana participated in the university students and faculty. week long camps in July. These camps are assisted the Alligator Research and designed to educate high school students in Management Program with logistics and the importance of coastal marsh erosion, res- tour for the Crocodile Specialist Group toration, conservation, and ecology. Examples Meeting field trip. of other technical assistance provided by RWR staff include: assisted the Natural Heritage Program Recreational Use during annual winter plover surveys and Marsh management units and more specifical- to construct prairie research enclosure ly, water control structures, continue to be very pens at the Gray Ranch. popular with sport fishermen. This fiscal year assisted private landowners in assessing was the first time since hurricanes Rita and Ike marsh conditions and management for that all water control structures via Joseph waterfowl. Harbor boat launch were fully operational; we assisted LDWF and USDA Natural were able to enhance the fishing opportunities Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) while also maintaining adequate salinity levels. with chenier plant seed collection. In addition to this, the reconstruction of the conducted peer-review and editorial new boat launches and bulkheading at Joseph duties for scientific journals; reviewed Harbor (FY 2012-2013), as well as the new fish- graduate student theses. ing piers on Price Lake Road (FY 2012-2013 and served as student presentation judge at 2013-2014) have been a great attraction for international meeting, and judged sci- local and regional fishermen. Both new proj- ence fair projects at local high school. ects greatly enhanced fishing opportunities at participated in guided tours to the these already popular recreational areas. whooping crane pen site and Nunez During FY 2013-2014, 86,639 vehicles (approxi- Woods Bird Sanctuary. mately 202,958 person use days) were counted assisted with mourning dove banding for entering the refuge. This is a 70 percent the statewide dove monitoring program. increase over counts for FY 2012 -2013 (61,365 presented on the whooping crane rein- vehicles, approximately 143,752 person use TOP: R. Ford, LSU graduate student, troduction to multiple grade school, col- days). with captured mottled duck. BOTTOM: I. Louque, McNeese State graduate student, with two Sabine map turtles. 38 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area

Location Surface Leases Lottery Activities The White Lake Property (as referred to in Act 613, 2004 Louisiana Legislature) or White Lake Agricultural and Hunting Fishing Lottery Wetlands Conservation Area (WLWCA) (as re- LDWF entered into a land swap agreement 2013 - Seventy-nine fishing permits were- is ferred to by the LDWF) is located in Vermilion with the Vermilion Parish School Board. In this sued at a cost of $40 per permit. Permittees Parish. The contiguous unit is 70,965 acres, agreement, LDWF received the surface rights and their guest were allowed to fish the Flor- located along the western boundary of Vermil- to three school board sections (two on WLWCA ence Canal Area and specified well location ca- ion Parish; it is bounded on the south by White and one on Rockefeller) in exchange for WLW- nals that flow into the Florence Canal. The area Lake, and the northern boundary is 7.4 miles CA Tract C and additional monetary compensa- was open from sunrise to sunset from March south of Gueydan at the south end of Hwy. 91. tion from the Rockefeller budget. 15 - Aug. 15, 2013. Lafayette is 32 air miles northeast, and Lake Charles is 40 air miles northwest. The southern With the land swap changes, there are current- 2014 - Seventy-nine fishing permits were- is boundary of White Lake is 17.5 miles north of ly 37,841 acres of property leased out in nine sued at a cost of $40 per permit. Permittees the Gulf of Mexico. The property averages 12 separate tracts. The property is leased to five and their guest were allowed to fish the Flor- miles from east to west and 9 miles from north separate tenants for the purpose of farming, ence Canal Area and specified well location ca- to south. raising cattle, crawfish farming and hunting. nals that flow into the Florence Canal. The area There is a rice base totaling 4,587.5 acres on was open from sunrise to sunset from March this property. There were approximately 2,000 15 - Aug. 15, 2014. History of Ownership acres of rice planted in 2014. There were ap- BP America Production White Lake properties proximately 600 acres of crawfish ponds on the Waterfowl Lottery have a long history of company ownership and property in 2014. management. Note that Stanolind Oil and Gas Waterfowl Hunting (2013-2014 Season) Company (Stanolind) preceded Amoco Pro- There are over 100 miles of levees, canals and Total Hunts Participants duction Company (Amoco) which preceded roads on WLWCA agricultural lands that are BP America Production Company (BP). Stano- maintained by our agricultural tenants. They Teal Lottery Hunts 9 105 lind acquired the 70,965-acre property from Marsh Lottery also own and operate the pumping systems 15 173 Wright Morrow by Act of Sale on July 31, 1935. that are needed to manage water levels on this Hunts This sale included all of the property acquired impounded agricultural land. All of the farm- Youth Hunts 2 16 by Yount-Lee Oil Company from P. L. Lawrence, land on WLWCA was at one time fresh-water Rice Field Lottery et. ux., by Act of Sale dated March 7, 1931 35 276 marsh that was impounded in the late 1940s Hunts and a portion of the property acquired by M.F. when agricultural activities first began on the Group Hunts 9 101 Yount from Elizabeth M. Watkins by Act of Sale property. dated Nov. 5, 1929. BP owned and managed Waterfowl Hunting Results (2013-2014 season) the BP American Production White Lake Prop- Trapping erty until July 8, 2002 when BP donated the There were a total of 373 alligator tags is- Marsh Rice Field property to the state of Louisiana. On July 8, sued for the 2013 Alligator Trapping Season. Total Ducks Harvested 1880 542 2002, a Cooperative Endeavor agreement be- The average size of the alligators trapped was Average Kill/Hunter tween the state and White Lake Preservation 5.09 1.96 6.38 feet, with an average live length value of (ducks) Inc. (a 501(c) 3 corporation) for management $30.20 per foot. of the property was executed. On Jan. 1, 2005, Total Geese Harvested 195 84 Act 613 of the 2004 Regular Legislative Session Average Kill/Hunter There was a contract negotiated for the collec- 0.53 0.30 (geese) became effective. This act established: tion of alligator eggs from the WLWCA prop- 1. Transfer of property management from erty in 2013 for a two-year period. In 2013, White Lake Preservation Inc. to LDWF. WLWCA received a payment of $20 per egg. A 2. The White Lake Property Advisory Board, total of 5,662 eggs were collected. LDWF and the Wildlife and Fisheries Com- Non-Consumptive mission powers and duties relative to the Fur trapping did not occur on WLWCA this management of the White Lake Property. Activities year due to the continued low numbers of fur- LDWF established dates for the use of WLWCA 3. A special account within the Conservation bearers on the property. There has been no fur Fund for the White Lake Property. facilities for non-consumptive group activities trapping on this property for over 30 years be- including nature photography, bird watching, cause of the low numbers of fur-bearers. On Dec. 17, 2004, the state, BP and White Lake educational field trips and business retreats. Preservation Inc. signed a Transition Agree- Use of WLWCA for non-consumptive purposes ment for the management of the property by Other Surface Leases was offered from Feb. 1 - May 31, 2014. Site There are three oil and gas valve site leases on White Lake Preservation Inc. until July 1, 2005, use was scheduled on a first come first serve the property. In addition there Is one oil & gas at which time LDWF took total control. basis pending facility and staff availability, with surface use agreement with an associated road up to 15 guests allowed to attend the day trips servitude agreement. and up to 12 guests allowed to attend the over-

Office of Wildlife 39

night trips. During this period there were two Whooping Crane leaseholder follows an LDWF lease agreement day-trips scheduled and hosted by WLWCA for Re-Introduction Project that directs the leaseholder to complete nu- nature/birding groups. In addition, WLWCA WLWCA assisted the Whooping Crane Rein- merous habitat management practices each hosted a group of 112 attendees for the Inter- troduction Project by providing office space, year. These practices maintain the property in national Crane Foundation on a day trip to visit staff and vessel support. In addition, WLWCA farmable condition, while also providing valu- the whooping crane release pen located on the staff maintained the 700-acre impoundment able habitat for wildlife. The benefits to the WLWCA property. This large group attended located approximately 3.5 miles north of the leaseholder are the ability to farm, graze and the 13th annual North American Whooping existing pen location. hunt the property. Crane Workshop event, which was conducted in Lafayette, La. A total of 142 nature photog- Wood Duck Project Mineral Management raphers, bird watchers and International Crane WLWCA continued a wood duck banding pro- There are three producing oil and gas fields Foundation guests visited the property in con- gram to compliment the LDWF statewide band- on the WLWCA property that were once oper- junction with our non-consumptive trip activi- ing program. In addition to banding birds, staff ated by Amoco Production Company. Amoco ties. monitored nest boxes and collected data for sold the subsurface rights in these fields and potential survivability and recruitment studies. all the facilities associated with these fields in Birding Trail the latter part of the 1990s to Hilcorp Energy The WLWCA Birding and Nature Trail, with ac- Company. Hilcorp has since sold these fields, companying kiosk, was completed in April. A Marsh Management and for a period of time they were operated Grand Opening of the trail was held on April by three separate owners/operators: the West 12, 2012. The trail is on approximately 30 acres Restoration, Habitat White Lake Field (approximately 1,500 acres) of property located on the northern bound- Enhancement, was owned and operated by Energy Quest; the ary of the property where LA-91 ends. Birding Florence Field (approximately 1,920 acres) was paths, a parking area, access bridges, a birding Agricultural owned and operated by Dune Energy Company; tower and a picnic pavilion are open to the and the South Kaplan Field (approx. 800 acres) public. There have been approximately 210 Management, and was owned and operated by Texas Petroleum logged names in our Visitor’s Guest Book in FY Investments. In the spring of 2010, Texas Petro- 2013-2014. Mineral Management leum Investments purchased the West White Lake and Florence Field and became the sole Marsh Management oil and gas operator on the WLWCA property. The WLWCA property consists of approximate- Education, Outreach However in July 2011 Magnum Producing se- ly 52,000 acres of fresh water marsh. There are cured a mineral lease from BP to drill an ex- four separate management units that comprise and Research ploratory well in the Kaplan Field Area. LDWF the marsh. Within these marsh areas there are granted a Surface Lease to Magnum Producing over 100 miles of trenasses, seven water con- Marsh Maneuvers to facilitate the drilling of this well. This well was trol structures, four pumping stations, and over During December 2013, WLWCA was host successfully completed and is currently produc- 30 miles of levees, all of which are operated, to a group of 16 high school 4-H students for ing. In 2013 LDWF granted Magnum Producing managed and maintained by WLWCA person- three days. The three-day camp was designed an additional Surface Lease for a Salt Water nel. Objectives of maintenance and manipula- to educate the students on the importance of Disposal Well, which also included a road ser- tion of the refuge’s system of levees and water coastal erosion, restoration, conservation and vitude and P/L ROW agreement. The State of control structures vary somewhat by manage- ecology. They were also able to go on a simu- Louisiana owns the surface of the property that ment unit, but generally goals are to maintain lated waterfowl hunt and were taught water- comprises these three production areas. LDWF marsh health, provide conditions favorable fowl identification techniques. They -partici monitors surface activities and helps enforce for production of waterfowl food plants, and pated in a sporting clay shoot where they were the conservation terms of the agreements that incorporate multi-species management when instructed on gun safety and the proper use of were executed by and between Amoco Produc- possible. a shotgun. tion Company, BP and the three owners/operators mentioned. Texas Petroleum Investments As part of the overall management of the Coastal Prairie has responsibilities for maintenance of roads, WLWCA properties, in the fall of 2008 a com- There is approximately 200 acres of coastal levees, canals, bridges, etc. prairie on the WLWCA property located south prehensive set of rules and regulations was of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and west drafted and presented to the Wildlife and Fish- of the Florence Canal. For the past couple of eries Commission for approval. The White Lake Maintenance of years the Louisiana Natural Heritage Program Rules and Regulations were approved by the (LNHP) has been conducting research on the Commission and became effective in the spring Facilities and different plant species located on this prairie. of 2009. To date, approximately 95 different species Equipment have been identified. Agricultural Management There are approximately 50 acres of property Although WLWCA is comprised mostly of associated with the White Lake Lodge Facility, marsh, the property consists of approximately Sporting Clay Course, Skeet Range, Birding Trail 19,000 acres of agricultural land. The agricul- and Florence Canal Landing area. This acreage tural land is separated into seven tracts that is maintained and landscaped throughout the are leased out to the highest bidder. Each year by WLWCA personnel. 40 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Routine maintenance on the WLWCA buildings and equipment was conducted throughout the 2013-2014 Financial Report year. Totals Expenditures Beginning Fund Balance Salaries $344,980 Routine maintenance was performed on our $1,594,667 2013-2014 fleet of more than 25 boats. Our four mud Wages $64,836 Total Revenue $1,227,495 boats were dry-docked and repainted, and Related Benefits $181,654 other routine annual maintenance was done. Total Expenditures -$1,029,292 Travel - Ending Fund Balance $1,792,870 Operating Services $93,707 2013-2014 Supplies $108,898 Professional Services $2,745 Revenue Other Charges - Group Hunt Trip Fees $104,062 Acquisitions $106,326 Group Hunt Charitable $164,500 Contributions Major Repairs $95,110 Interagency Transfers Agricultural Leases $706,453 $31,036 (insurance) Alligator Egg Collection $133,240 Total $1,029,292 Lottery Hunt Fees $71,455 Alligator Trapping Income $28,991 Interest Income $2,476 Mineral Bonuses - Surface Leases $31,838 Surplus Property - FEMA Reimbursements - Oil and Gas Royalty - Non-Consumptive Trips $870 Fishing Lottery $3,610 Total $1,227,495

Furbearer Management

dential licenses, 43 were adult non-residential Monitoring Fur trapping licenses, and 104 were youth residen- Coast-wide Nutria Harvest tial licenses. These figures show an increase in Control Program The 2013-2014 furbearer harvest was moni- trapping licenses sold when compared to the The Coast-wide Nutria Control Program (CNCP) tored by compiling distribution and total har- previous season (2,140). is funded by the CWPPRA. The objective is to vest data. Each year, fur buyers and dealers are decrease the damage to coastal vegetation required to submit reports providing informa- A total of 419,299 animals were harvested that is caused by nutria by increasing the in- tion on pelts purchased by species and parish (all species), which was an increase of 809 centive for harvest. During the 2013-2014 of harvest. Annual audits of all fur dealers pro- from the previous season’s total of 418,490. season, a total of 388,264 nutria tails, worth vide a record of total pelts by species shipped The total value of the 2013-2014 fur har- $1,941,320 in incentive payments, were col- from Louisiana. River otter and bobcat posses- vest to the state’s trappers was estimated at lected from 281 participants. Seventy-eight sion tags provide data on timing and location $2,312,379.80. This total value was a decrease participants (28 percent) turned in less than of all bobcat and otter harvested in the state. of $39,505.33 from the previous season. 200 tails, 52 participants (19 percent) turned These tags are necessary to ensure that Loui- in 200-499 tails, 35 participants (12 percent) siana otter and bobcat are tagged with federal The nutria harvest (388,264) increased by 104 turned in 500-799 tails, and 116 participants export tags (a federal requirement for out-of- from the previous season’s total of 388,260. (41 percent) turned in 800 or more tails. country shipment). The average nutria pelt price paid to trappers during this past season was $2.12. An addi- Records indicate a total of 2,848 trapping li- tional $5 was paid for all nutria taken during censes were sold during the 2013-2014 trap- the Coastwide Nutria Control Program by regis- ping season. Of these, 2,701 were adult resi- tered participants. Office of Wildlife 41

Total Number of Nutria Vegetative Damage Caused The 2014 survey identified 13 sites (nutria) Harvested by Method of By Nutria with a total of 1,115 acres impacted by nutria As a monitoring requirement of CNCP, a coast- feeding activity along transects (4,181 extrapo- Take in 2013-2014 wide aerial survey was conducted in April 2014 lated). This is approximately a 9.5 percent de- There were 19 parishes represented in the covering the coastal parishes of Louisiana. The crease from the 1,233 damaged acres reported program with harvests ranging from 929 to total number of sites visited in 2014 was 13, in 2013. CNCP continues to be a successful 130,952 nutria per parish. Terrebonne Par- 11 of which were classified as nutria damage means of controlling the nutria population ish reported the highest number of tails with in 2013. During the 2014 survey, 10 sites were with over 300,000 animals harvested annually. 130,952 followed by St. Mary and St. Martin classified as nutria damage, two were consid- Consequently, the number of nutria-impacted parishes with 58,229 and 54,027, respectively. ered recovered, and one new site was identi- acres in Louisiana’s coastal marsh has also de- fied. creased significantly over the 12 years of the January was the most active month for harvest- program. ing nutria (131,006 tails) while November was the least active month (13,037 tails). (See CNCP 2013 - 2014 Report, CWPPRA Project LA-03b.)

Fur Advisory Council

The Fur Advisory Council has continued to fo- provided to teachers on CDs and through on- land China still holds the largest market for cus on two major goals this year. The first goal line resources. Requests for sample skins and Louisiana furs, and Chinese fur buyers pur- is educating the public concerning the role of programs have been steady. The Fur Advisory chased from Louisiana this year. The Chinese wildlife utilization in conservation. This goal Council presented at educational events, such economy continues to grow, even as fur prices leads naturally into the second goal of address- as the Louisiana Science Teachers Association, have plummeted world-wide. The Fur Advisory es public opinion of the fur market and en- and public events, such as the Louisiana State Council attended fur shows in mainland China hancing the market for Louisiana fur products. Fair. The council also worked with Boy Scouts In 2013-2014. The council has continued to during Jakes Day 2014. The council website pursue a promising market in Turkey. The mar- The Fur Advisory Council has supported a carried the educational story to a much broad- keting contractor attended the Istanbul Fur statewide education program. The utilization er audience. The success of our education pro- Fair in 2013 to determine its potential for the of trapping for habitat management was the gram will likely impact the future of markets, Louisiana market. The fur markets in Asia and primary focus of the educational message. which supports a valuable habitat manage- Eastern Europe have slowed, but marketing ef- The program was carried to schools and pub- ment tool for the state of Louisiana. forts have continued to bring buyers into Loui- lic libraries throughout the state of Louisiana siana despite poor market conditions. Louisi- during FY 2013-2014. The school based educa- The international fur market has declined dur- ana dealers are developing the infrastructure tional program continued to be well-received, ing the 2013-2014 year with political unrest necessary to expand the fur harvest locally in and additional educational materials were and economic crisis in Eastern Europe. Main- the future. 42 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Minerals Management

The Minerals Management Program, hereafter In FY 2013-2014 the Mineral Program contin- In addition to the previously mentioned duties, called Mineral Program, is responsible for en- ued to generate significant revenues for LDWF, the Mineral Program has continued to admin- suring that mineral activities on all LDWF prop- which includes mineral royalties, rights-of-way, ister LDWF’s Dredge Fill Program. This program erties are compatible with the environment, surface leases and seismic fees. In addition, the issues approximately 75 to 100 dredge licenses and that wildlife management area (WMA)/ Mineral Program staff issued 57 airboat/marsh annually, generating approximately $1 million refuge goals and objectives are met. Mineral buggy permits for various activities on LDWF in annual revenue. Program staff reviewed and evaluated 66 well properties. The Mineral Program also coordi- locations, pipeline projects and other mineral nated with the LDNR Office of Conservation for The Mineral Program also applied for and re- exploration related permits on LDWF proper- the removal of numerous abandoned oil and ceived 12 USACE permits which authorized ties. The program also issued 10 rights-of-way, gas facilities on WMAs and refuges. The Miner- LDWF to undertake management actions on surface leases, surface/subsurface leases, and al Program continues to work closely with oth- LDWF properties. 18 mineral leases were allowed on LDWF proper programs within LDWF and the LDNR Office erties during FY 2013-2014. All of these proj- of Coastal Management in an ongoing effort to ects are reviewed and coordinated with field streamline the Coastal Use Permitting process. personnel to ensure that they are compatible with LDWF management area programs.

Habitat

The objectives of the Habitat Section are to to 1,893 state and federal permit applications drawal of surface water classified as waters of gather and compile data on fish and wildlife re- during FY 2013-2014. It was determined that the United States. These water withdrawal resources, determine the requirements for con- compensatory mitigation was required on ap- quests were primarily for hydraulic fracturing serving the resources, and provide information proximately 30 percent of the 1,893 projects of shale formations in the Haynesville Shale of to governmental agencies, nongovernmental reviewed. Written comments and recommen- northwest Louisiana and the Tuscaloosa Marine organizations (NGOs) and the public. Data are dations aimed at avoiding, minimizing and/ Shale of southeast Louisiana. LDWF responded also gathered on the potential impacts of hu- or mitigating adverse impacts were issued by to all such permit requests with recommenda- man activities on the resources. These data and LDWF for all state and federal permit applications on how to conduct these substantial wa- technical assistance are provided to regulators, tions received. Figure 1 shows the dramatic inter withdrawals while also avoiding adverse im- planners and decision-makers in advance of ex- crease in the number of permits being applied pacts to fish and wildlife resources. As a direct ecution of projects in order to avoid, minimize for and is a good indication of the increased result of this surface water need, LDWF worked and/or mitigate any adverse environmental demand on staff in the last four years. with LDNR and the Louisiana Department of En- impacts. In FY 2013-2014 the Habitat Section vironmental Quality (LDEQ) to provide USACE was comprised of the four following programs: As seen in the past two fiscal years, staff contin- regulators with a single comprehensive and Statewide Environmental Investigations; Loui- ued to receive a significant number of USACE technically sound guidance document for each siana Natural and Scenic Rivers Program; Per- Section 10 permit applications for the with- Section 10 permit application. mits Coordination; and Seismic Section.

Statewide Environmental Investigations Permit Review and Comment – LDNR & USACE Statewide Environmental Investigations is- au thorized under the Fish and Wildlife Coordi- nation Act and is partially funded by a USFWS grant. Staff is responsible for reviewing and providing comments and mitigation recommendations on all permits sought from state and federal environmental regulatory agencies, primarily LDNR and USACE. Staff members received, reviewed and provided comments

Figure 1. Technical assistance provided to regulatory agencies. Office of Wildlife 43

In addition to permit review, staff participated in permit site inspections and habitat evaluations, provided technical assistance to the public on wetland issues, and worked with private developers and consultants involved in the regulatory process. During FY 2013-2014, staff conducted 123 on-site field inspections and participated in 139 meetings with applicants, agents and regulatory agency personnel.

Staff members also represented the agency on two Mitigation Bank Interagency Review Teams chaired separately by the USACE Vicksburg and New Orleans districts. The purpose of the In- teragency Review Teams is to provide regulatory review, approval and oversight of wetlands mitigation banks. During FY 2013-2014, staff evaluated, inspected and provided technical comments and recommendations on dozens of wetlands mitigation banking proposals, mitiga- Figure 2. Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative map. tion banking instruments, and mitigation banking monitoring plans. A total of 11 wetland mitigation banks were approved and autho- ergy; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Committee member and Science Team mem- rized in Louisiana during FY 2013-2014, totaling Department of Defense; Housing and Urban ber. This past year the Science Team developed over 3,657 acres statewide. Staff also attended Development; Louisiana Department of Trans- a list of 28 focal species which will serve as im- all Interagency Review Team meetings and as portation and Development; LDNR; LDEQ; the portant indicators of functioning landscapes many of the site investigations as was possible. Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and is needed to implement Strategic Habitat and Tourism (DCRT); and the Louisiana Division Conservation. The Science Team also finalized Staff continued to provide technical assistance of Administration, Office of Community Devel- a Science Strategy that will provide strategic to USACE related to post-hurricane (i.e., Ka- opment. guidance to the LCC for the next five years. trina and Ike) levee refurbishment, planning of improved hurricane protection systems, and Water Resources Technical Assistance identification of suitable compensatory mitiga- LDWF continued to serve on the Louisiana Wa- tion to offset implementation of such systems. ter Resources Commission. The purpose of the Provided commission is to develop a statewide water As a new performance indicator, we began Statewide Environmental Investigations also management plan for ground water and sur- tracking the number of telephone and e-mail assisted in protecting all lessees of private oys- face water use and conservation. Much of the responses provided to any request of a techni- ter grounds by reviewing water bottom assess- focus of this initial plan was on ground water cal nature from the public, landowners, media, ments submitted by project applicants prior resources. The commission convened twice public agencies, universities, schools and NGOs to the initiation of activities affecting state between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014 to for conservation recommendations, guidance, water bottoms under lease to private- par receive reports on progress of implementing biological data or project reviews. During FY ties for oyster production. When appropriate the recommendations of the initial plan. As the 2013-2014 we replied to a total of 2,047 re- Coastal Use Permit applicants were required, commission continues its work, our role will be quests for technical information. at the request of Statewide Environmental In- to ensure that the conservation of fish, wildlife vestigations staff, to modify the activity if the and their supporting habitats are an important proposed location unnecessarily impacts an consideration when making water manage- Louisiana Natural and oyster reef. There were 114 water bottom as- ment decisions. Scenic Rivers Program sessments reviewed and approved by agency The Scenic Rivers Program is charged with the staff during FY 2013-2014. Landscape Conservation administration of the Louisiana Natural and Cooperatives Scenic Rivers Act. The act requires that LDWF, Projects of other Agencies We have continued to commit time and re- through the Scenic Rivers Coordinator, admin- and the Private Sector sources to participating in the Gulf Coast Prai- ister a permitting system for activities that LDWF worked with numerous governmental rie Landscape Conservation Cooperative (Gulf have potential for significant ecological impact agencies in conducting environmental inves- Coast Prairie LCC). The LCC, comprised of state to designated natural and scenic rivers, as well tigations including: USFWS; National Marine and federal agencies, universities and NGOs, is as a system of monitoring, surveillance, inves- Fisheries Service; U.S. Environmental Protec- charged with providing the best available sci- tigation and enforcement for the purpose of tion Agency; USACE; U.S. Forest Service; USDA; ence as the foundation in delivering a coordi- ensuring compliance with the act. The Scenic Federal Highway Administration; Federal Avia- nated approach to meeting conservation needs Rivers Act, and the rules and regulations pro- tion Administration; Farmers Home Adminis- across the Gulf Coast Prairie LCC landscape mulgated under its authority, provide for the tration; U.S. Coast Guard; Department -of En (Figure 2). LDWF participates as both a Steering development of management plans, stream 44 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Heavy rains from Hurricane Isaac and the spring floods of 2013 resulted in extensive stream migration and bankline erosion along streams in the Florida Parishes of southeast Louisiana. The image on the left is of a mobile home washed into the Bogue Chitto River, a Natural and Scenic River. The image on the right is of the same site following an LDWF-led effort to have the mobile home and associated debris removed from the scenic river. surveys and enforcement. There are currently proposed activities on Scenic Rivers are now Set forth management goals for the approximately 80 streams and/or stream seg- available online for review and comment by all preservation of the river. ments in the system constituting an estimated interested parties. The interactive map which Provide for continuing public involve- 3,100 linear miles of Louisiana’s streams, rivers allows users to see where activities have been ment. and bayous. permitted in the past along with information about the applicant and nature of the activity Scenic Rivers staff gave 12 presentations on the Changes to the Scenic Rivers Rules and Regu- was regularly updated by staff. The website and Scenic Rivers Program to local civic and govern- lations developed during FY 2012-2013 (in- forms continue to be updated and modernized. mental organizations. LDWF has continued to cluding prohibiting motorized vehicles in the work with the Webster Parish Police Jury and streambeds of Scenic Rivers, regulation of Staff has continued work on the State Wildlife the State Lands Office as a member of the Bay- houseboats and floating camps moored on Grant (SWG) project to accurately map our ou Dorcheat Restoration Committee to remove Scenic Rivers, clarification of the “100-foot Scenic Rivers and use those maps to generate a number of out-of-service bridges and other rule” with respect to the need for permits, and reports for each Scenic Stream that alert us to man-made obstructions on Bayou Dorcheat. In modernizing of the permit application submit- the presence of elements and species of con- addition, LDWF actively participated In Tangi tal process) were presented to the Wildlife and cern tracked by our Natural Heritage Program Clean citizen’s group, Bayou Manchac Group, Fisheries Commission on two separate occa- to assist us in providing appropriate protection and the Comite River landowners group. sions during fiscal year 2013-2014. Follow- to the resources when we are able. In addition ing public notice, Scenic Rivers staff accepted program staff submitted a separate SWG pro- Several enforcement actions were initiated in public comment for a period of 11 weeks. Staff posal for the funding of Scenic Rivers Manage- FY 2013-2014. These included cases of illegal assisted in completing the Notice of Intent and ment Plan development. This funding will assist mining activities, littering, illegal point source Fiscal and Economic Impact Statement, and Scenic Rivers in completing Management Plans discharges, operating on scenic rivers with- the new Scenic Rivers Rules and Regulations for Beckwith Creek, Hickory Branch, Barnes out permits, and illegal commercial cutting of took effect on March 20, 2014. Creek, Bundicks Creek and Drakes Creek during trees. One case of illegal mining in East Baton FY 2014-2015. Rouge Parish, made in 2009, remains in litiga- House Concurrent Resolution 68 was passed in tion. The coordinator and staff, through routine the 2013 Session of the Legislature. Resolution In FY 2013-2014, the information needed to surveillance, project inspections and response 68 directed LDWF to take another year focusing complete the Bayou Liberty Management Plan to complaints, ensured compliance with permit on that part of Bayou Teche that flows through was accumulated and LDWF began drafting of conditions, utilization of adequate sediment St Martin and St. Landry parishes (i.e., excluding the Scenic River Management Plan for Bayou control measures, and appropriate cleanup that portion of Bayou Teche that flows through Liberty (located in St. Tammany parish). The and restoration of permitted project sites. Iberia and St. Mary parishes) for possible inclu- Bayou Liberty Management Plan is being de- sion as a designated Historic and Scenic River. veloped in consultation with the Division of Ad- The coordinator and staff maintained regular In order to receive public input and gather ministration, Louisiana DCRT, Louisiana Depart- contact with both state and federal agencies to comments Scenic Rivers staff held seven ad- ment of Agriculture and Forestry, LDEQ, local ensure that designated scenic rivers were conditional public meetings. LDWF conducted the government agencies and NGOs. Each Scenic sidered in all levels of planning and permitting. follow-up study, completing our work prior to River Management Plan aims to accomplish the They also worked closely with city planners, the convening of the 2014 Legislative Session; following: police juries, mayors and local interest groups however, due to a lack of public support the Identify important features to be pro- and organizations throughout the state. nomination ultimately did not move forward. tected and preserved. Identify potential issues, problems and A total of 30 Scenic River Permits were issued The Scenic Rivers Program’s website began needs that impact the river. during FY 2013-2014. In addition to issuing undergoing very extensive renovation during Recommend measures for enhancement permits, Scenic Rivers staff made 10 determi- FY 2012-2013 and continued to be updated and reclamation of resources. nations of “no permit required” for activities throughout FY 2013-2014. Applications for undertaken near scenic rivers but with no po- Office of Wildlife 45

tential to significantly degrade the ecological nator also ensures that there is adequate de- LDWF performs a Natural Heritage Review on integrity of a scenic river. The coordinator and partment representation at all LDNR Geologic each individual seismic job to determine the staff conducted 88 site visits and field inves- Review and pre-application meetings. presence of rare, threatened and endangered tigations statewide, surveyed approximately species and other areas of conservation con- 184 stream miles and attended 15 meetings The Permits Coordinator also utilizes, main- cern. The Natural Heritage Review includes specific to Scenic Rivers issues. tains and populates a comprehensive search- specific conditions that the applicant must able database for all permit notices. This da- adhere to for the protection of such species. tabase is of critical importance to ensure a LDWF Seismic agents also monitor geophysi- Permits Coordination timely response from LDWF. The database also cal companies to protect Louisiana’s fish and The purpose of the Permits Coordination Pro- archives LDWF’s formal response to all permit wildlife resources by ensuring compliance with gram is to ensure that LDWF receives, reviews notices dating back to 2006. LDWF seismic rules and regulations. and responds to and distributes comments and mitigation recommendations on all permit During FY 2013-2014, the Permits Coordinator Some of the Seismic Sections accomplish- notices received from state and federal envi- received, processed, tracked and disseminated ments for FY 2013-2014 are: ronmental regulatory agencies in an efficient responses to 1,893 permit notices. Monitored 15 seismic projects through- and timely manner (i.e. prior to public notice out the state. comment period deadlines). LDWF’s written Closely interacted with seismic compa- comments are in-turn used by the regulatory Seismic Section nies to ensure compliance with the rules The LDWF Seismic Section was created in 1939 agencies to make final determinations on how and regulations of the Seismic Section. specifically to protect fish, oysters, shrimp, to best avoid, minimize and/or mitigate -ad Ensured protection of threatened and wildlife and other areas of concern from the verse impacts to fish and wildlife resources. endangered species and other areas of effects of seismic exploration. Seismic explora- concern. In order to accomplish this task, the LDWF Per- tion uses energy waves to generate a profile of mits Coordinator serves as the primary liaison sub-surface reflective layers that help define and “single point of contact” for all regulatory potential oil and gas traps. The energy waves agencies, primarily LDNR and USACE. It is the can be produced by explosives detonated be- responsibility of the Permits Coordinator to low the ground, by air guns that emit a burst ensure that the LDWF biologist with the ap- of air at the surface of water bodies, by large propriate authority and expertise is included in vibrating pads placed on the surface, or other the formulation of written comments and miti- energy sources. These projects can occur in gation recommendations. The Permits Coordi- sensitive wetlands, water bodies and uplands.

Louisiana Natural Heritage Program

The Louisiana Natural Heritage Program (LNHP) Committee member and Science Team mem- is responsible for the conservation of Louisi- ber. This past year the Science Team has de- ana’s rare, threatened and endangered (RTE) veloped projects concerning barrier islands, species, nongame birds, and habitats. LNHP coastal prairies, bobwhite, oyster, alligator gar, staff conducts research on nongame birds, rare Quadrula species, and mottled ducks. The LCC species and habitats of conservation concern, has also developed a prairie team that has fo- and works with landowners that have rare spe- cused on coastal prairies and is tasked with the cies and habitats to promote the future sur- following: vival of those elements. Data concerning rare 1. Describing coastal prairie and its varia- elements are collected and stored in the Biot- tions-pasture, improved pasture, range- ics database system. These data are then used land (the mosaic), to determine potential adverse impacts to the 2. Where should conservation efforts be environment. LNHP is composed of four main focused to acquire, restore and manage sections: Data, Botany/Ecology, Zoological and coastal prairie State Wildlife Grants. 3. Focus on the Chenier Plain in Calcasieu and northern Cameron Parish to Jefferson LANDSCAPE and Chambers counties in Texas CONSERVATION EAST GULF COASTAL COOPERATIVES PLAIN JOINT VENTURE We have continued to commit time and re- LDWF LNHP continued to participate as a board sources to participating in the Gulf Coast Prai- member in the East Gulf Coast Plain Joint Ven- rie LCC. LDWF participates as both a Steering ture (EGCPJV). The LNHP manager served as Pine forest with rough coneflower. 46 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

chair of the Prescribed Fire Committee and coordinated the development of the Prescribed Fire Communications Plan. This strategy builds upon the unique strengths of the EGCPJV Man- agement Board and staff, which lend them- selves to achieving prescribed fire goals. It was developed over the course of several months based upon information provided in interviews of approximately 45 prescribed fire/resource management experts throughout the East Gulf Coastal Plain, as well as guidance from the EGCPJV staff and board members concerning their mission, strengths and appropriate roles in promoting prescribed fire. The EGCPJV’s vision for prescribed fire in the Southeast is to maintain and restore fire regimes through an increased use and acceptance of prescribed fire, since fire has historically and evolution- arily played a critical role in the health of East Gulf Coastal Plain upland systems and marshes. Specifically, communications and partner- LEFT: The cover of the East Gulf Coastal Plain Prescribed Fire Strategy. RIGHT: Range-wide ships will increase the safe use of prescribed Gopher Tortoise Conservation Strategy developed by the SEAFWA Wildlife Diversity Committee. fire to restore, improve and sustain the ecosystem health of fire-dependent systems such as shortleaf and longleaf pine, mixed pine wood- has been hosted in Louisiana. LNHP led several lands, oak woodlands and savannas, native SOUTHEASTERN field trips including a birding trip to Grand Is- warm season grasses and distinct climax grass- ASSOCIATION OF FISH land and a botany trip to Lake Ramsey WMA. lands such as the Black Belt Prairies of Missis- LNHP also aided in Natural Heritage Methodol- sippi/Alabama and Big Barrens of Kentucky/ AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES: ogy Training for this conference. LNHP also led Tennessee. a Forest Management Symposium at the con- WILDLIFE DIVERSITY ference that was sponsored by Weyerhaeuser. Below is a list of LNHP activities leading up to, Communications Goals COMMITTEE (SEAFWA and during the conference. and Approach Biweekly conference calls with Nature- Support and advocate the WDC) 1. POLICY GOAL: The SEAFWA WDC mission is to determine Serve’s Conference Planning Committee establishment and/or strengthening of whether federal candidates and petitioned Southeast planning conference calls laws, policies, budgets and regulations re- species warrant listing under the Endangered where LNHP staff offered suggestions on quired to consistently allow, promote and Species Act. This committee is composed of content and format for the conference to apply prescribed fire across the South- Southeastern state representatives and - US ensure the conference was pertinent and east. FWS personnel. LNHP staff continued to repre- valuable to all states in the Southeast Re- Foster the adoption 2. OUTREACH GOAL: sent Louisiana on the WDC and attended the gion. and increased application of prescribed annual SEAFWA conference in October 2013. Planning and coordination of four all day fire among East Gulf Coastal Plain re- Staff also attended the winter WDC meeting in field trips held for conference partici- source program and management com- Mansfield, Ga. During the FY 2013-2014, this pants, with LNHP staff leading the excur- munities by providing science-based- in committee developed the Range-wide Gopher sions formation and training focused on fire’s Tortoise Conservation Strategy. This strategy Planning and coordination of auction ecological, wildlife and habitat benefits. addresses issues concerning gopher tortoise items Include a focus on recruitment and train- both in the listed and non-listed portions of Worked with NatureServe’s Chief Devel- ing of professionals and consultants to this species range. opment and Engagement Officer on local increase overall capacity for conducting sponsors for BWB prescribed burns. Webinars 3. EDUCATION GOAL: Promote an increased BIODIVERSITY WITHOUT Logistics including transportation, hotel societal awareness of and demand for accommodations, conference registra- safe, science-based application of pre- BOUNDARIES 2014 tion, etc. scribed fire in support of community safe- Co-hosted NatureServe’s 2014 Core Heri- ty and ecological health. In particular, fo- CONFERENCE tage Methodology Training (CHMT) in LNHP along with Natureserve hosted the annu- cus on training for landowners to achieve Covington, Louisiana. This included: al Biodiversity Without Boundaries conference fire capacity and application at a large Monthly conference calls with Nature- in New Orleans. This conference is attended by scale. Serve’s CHMT Committee natural heritage programs from Canada, US, Planning and coordination of logistics Mexico and Central and South America. This including hotel, evening social, trans- is the first time this international conference portation, lunches, etc Office of Wildlife 47

Join Us at Biodiversity Without Boundaries 2014!

New Orleans, Louisiana is the site of NatureServe’s next Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference, taking place from April 6-10, 2014. BWB is where the NatureServe network, our partners, and our friends gather to celebrate our successes, collaborate on new initiatives, share our innovations, and design the future. More than ever, we’ll be emphasizing education, working sessions, and networking. Join us in our discussions about how we are providing, and how we can continue to provide, the scientific basis for effective conservation.

With one of the world’s most fascinating cities as the backdrop, NatureServe and the Louisiana Natural Heritage Program are planning a full and satisfying conference. NatureServe Methodology Training will be offered Saturday through Monday. Sunday’s field trips will explore southern Louisiana’s beautiful and diverse wildlands – cypress-tupelo swamps, bays, marshes, mangroves, bottomland hardwood forests, chenier woodlands, and remnant prairies. Workshops will explore how member programs can stay relevant in an increasingly competitive environment, and how to design a program to provide the basis for effective conservation action. Other highlights include the member program awards reception, and the NatureServe Conservation Award dinner (past winners include Walt Reid, William Ruckelshaus, and E.O. Wilson).

LEFT: Announcement for the Biodiversity Without Boundaries 2014 conference. TOP RIGHT: Core Methodology Training in the field - looking at a gopher tortoise burrow (photo by Shara Howie / NatureServe). BOTTOM RIGHT: LNHP staff leading birding trip at TNC property in Grand Isle (photo by Don Kent/ Natureserve).

Planning and coordination of field site half consisted of a field trip to a Plum Creek their land holdings. LNHP provides free data for field based training owned calcareous prairie where we discussed agreements to timber companies and train- Planning and coordination with Nature- management for rare communities and the role ing on rare elements on their properties. In Serve staff on field training Including: of prescribed fire in the maintenance of these exchange for these services, LNHP is allowed threatened and endangered species systems. This workshop provided six hours of access to timber company lands to survey for within the selected field site, maps, site Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) continu- rare, threatened, and endangered species and visits prior to the training, the CHMT ing education credits. Across Canada and the communities. agenda, and LNHP staff Involvement in United States, more than 240 million acres the field based training (100 million hectares) are certified to the SFI Webinars forest management standard, the largest single LNHP COMMITTEE forest standard in the world. The SFI program’s unique fiber sourcing requirements promote PARTICIPATION LNHP staff participates in a myriad of organiza- RARE, THREATENED AND responsible forest management on all suppli- tions both at the state and national level. Below ers’ lands. SFI chain-of-custody certification is a list of groups that LNHP is associated with: ENDANGERED SPECIES tracks the percentage of fiber from certified Wildlife Diversity Program Manager (na- forests, certified sourcing and post-consumer WORKSHOP FOR PLUM tional Teaming With Wildlife coalition) recycled content. SFI on-product labels identify East Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture both certified sourcing and chain-of-custody CREEK TIMBER COMPANY Management Board LNHP provided a workshop on RTE species and claims to help consumers make responsible East Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture communities for Plum Creek in Winnfield, La. purchasing decisions. The data that LNHP pro- Priority Species Working Group This workshop focused on rare elements that vides to timber management organizations re- East Gulf Coastal Plain Joint Venture occur or may occur on Plum Creek properties garding RTE species and communities allows Prescribed Fire Team in Louisiana. The first half of the course con- these companies to ensure that they meet SFI Coastal Prairie Conservation Partnership sisted of in class presentations, and the latter standards by managing for these elements on 48 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

LNHP OUTREACH PRESENTATIONs AND PUBLIC EVENTS Lafayette Horticultural Society meeting New Orleans Herb Society meeting GFWC Lagniappe Women’s Club meeting Land Trust for Louisiana meeting “Field Studies in Wildlife Habitat” (RNR 3005) course at LSU “Flora of the Central Gulf Coast” (BIOL 4055) course at LSU Cub Scouts of America forestry training course Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater New Orleans training course Plum Creek Workshop Field Trip to Calcareous Prairie. Fort Polk Environmental and Cultural Re- sources seminar Biodiversity Without Boundaries Confer- USDA-NRCS State Technical Committee Gopher Tortoise Minimum Viable Popula- ence botany field trip to Lake Ramsey Ivory-billed Woodpecker Recovery Team tion Working Group WMA. LA Association Professional Biologists Gopher Tortoise Rangewide Conservation Plum Creek Timber Company Rare Species LA Forestry Association Recreation & Strategy Working Group and Habitat Workshop Endangered Species Commitee Gopher Tortoise Rangewide Waif/Disease Birds, Bogs and Butterflies presentation and LA Wildlife Federation Working Group nature walk SEAFWA Wildlife Diversity Committee Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Louisiana Environmental Education Com- AFWA SWAP Coordinators Committee Reptile Conservation Committee mission Symposium Dusky Gopher Frog Recovery Team Northern Gulf Manatee Stranding Net- Stir the Pot Seafood Cook-off and Festival Texas/Louisiana Longleaf Taskforce work Louisiana Heritage Cook-off festival Natural Areas Preserve Committee American Oystercatcher Working Group Neotropical Migratory Songbird Tour LA Amphibian Monitoring Program LA/MS Conservation Delivery Network Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation LA Reptile and Amphibian Task Force BTNEP Invasive Species Action Team Auction Bird Tours Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks LCC East Gulf Coastal Plain JV Pine Communi- NatureServe Biodiversity Without Boundar- Committee on Standard English and ties Working Group ies field trips Scientific Names LA Native Plant Society Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks LCC Alligator LDWF Safety Review Committee Audubon Endangered Species Day Snapping Turtle/Pine Snake/LA Pearlshell AFWA Bird Conservation Committee National Hunting and Fishing Day Mussel Groups Atchafalaya Basin Nongame Bird Com- Yellow Rails and Rice Festival CORA and MYAU Conservation Strategy mittee Various library, high school, elementary and Development Team Bird Island Working Group Cub Scout talks. Gopher Tortoise Council BTNEP Bird Project Committee Palmetto Island State Park Stir the Pot LA Pine Snake Conservation Committee Eastern Black Rail Working Group Festival LA Pine Snake Conservation Committee Gulf Coast Joint Venture Landbird MERT Lake Charles American Press article on rare Trapping & Monitoring Subcommittee Important Bird Areas Technical Commit- crawfish LA Pine Snake Reintroduction Committee tee Lake Charles American Press article on bats National Military Fish and Wildlife As- Gulf of Mexico Bird Monitoring Working Annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting sociation Group and Spring and Fall Business Meetings LA Amphibian Monitoring Program Mississippi Flyway Council Nongame Field lecture to Biology class at SE LA NRDA Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Technical Committee University TWG NRDA Avian TWG LPB “Life on the Edge” documentary series NRDA Terrestrial and Aquatic TWG NRDA Avian Restoration Plum Creek sustainable forestry workshop Gopher Tortoise Bank Review Team Southeast Partners In Flight Baton Rouge WBRZ interview regarding White-nosed syndrome committee: Quail and Grassland Bird Task Force American White Pelicans southeastern partners Swallow-tailed Kite Conservation Alliance Lake Charles KPLC interview regarding LA Pearlshell Mussel Conservation Com- (Working Group) turtles mittee Whooping Crane/White Lake Advisory Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Rep- State Wildlife Grants Committee Board tile Conservation Annual Meeting Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks LCC Adapta- Working Wetlands SEAFWA conference and Wildlife Diversity tion Science Management Team Wind Energy Task Force Committee meetings Gopher Tortoise Council Gulf Coast Prairies LCC Science Team Moderated annual Louisiana Pine Snake Gulf Coast Prairies LCC Prairie Team Working Group meeting Office of Wildlife 49

Table 1. Annual Gopher Tortoise CCA meeting submitted to USFWS by Oct. 1, 2015. A total of New Louisiana State Wildlife Grants Opened Gopher Tortoise Minimum Viable Popula- 22 WAP revision meetings were held before the During FY 2013-2014 tion Coordination meeting end of the fiscal year, and significant progress Louisiana Amphibian Program Annual was made on the revision. Tasks completed The Impact of Off-road Vehicle Traffic on Turtle Nests and Populations in the Comite River Meeting during FY 2013-2014 included finishing revis- Presentation to CPRA regarding coastal bird ing the Species of Greatest Conservation Need, Comprehensive Survey of Marine Bivalves in Near- protection Research Needs and Conservation Strategies, shore Waters of the Chandeleur Islands Invited speaker for Texas Waterbird Society more comprehensively addressing the issue Promotion of Prescribed Burning as a Manage- meeting of invasive species, addressing climate change ment Tool on Selected Habitat Types within the Presentation to Louisiana Master Natural- impacts to species of greatest conservation Louisiana East Gulf Coastal Plain ists and Louisiana Ornithological Society on need, revising and adding habitat descriptions, Overwinter Survival of Henslow’s Sparrows in anthropogenic bird mortality and working towards defining priority areas for Louisiana Louisiana Environmental Education Sympo- conservation, known as Conservation Opportu- Alligator Snapping Turtle Headstart Program sium nity Areas. The SWG Coordinator devoted 430 Productivity and Survivorship of Landbirds in Bot- hours to the revision during the fiscal year. tomland Hardwoods LOUISIANA’S WILDLIFE Surveys for the Northern Long-Eared Bat in FY 2013-2014 SWG FUNDING Louisiana ACTION PLAN AND CYCLE AND GRANT Colonial Waterbird Response to Predator Removal STATE WILDLIFE GRANTS MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES on Barrier Islands The SWG program is funded by annual Congres- Develop and Publish Management Plans for Five PROGRAM sional appropriations. The USFWS apportions Louisiana Designated Natural and Scenic Rivers In November 2001, Congress created the State these funds to state fish and wildlife agencies Bald Eagle Nesting Surveys Wildlife Grants (SWG) program. According to based on the land area and population of each Coastal Prairie Stewardship on White Lake Wet- the federal legislation that created the pro- state. Since the inception of the SWG program, lands Conservation Area gram, SWG was established “for the develop- the state of Louisiana has received approximate- ment and implementation of programs for the ly $12,000,000 in federal SWG funding, with an Table 2. benefit of wildlife and their habitat, including apportionment of $690,000 in FY 2013-2014. species that are not hunted or fished.” The Louisiana has funded 125 projects through the Louisiana State Wildlife Grants inclusion of species that are not hunted or SWG program to date. Funded SWG projects Closed During Fiscal Year 2013-2014 fished is a crucial aspect of the SWG program, have included biological inventories, research Impacts of Chinese Privet Invasion in as many of these species previously had no projects, habitat management, and the devel- T-2-R South Louisiana Bottomland Hardwood existing source of funding. In fact, the SWG opment and maintenance of databases. A wide Forests program has now become the primary funding range of SGCN have benefited from SWG fund- LDWF MAPS Stations on Wildlife Man- T-30-3 source for non-game conservation nationwide, ing in Louisiana, including the Louisiana black agement Area with the stated goal of preventing species from bear, whooping cranes, swallow-tailed kites, LDWF MAPS Stations on Wildlife Man- T-30-4 being federally listed as threatened or endan- alligator snapping turtles, freshwater mussels, agement Area gered. and neo-tropical migrant songbirds. Promotion of Prescribed Burning as a Management Tool on Selected Habitat T-66 WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN SWG proposals are accepted by LDWF on an Types within the Louisiana West Gulf annual basis, and include projects developed Coastal Plain REVISION by LDWF personnel, NGOs and universities. Congress stipulated that each state fish and Participation in a Region-Wide Count SWG proposals are reviewed by LDWF’s SWG T-68 of Swallow-tailed Kite Pre-migration wildlife agency that wished to participate in the Committee, consisting of 17 biologists repre- Roosts SWG program develop a Comprehensive Wild- senting the CNR Division, Inland Fisheries, Ma- Black Bear Conflict Management life Conservation Strategy by October 2005. In T-72-4 rine Fisheries, and Wildlife Division. Program response, LDWF developed a comprehensive Louisiana Coastal Prairie Condition planning document to establish conservation T-77 During FY 2013-2014, 16 new project propos- Assessment needs and guide the use of SWG grant funds for als were received for funding consideration. the next 10 years. The document, known as the Aquatic Herpetofaunal Surveys at Eleven proposals received approval by the SWG T-78 Boeuf WMA state’s Wildlife Action Plan (WAP), was submit- Committee by the end of FY 2013-2014 Table( ted for approval to the National Advisory Accep- Natural Community Inventory En- 1), and had been submitted to USFWS for ap- T-86 tance Team and was subsequently approved in proval, along with all required documentation. hancement December 2005. The WAP is the roadmap for After grant closings on June 30, 2014, there The Efficacy of Newly Constructed non-game conservation in Louisiana, and must remained 43 ongoing SWG-funded projects, T-88-2 Barrier Island Marshes and Rock Break- be reviewed and revised every 10 years to en- including the 11 new projects approved prior waters for Providing Fish Habitat sure that it remains an effective tool for conser- to June 30. Also, in FY 2013-2014 LDWF was Surveys of the Aquatic Turtle Fauna of T-94 vation planning and implementation. awarded a competitive multi-state SWG enti- Southwestern Louisiana tled “Recovery of the Alligator Snapping Turtle Dredge Spoil Island Management at T-100 The first comprehensive revision of the Louisi- in the Mississippi River Drainages of Southern the Atchafalaya Delta ana WAP is currently underway, and must be Illinois, Oklahoma, and Louisiana,” in partner- Ringgold Morse Clay Prairie Restora- T-103 tion 50 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

ship with the Illinois Department of Natural knowledge concerning Louisiana’s fish and of the little dubiraphian riffle beetleDubi ( - Resources and Oklahoma Department of Con- wildlife. During FY 2013-2014 Louisiana SWG raphia parva) entered into Biotics, which were servation, as well as the University of Louisiana produced 10 peer-reviewed publications, rep- the first records entered into the database for at Monroe. resenting seven different grantsTable ( 3). this species. There was one record of the river redhorse entered into Biotics. This species was During FY 2013-2014, 13 SWG grants were previously listed as extirpated in the state, but closed (Table 2). Copies of final reports for Data Section was recently rediscovered in the Ouachita River. all closed SWG grants are available to inter- LNHP gathers occurrence information for rare, ested parties upon request. Twenty-two grant threatened and endangered wildlife species. In addition to adding new element occurrences amendments were submitted to USFWS during Heritage data are integral in determining the and updating existing records, the data section FY 2013-2014, and 46 grant reports were sub- status and state rankings for species of con- was heavily involved with the revision of the mitted to USFWS during the fiscal year. servation concern, which drives the direction state WAP. During FY 2013-2014, WAP commit- of non-game species research and conserva- tee members began the process of developing tion for the state of Louisiana. The informa- STATE WILDLIFE GRANTS Conservation Opportunity Areas (COAs) for tion is stored in easily accessed GIS computer inclusion in the WAP. These COAs will provide FUNDED RESEARCH PRODUCTS database files known as Biotics, which was high priority focal areas for conservation and Since the inception of the SWG program in developed by the Natural Heritage Network’s restoration activities in Louisiana. Data from Louisiana, research funded through these parent organization, NatureServe. During FY multiple sources pulled together and consid- grants has produced over 50 peer-reviewed 2013-2014, a total of 238 element occurrence ered contributing factors in the development publications, adding greatly to the body of records were added and/or updated in Biotics of the COAs include urbanization data, existing along with the associated information including protected lands, and species of conservation location, species population status and habitat concern. Fine-scale watershed-based distribu- Table 3. condition. The Waterbird Nesting Colony dation maps were created for all birds, reptiles, taset was updated with 2013 amphibians and mammals and used as key Grant Citation flight survey data and several components in the development of the COAs. natural communities were Alford, J. B. 2014. Multi-scale assessment of habitats and added into Biotics. Notewor- The Biotics database is used daily by LNHP staff T-75 stressors influencing stream fish assemblages in the Lake thy element occurrence re- to review construction activities and develop- Pontchartrain Basin, USA. Hydrobiologia, 738(1), 129-146. cords added into the LNHP ment projects planned by government and Brown, K. M., & Daniel, W. M. 2014. The population ecology database include the little private entities throughout the state. These of the threatened inflated heelsplitter, Potamilus inflatus, in T-92 dubiraphian riffle beetleDu ( - activities range from small to large-scale proj- the Amite River, Louisiana. The American Midland Natural- biraphia parva) and the river ist, 171(2), 328-339. ects including residential, commercial and in- redhorse (Moxostoma carina- dustrial development and the development of Daniel, W. M., & Brown, K. M. (2013). Multifactorial model tum). There were two records T-92 of habitat, host fish, and landscape effects on Louisiana freshwater mussels. Freshwater Science, 32(1), 193-203. Holcomb, S. R., & Carr, J. L. (2013). Mammalian Depredation of Artificial Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys tem- T-57 minckii) Nests in North Louisiana. Southeastern Naturalist, 12(3), 478-491. Kang, S. R., & King, S. L. (2013). Seasonal comparison of T-55 aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in a flooded coastal freshwater marsh. Open Journal of Ecology, 3, 94. Kang, S. R., & King, S. L. (2013). Effects of Hydrologic Con- T-55 nectivity on Pond Environmental Characteristics in a Coastal Marsh System. Southeastern Naturalist, 12(3), 568-578. Martin, N. H., & Taylor, S. J. (2013). Floral preference, flower constancy, and pollen transfer efficiency of the ruby-throat- T-97 ed hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) in mixed arrays of Iris nelsonii and Iris fulva. Evolutionary Ecology Research, 15(7), 783-792. Owen, T. M., & Pierce, A. R. (2013). Hatching Success and Nest Site Characteristics of Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) T-65 on the Isles Dernieres Barrier Island Refuge, Louisiana. Waterbirds, 36(3), 342-347. Pickens, B. A., & King, S. L. (2013). Microhabitat Selection, T-41 Demography and Correlates of Home Range Size for the King Rail (Rallus elegans). Waterbirds, 36(3), 319-329. Raynor, E. J., Pierce, A. R., Owen, T. M., Leumas, C. M., & Ro- hwer, F. C. (2013). Short-Term Demographic Responses of a Figure 3. The above map depicts all of the sub basins identified for yellow T-65 Coastal Waterbird Community After Two Major Hurricanes. rail. The sub basins include areas where yellow rail currently occur and have Waterbirds, 36(1), 88-93. occurred in the past. These sub basins also include areas where yellow rail may occur, based on satellite imagery and expert opinion. Office of Wildlife 51

pipelines and roads. These activities repeat- percent from FY 2012-2013. The digital data edly threaten RTE species and natural habitats request involves large scale projects. The re- across the state, and the LNHP is tasked with questing organization submits a description reducing and limiting these threats as much as of the proposed project to LNHP, and a query possible. of the LNHP database is run against the proposed project area. The results of the query Throughout the year, government and private show species of conservation concern and entities will request species and habitat re- natural communities within a predetermined views for projects occurring in Louisiana. These distance stated in the project request letter. A reviews are collectively referred to as private comment letter is submitted to the requesting consultant projects. The requesting organiza- organization identifying potential impacts to tion submits a description of the proposed LNHP tracked species, communities and criti- project to LNHP and a query of the LNHP da- cal habitats, along with point and/or polygon tabase is run against the proposed project data and associated species information. The area. The results of the query show species information provided by the LNHP is applied of conservation concern and natural commu- to land use decisions, environmental impact nities within one mile of the project area. A assessments, resource management, conser- comment letter is submitted to the requesting vation planning, endangered species reviews, Nicole Lorenz presenting the LNHP Data organization identifying potential impacts to research, and education. Explorer at NatureServe’s 2014 Biodiversity LNHP tracked species, communities and critical Without Boundaries conference in New habitats. The letter also indicates the presence In addition to data agreements produced for Orleans, La. of scenic rivers, state or federal parks, wildlife public and private entities, the Database Sec- refuges and WMAs occurring within 400 me- tion worked in-house with the Seismic Section ters of the project area. on 14 large-scale seismic and micro-seismic spatial data management. The conversion projects occurring throughout the state, an involved administrative tasks for both tab- LNHP receives Coastal Use Permits submitted increase of 27 percent from FY 2012-2013. ular data and spatial data. to LDWF by LDNR. Coastal Use Permits are These projects were reviewed by LNHP and Tabular data tasks included: required for commercial, residential and oil comments were submitted to the Seismic Updating Biotics to the most recent and gas projects occurring within Louisiana’s Section indicating potential impacts of these version Coastal Zone. LDNR houses a subset of the projects to LNHP tracked species and natural Running Quality Control Procedures LNHP database, allowing LDNR to flag Coastal communities. Cleaning up the database - Database Use Permits that occur near LNHP tracked spe- Integrity Check and other Quality cies. These flagged Coastal Use Permits are for- Projects Control tasks warded to LNHP biologists for review. As with The conversion of Biotics 4 - a client based Providing the database to Nature- private consultant reviews, comments regard- software - to Biotics 5 - a fully integrated Serve ing potential impacts to RTE species, critical web-enabled platform for tabular and Spatial data tasks included: habitats, natural communities and species of concern are generated. The presence of scenic rivers, state or federal parks, wildlife refuges and WMAs within the project area are also included in the comment letter. The LNHP’s comments, along with comments from other programs within LDWF, are consolidated and an agency wide letter is submitted to LDNR.

LNHP also reviews USACE permits and permits from other regulatory agencies. These reviews are collectively referred to as internal reviews due to the fact they are received by LNHP from other departments within LDWF.

In FY 2013-2014, LNHP staff conducted 1,401 project reviews which included 452 private consultant project reviews, 860 new or modified Coastal Use Permits, and 89 internal project reviews.

The LNHP Database Section processed a total of 29 digital data requests for private consultants, nonprofit organizations, universities and government agencies, an increase of 38 Figure 4. Buffered LNHP data layers provided to NOAA for inclusion in the Office of Response and Restoration Environmental Sensitivity Index maps. 52 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Providing managed layer shapefiles Botany/Ecology COASTAL PRAIRIE RESEARCH Preparing and providing layers for AND STEWARDSHIP use In spatial calculations within Section Coastal prairie historically occupied ca. 2.5 mil- Spatial Calculations geodatabase The main responsibilities of the Botany/Ecol- lion acres situated between the pine flatwoods Identifying reference map layers ogy Section include: and marsh in southwestern Louisiana. Coastal needed Determining which plant species and prairie owes its existence to harsh soils that Confirming source and format of natural communities (habitats) are rare in inhibit forests, and frequent fire. Less than 1 hosted map services Louisiana. percent of this prairie remains today, the vast Preparing Map Document (.mxd) Collecting, organizing and distributing in- majority having been converted to mechanized and geodatabase containing refer- formation on rare plants and natural com- agriculture (mainly rice). As a result of this ence layers to be hosted by Nature- munities. habitat loss, many grassland wildlife species Serve Conducting botanical inventories and eco- are imperiled, and some have been extirpated Worked on updating content information logical assessments on various properties. from the state. The last tracts of unplowed on the website Interacting with landowners and manag- coastal prairie are found in the cattle country Continued working on the SWG Scenic ers to promote conservation of native in the Lake Charles area where they are being Rivers project (T-84) plants and natural communities. utilized as rangeland (native grassland which Worked on the Section 6 Online Review Coordinating the Natural Areas Registry is grazed by cattle). LDWF is working coopera- Tool Project: Program. tively with three ranches to implement stew- Worked on ArcView Layers for Review Providing plant identification services ardship on these prairies. Threats that LDWF is Tool to LDWF staff, natural resources profes- addressing include woody encroachment and Provided comments, edits, and infor- sionals with other organizations, and the fire exclusion. To date LDWF has implemented mation to NatureServe on Louisiana’s public. chemical brush control on 270 acres of range- Review Tool demo site Coordination with the Louisiana Master land prairie. In early 2014, 850 acres among Presented Louisiana’s Review Tool at Naturalist Program. the two best remaining prairies were burned NatureServe’s 2014 Biodiversity With- by a crew consisting of LNHP, Wildlife Divi- out Boundaries Plant Identification sion and Rockefeller Refuge staff. Another ca. Partnered with NOAA through Research Botany/Ecology staff members routinely- per 1,000 acres of remnant prairie will be burned Planning, providing data for inclusion in form plant identifications to assist others. Cus- in 2015. NOAA’s Environmental Sensitivity Index tomers have included other LDWF biologists, maps. These maps are available for NO- natural resources professionals outside LDWF, In addition to fire-for-effect stewardship, LNHP AA’s Office of Response and Restoration students, and Louisiana citizens. In many cases is also conducting a long-term field experiment website for oil spill response and plan- this work involves identifying plants from im- involving cattle exclusion and fire. The objec- ning. The focal area for this project was ages or specimens provided. Plant identifica- tive of this research is to determine the recov- limited to Louisiana’s coastal zone and tion assistance is also provided in the field. ery potential of an unplowed but heavily grazed the final product included information on For example, Botany/Ecology staff recently as- prairie. The cattle exclosures will provide a use- Louisiana black bear, gulf sturgeon, pallid sisted LDWF technical services biologists with ful reference for comparison to grazed areas, sturgeon, bald eagle, piping plover and deer browse surveys and habitat assessments, and will also assist the landowner with grazing 2011 waterbird nesting colonies. and regularly assist the LDWF Forestry Section management decisions. The coastal prairie re- with herbaceous plant identification in growth search and stewardship project is taking LNHP monitoring plots on WMAs. Botany/Ecology into the fascinating science of range manage- staff members also provide plant Identification ment. Grazing is a natural part of prairie, and training in the field upon request. the long term goal is to maximize the habitat

LEFT: Prescribed burning on coastal prairie. RIGHT: Coastal Prairie in Calcasieu Parish. This photo was taken in October 2014, the result of a May 2014 prescribed burn. Office of Wildlife 53

quality of coastal prairie rangelands by Balancing immediate conservation ac- promoting and implementing steward- tion with long-term research-based ship and by positively influencing prai- planning in the Louisiana coastal prairie-compatible grazing regimes. rie. State of the Prairie Conference. Ft. Worth, Texas. May 30, 2014. Natural Areas Registry The Louisiana Natural Areas Registry was created by the Legislature in 1987 ZOOLOGY SECTION: to honor citizens who voluntarily pro- ENDANGERED tect elements of Louisiana’s Natural Heritage on their properties. When a SPECIES ACT property is enrolled in the Natural Ar- eas Registry, LNHP biologists work with SECTION 6, REPTILE the landowner to address concerns and assist with management goals. During AND AMPHIBIAN this fiscal year two new properties were PROGRAM, enrolled in the Natural Areas Registry, totaling 316 acres. Enrollment of these NONGAME two sites brings the total number of active Natural Areas to 117, capturing BIRD PROGRAM 48,609 acres. Eleven Natural Areas received biological surveys this year, and AND PERMITS technical assistance was provided to COORDINATION seven Natural Area landowners. A sig- LNHP administered federal aid grants for nificant accomplishment this year was species of special concern through the the return of the Natural Areas newslet- Endangered Species Act Section 6 Pro- ter. This publication was redesigned and gram, Multi-state SWG, and participated renamed “Bluestem,” after an important in Louisiana’s SWG Program. Section 6 group of grasses that dominate Louisi- projects included the following species: ana’s prairies and pine grasslands. This Louisiana pearlshell mussel, Louisiana publication had been dormant since pine snake, gopher tortoise, ringed the departure of the Natural Areas co- map turtle, manatee, piping plover, sea ordinator in 2012. This publication will turtles, and the ivory-billed woodpecker. resume a quarterly schedule in 2015. Section 6 Cooperative Agreements were Coordination duties are now assigned to renewed between LDWF, USFWS and two LNHP biologists. The Natural Areas NOAA. Registry is gaining steam, and will be operating fully by next fiscal year. Section 6 funds allowed staff to work on a multitude of RTE species issues includ- Education/Outreach ing: Botany staff delivered numerous pre- Coordinated with USFWS to de- sentations for conferences, club meet- velop ranking maps for threatened ings, university courses and technical and endangered species through training courses. Time was also dedicat- the Wetland Reserves Program. ed to volunteering at outreach events SEAFWA committee to address At such as festivals and symposiums. Risk species in the southeast. LNHP continued to partner with Scientific Conference USFWS and USDA-NRCS on Endan- Presentations gered Species Act coordination. Restoration potential of a heavily grazed Prescribed burning of public and prairie remnant in coastal Louisiana. private properties. Society for Range Management 67th White-nose syndrome coordina- Annual International Meeting. Orlando, tion and response plan. Fla. Feb. 12, 2014. Conservation genetics of Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni). Saving the prairie: a progress report Louisiana pine snake detection us- on LDWF’s coastal prairie research and ing camera traps. TOP: LNHP’s Sairah Javed presenting Natural Areas stewardship initiative. LDWF Wildlife Di- Partnering with state and federal Registry Certificate for Delacroix Preserve Natural Area vision Research and Management Sym- wildlife agencies to assess the sta- in Orleans Parish. CENTER: Cooter’s Bog Natural Area posium. Baton Rouge, La. May 27, 2014. tus of the northern long-eared bat on Kisatchie National Forest.BOTTOM: Stir the Pot rangewide Festival at Palmetto Island State Park. 54 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Gopher tortoise habitat improvement develop a program to address these issues. Ongoing State Wildlife and burrow occupancy rate. Currently all of these tortoises are required to Partner with Weyerhaeuser for gopher be tested for the presence of upper respiratory Grant Projects Zoological projects funded through SWG in- tortoise status and potential habitat res- tract disease and then are acclimated in hold- cluded: toration on Ben’s Creek property. ing pens at Sandy Hollow WMA before release. Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survi- Louisiana pearlshell mussel population vorship Program trends and long-term monitoring proto- Louisiana Pine Snake Winter Bird Atlas col. The Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni) Rusty Blackbird Surveys Louisiana pearlshell mussel conservation will be assessed for listing on the federal list of Breeding Bird Surveys coordination with federal and parish part- threatened and endangered species in 2017. Calcasieu Painted Crawfish Surveys ners. The decline of this species is largely due habitat Winter Plover Surveys Joint project with Texas Parks and Wildlife destruction and fire suppression. The majority Secretive Marsh Bird Callback Surveys Department for Louisiana pine snake re- of these snakes reside on industrial forest lands Christmas Bird Counts search and monitoring. and the LNHP has been actively working with Aerial Surveys for Colonial Nesting Ringed map turtle trapping was conduct- the timber industry to increase habitat quality Waterbirds ed on the Pearl River to determine the by facilitating controlled burning through vari- Aerial Surveys for Pre-Migration Roosts status of the population. ous grant programs. The LNHP is also working of Swallow-tailed Kites The manatee sighting database was main- actively with our federal partners to develop Rare, Threatened and Endangered Spe- tained and staff responded to stressed/ forest management practices that bolster the cies and Natural Communities on LDWF dead manatees when reported. pine snake population and are compatible with WMAS and Refuges Surveys of the quality of Louisiana’s timber production. This will allow the private Multistate Sandhills/Upland Longleaf Res- beaches as habitat for shorebirds and sea industry to enter into Candidate Conservation toration Project turtles. Agreements with Assurances for the pine snake and possibly preclude the need to place it on the Endangered Species List. Alligator Snapping Turtle Gopher Tortoise The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys tem- LNHP is partnering with other states in the minckii) has experienced significant population tortoise’s range on the Gopher Tortoise Range- Below are several federally funded research declines throughout its range due to multiple Wide Conservation Strategy to prioritize projects that are underway aimed at producing factors, including harvest pressures (Sloan and threats to the species and implement action information needed for population monitoring Lovich 1995). The alligator snapping turtle is items. LHNP staff coordinated and completed and recovery: listed as vulnerable by the International Union gopher tortoise burrow scope surveys at Sandy Use of camera traps to detect Louisiana for Conservation of Nature and is listed under Hollow WMA, private lands and pipeline/pow- pine snake Appendix III of CITES (CITES 2006, IUCN2007). erline rights-of-way in Washington, St. Tam- Use of detection dogs to detect Louisiana It is a Species of Conservation Concern (S3) in many and Tangipahoa parishes. All data are pine snake the state of Louisiana (LNHP 2014),and is listed currently being analyzed and will provide an Louisiana pine snake habitat preferences as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in accurate population estimate and distribution Louisiana pine snake population genetics the Louisiana Comprehensive Wildlife Conser- for gopher tortoises in the state. Louisiana pine snake food habits vation Strategy (Wildlife Action Plan, Lester et Louisiana pine snake reintroduction fea- al. 2005). A determination of whether or not to LNHP staff has been focused on improving sibility list the alligator snapping turtle as threatened habitat on approximately 600 acres of private under the Endangered Species Act is sched- lands and 3,700 acres on Sandy Hollow WMA uled for 2017 by USFWS. Efforts are currently through burning, herbicide and/or mechanical underway in Louisiana to gather sufficient data treatment with the Multi-state Sandhills/Up- to preclude listing. Commercial harvest of this land Longleaf Restoration grant. The first phase of this work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2015. LNHP will continue to build a partnership with private landowners to survey new properties and assist with habitat restoration efforts to increase the amount of quality habitat for tortoises. The LNHP tortoise biologist is very active in developing partnerships with private industry and participation on multistate committees pertaining to gopher tortoise management, research and conservation.

“Waif” tortoises (tortoises from unknown areas picked up by citizens and brought to LNHP) are becoming an increasing issue. LNHP is working with other states in the gopher tortoise’s range as part of a “waif” tortoise working group to

LEFT: Gopher tortoise hatchling. RIGHT: Louisiana pine snake trapping In Bienville Parish. Office of Wildlife 55

more than 400 nongame species. The bulk of the Nongame Ornithologist’s job is coordinating or participating in scaled-down monitoring that feeds into national or regional datasets; surveys include U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Breeding Bird Surveys, Christmas Bird Counts, LSU’s Summer and Winter Bird Atlases, Swal- low-tailed Kite Pre-migration Roost Surveys, Mid-winter Bald Eagle Surveys, Piping Plover International Censuses, Secretive Marsh Bird Callback Surveys, Waterbird Nesting Colony Surveys, the Institute for Bird Populations’ Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Program, the Rusty Blackbird Blitz, and others. Geographically expansive and long-term LEFT: Alligator snapping turtle pond at Monroe Hatchery. This pond houses 3-year-old headstart- bird projects, crucial for the conservation and ed turtles. RIGHT: Indoor raceways at AST facility in Monroe. Turtles are kept indoors for the first management of these species, have benefitted two years after hatching. greatly from LDWF’s financial commitment to nongame birds and have been matched by fed- species has been banned since 2004 in Louisi- Publications eral aid grant opportunities such as the SWG ana, although recreational take is still allowed Steen, D. A., C. J. W. McClure, J. C. Brock, D. C. program. SWGs have contributed, in part, to within the state. It appears that the greatest Rudolph, J. B. Pierce, J. R. Lee, W. J. Humphries, the majority of the projects above; and with threat to alligator snapping turtle populations B. B. Gregory, W. B. Sutton, L. L. Smith, D. L. such funding, 100 percent of USGS’s Breeding in the state is the lack of juvenile recruitment. Baxley, D. J. Stevenson, and C. Guyer. 2013. Bird Survey routes in Louisiana were assigned This is in large part due to predation of nests Snake co-occurrence patterns are best- ex to active observers for the second year ina and hatchlings, primarily by imported red fire plained by habitat and hypothesized effects row. During Christmas Bird Counts, LNHP biolo- ants (Solenopsis invicta) and raccoons (Procyon of interspecific interactions. Journal of Animal gists observed state-rare Henslow’s sparrows, lotor) (Holcomb and Carr 2011, Holcomb and Ecology: 83:286-295. Sprague’s pipits and sandhill cranes (2000+ Carr 2013). Since 2012, LDWF has operated a individuals) in the Cajun prairie region. Results headstart facility for alligator snapping turtles Steen, D. A., D. J. Stevenson, J. C. Beane, J.D. from other Christmas Bird Counts in the region at the Monroe hatchery facility. The purpose Wilson, M. J. Aresco, J. C. Godwin, S. P. Gra- continue to highlight the critical need of pre- of this facility is to ensure a reliable source of ham, L. L. Smith, J. M. Howze, D. C. Rudolph, serving rice cultivation and culture for both the turtles for release to supplement populations J. B. Pierce, J. R. Lee, B. B. Gregory, J. Jensen, human and bird communities of the region. in the wild. By headstarting these animals in S. H. Stiles, J. A. Stiles, N. H. Nazdrowicz, and During this fiscal year, the Nongame Ornitholo- captivity, survival rates should increase signifi- C. Guyer. 2013. Terrestrial movements of the gist discovered the fourth nest record of Swain- cantly from the low rates (2.4-21.9 percent) red-bellied mudsnake (Farancia abacura) and son’s hawk in Louisiana. estimated for hatchlings in a north Louisiana rainbow snake (F. erytrogramma). Herpetologi- study (Bass 2007), as the headstarted animals cal Review: 44(2):208-213. In early June 2014, biologists with LNHP sur- will be too large for many potential predators. veyed waterbird colonies throughout south- Release locations will be determined from Steen, D. A., C. J. W. McClure, W. B. Sutton, D. eastern Louisiana. More than 100 colonies data generated from one recently completed C. Rudolph, J. B. Pierce, J. R. Lee, L. L. Smith, were surveyed via rotary-wing; 65 of those (T-106) and one ongoing (T-305) SWG. The B. B. Gregory, D. L. Baxley, D. J. Stevenson, and were considered active colonies in 2014. Data objectives of the alligator snapping turtle proj- C. Guyer. 2014. Copperheads are abundant from the 2014 surveys have not been quality ect is to headstart hatchling alligator snapping where kingsnakes are not: relationships be- assured/quality controlled yet, but, tentatively, turtles at the Monroe Fish Hatchery for three tween the abundances of a predator and one brown pelicans (16,000 nesting pairs detect- years per cohort, with the goal of providing a of their prey. Herpetologica: 70(1):69-76. ed), sandwich terns (more than 14,000 nest- minimum of 50 turtles for release each year ing pairs), royal terns (more than 9000 nesting beginning in 2015, collect growth data for a pairs), black skimmers (more than 5500 nesting subset of turtles per cohort, and conduct food NONGAME BIRD pairs), and laughing gulls (more than 5500 nest- preference studies to maximize production ing pairs) were the most abundant nesting spe- of headstarted turtles. The supplementation PROGRAM AND PERMITS cies. Interestingly, the laughing gull population of depleted wild populations in Louisiana will COORDINATION appears to be suffering a significant decrease; hopefully offset the apparent lack of natural the aerial count was down by 60 percent over recruitment occurring in the wild. This project Nongame Avian Surveys 2013 data. This dramatic decrease could be an will also provide life-history data for the review The Nongame Bird section, currently consist- artifact of not including key colonies such as of alligator snapping turtles as an endangered ing of one full-time biologist, is responsible for the Chandeleur Islands and Breton in the sur- species by USFWS potentially helping to pre- directing research, monitoring and conserva- veys due to budgetary constraints, but also may clude the need to list the alligator snapping tion needs of all nongame birds in our state, as not be so easily explained. LNHP will continue turtle under the Endangered Species Act. well as providing peer-review for scientific and to monitor colonial waterbirds to aid in calcu- layman products. Louisiana’s diverse avifau- lating population indices to assist in detecting na - more than 470 species in total - includes such changes. As in the past, one of the larg- 56 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

est and most species-rich colonies persists on dedicated a fan base as birds. As such, LNHP Bald Eagle nest removal must also be permitted LDWF-managed property - Raccoon Island in has promoted public birding and bird banding through USFWS and is usually performed out- the Isle Dernieres chain. Eight colonial water- activities whenever possible. The Neotropi- side nesting season and for emergency purpos- bird species were detected on Raccoon Island cal Migratory Songbird Tour at Sherburne, the es only. Mitigation is typically required to offset in 2014 and represented over 11,500 nesting Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival, the Nature- the loss of nests, eggs and young. pairs of birds. Serve conference’s Grand Isle birding field trip, National Hunting and Fishing Day, and the Yel- NONGAME AVIAN low Rails and Rice Festival in Thornwell are all AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSULTATIONS partially staffed by LNHP biologists. In addition, In addition to field data collection, the Non- the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Founda- PROGRAM ACTIVITIES game Ornithologist provides reviews, com- tion auctions birding tours led by the Nongame ments and data for various entities including Field Surveys Ornithologist each year as part of its fundrais- General field surveys were conducted to deter- USFWS, Joint Ventures, Landscape Conserva- ing ventures. Swallow-tailed kite educational mine population trends, diversity and relative tion Cooperatives, species- or guild-specific outreach stickers were produced, and several abundance of amphibians and reptiles at sites, working groups, environmental consultants, hundred were distributed this fiscal year. Dur- including surveys of sites that had not previ- the public, and others. As the nongame bird ing this period, more than 200 technical phone ously been studied. Thirty one field days, plus technical representative for LDWF, the Non- calls and more than 900 technical e-mails were incidental observations, resulted in the loca- game Ornithologist provides official comments fielded by the Nongame Ornithologist. tion of 1,392 individuals of 55 species (37 per- on Federal Registry notices concerning non- cent of the state total). Surveys included four game birds to the Mississippi Flyway Council. SCIENTIFIC COLLECTING private lands, three state parks and the fol- The Nongame Ornithologist acted as a consul- PERMITS AND OTHER PERMITS lowing WMAs: Maurepas Swamp, Pearl River, tant on a television series on threatened and Scientific Collecting Permits, Eagle Nest Take Rockefeller and Sherburne. endangered species filmed by Louisiana Public Permits and Interstate Bird Travel Permits are Broadcasting. The most exciting bird news in also housed within the Nongame Bird Pro- Two surveys targeted the Webster’s salaman- Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf region dur- gram, and issuance is the responsibility of the der ( ) at the only known ing this period was the formation of the Gulf of Nongame Ornithologist after consultation with Plethodon websteri Louisiana site. Assisted by staff from USGS and Mexico Bird Monitoring Working Group upon specialized zoologists. Scientific Collecting -Per our Mississippi counterpart, LDWF was able to which the Nongame Ornithologist serves. mits are utilized by many researchers from bird confirm that the area remains intact, and that This collaborative, comprehensive network of banders to mussel surveyors. During FY 2013- the salamanders are successfully reproducing federal, state, academic and NGO partners, 2014, 95 Scientific Collecting Permits were there. undoubtedly, will be a major driving force in issued to academic institutions, museums, bird monitoring and research in our region in consultants, private individuals and others. In- LDWF routinely receives calls from concerned the coming years, and representation by LNHP terstate Bird Travel Permits are issued to those citizens about venomous snakes in and around on such committees ensures that Louisiana’s bringing wild (otherwise, protected, migratory) the Capitol Lake area in Baton Rouge. As a re- needs are well articulated and met. birds into the state for educational demonstrations; two such permit letters were issued dur- sult of the high public interest, annual surveys ing this period. Eagle Nest Take Permits are is- are conducted for venomous snakes each year. NONGAME AVIAN OUTREACH This year’s survey resulted in the usual count Outreach to multiple end-users of all ages is a sued on very rare occasions - when nests are in dangerous locations for birds or the public. of zero venomous snakes, and a count of 54 means that is particularly relevant in conserva- harmless snakes. tion of birds; there is no wildlife group with as No permits were issued in FY 2013-2014. All

LEFT: Working wetlands provide critical habitat for nesting birds such as this black-necked stilt. CENTER: White-tailed kite is a species of conservation concern in Louisiana due to extreme rarity. Nesting pairs are rarely located in the state, but wintering individuals like the one pictured are regularly observed. RIGHT: Clapper rails are a common species of secretive marsh bird. These two juveniles were photographed along a callback survey route. Office of Wildlife 57

Jeff Boundy was contracted by LSU Press to Restricted Snake Permits extinct species. CRC Press, Boca Raton.- xx write and illustrate a field guide to Louisiana The number of Restricted Snake Permits, is- vii+1209 pp. amphibians and reptiles. Field surveys incorpo- sued for the possession of large constrictors rated filling gaps in needed photographs, and and venomous snakes, increased from 77 to 97 J. Boundy. 2013. Louisiana Herpetofaunal Sur- by the end of the fiscal year over 40 percent during the fiscal year. veys: New baseline data, re-surveys and estab- of the species accounts had been completed. lishment of permanent monitoring sites. Final Licenses Report to U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Atlanta. Louisiana Amphibian Commerce in reptiles and amphibians was 212 pp. Monitoring Program made possible by the purchase of 287 resident Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program and one non-resident Amphibian and Reptile J. Boundy. 2013. Re-surveys for the Alligator (LAMP) volunteers contribute their time to Collector Licenses, and 38 resident and 41 non- Snapping Turtle in southeastern Louisiana, in- help states and USGS to assess frog and toad resident Amphibian and Reptile Wholesale/Re- cluding trap data for other turtle species. Final population trends. Data are collected using a tail Dealer licenses. Total license revenue was Report to U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Atlanta. calling survey technique, in which volunteers $27,895. 35 pp. identify local amphibian species by their unique breeding vocalizations or calls. LAMP Publications and Reports volunteers made 54 runs on 21 routes, and J. Boundy. 2013. Review of: J. Beane et al. Am- documented 19 of Louisiana’s 33 frog and phibians and reptiles of the Carolinas and Vir- toad species. The LDWF State Herpetologist ginia. Herpetological Review 44:528-529. chaired the annual LAMP meeting at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center in V. Wallach, K. Williams and J. Boundy. 2014. Lafayette. Snakes of the World - a catalogue of living and

Oil Spill Response & Assessment

Program Manager - Jon J. Wiebe sessment as well as scale future restoration the spring of 2014 an agreement was reached Biologist Supervisor - Steven Pearson, PhD activities. and a 24-month monitoring effort began. The Biologist Supervisor - Laura Carver agreement provides participating agencies reimbursement for their participation in the NRDA Activties program and provides up to 24 months of Overview Program personnel continue to develop/evalu- monitoring and remediation for 48 segments The Oil Spill Response and Assessment Pro- ate injury assessment studies (previous and throughout our coast. gram documents/evaluates biological and current oil spills) in collaboration with state ecological impacts associated with spills and federal trustees. Information generated Since the spring of 2014, LDWF staff has re- throughout Louisiana. These efforts have been from these studies may be utilized to popu- mained heavily involved in the continuing significantly enhanced by programmatic reor- late wildlife (REA) and/or habitat (HEA) injury effort, and staff has filled roles as the Long- ganization in which additional trained person- models, thereby providing trustees with insight Term Monitoring Lead Coordinator and Field nel (spill response and assessment) and associ- as to the scope of the overall injury. Addition- Representatives. We provided comments and ated resources are being dedicated to not only ally, these studies may be utilized to develop recommendations on various aspects of the address current needs, but enhance/develop a restoration plan that outlines alternative monitoring program during its development approaches to speed the recovery of injured integrated means to define injury (short and and assisted in the drafting of numerous re- resources and compensate for their loss or im- long-term) as well as restore the state’s natu- lated documents. Staff met with Louisiana and pairment from the time of injury to recover. ral resources. Program personnel continue to BP to resolve issues that arose and successfully accomplish these efforts in collaboration with scheduled the first round of surveys. Participat- a variety of LDWF programs and Federal and LONG-TERM MONITORING ing LDWF field biologists working in conjunc- During FY 2013-2014, the State of Louisiana, State Natural Resource Trustee agencies. tion with Louisiana’s trustee agencies (LOSCO, with assistance from LDWF and other state CPRA, LDEQ and LDNR) and BP, observed and trustee agencies (Louisiana Oil Spill Coordina- documented oil residue on affected shorelines, Response tor’s Office [LOSCO], the Louisiana Coastal Pro- made recommendations on remediation/ Due to the temporal nature of oil spills, wildlife tection and Restoration Authority [CPRA], Loui- treatment, monitored the subsequent remedi- siana Department of Environmental Quality responders receive/renew extensive training ation/treatment conducted by BP, and worked [LDEQ], and Louisiana Department of Natural (ex. LDWF Sampling Protocols, HAZWOPER) to ensure that associated impacts to wildlife Resources [LDNR]) entered into negotiations in order to rapidly, safely and efficiently docu- and habitat were minimized. with BP in an effort to provide certain shore- ment wildlife and associated habitat injury as line segments, which are experiencing ongoing well as recover live, oiled wildlife for rehabilita- NRDA AND RESTORATION Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacts, a period of tion. Collectively this information and actions ACTIVITIES extended monitoring and remediation. LDWF Office of Wildlife personnel continue to work are critical elements for trustees to develop staff participated in several meetings and was collaboratively with state and federal natural potential preassessment and/or damage as- essential to the technical working groups. In resource trustees to evaluate the potential 58 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on continue to focus on assessment activities to Louisiana’s natural wildlife resources. Within evaluate potential injuries to natural resources the Office of Wildlife, program staff from from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and have Coastal Operations, Natural Heritage, Water- worked with state trustees on monitoring pro- fowl, Fur and Marsh Management, Veterinary posed early restoration projects that may be Services and Rockefeller Refuge has participat- constructed prior to the completion of the full ed in Technical Working Groups for avian and damage assessment. other wildlife resources. Program personnel

LDWF Research Activities

Program Manager - Jon J. Wiebe EVALUATION OF erosion). LDWF has been implementing the following work plan (2012-2015): Biologist Supervisor - Steven Pearson, PhD DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN (MALACLEMYS TERRAPIN) Objectives Research Activities NESTING HABITAT AND 1. Delineate terrapin nesting habitat Ecosystem research allows for a greater un- throughout coastal Louisiana. derstanding of wildlife resources which can be REPRODUCTIVE PRODUCTIVITY 2. Document/evaluate select metrics of ter- valuable for assessing impacts to our natural THROUGHOUT COASTAL rapin reproductive productivity (i.e., fe- resources in future spills or for other needs of LOUISIANA cundity, egg morphometrics, hatchability, the department. Our program conducted two Steven Pearson, Will Selman, Beau Gregory, hatchling emergence, and nest depreda- studies on diamondback terrapin population Wade Hardy, James Haynes, Sergio Merino, tion). and nesting habitats. Casey Wright and Jon J. Wiebe 3. Describe terrapin nest characteristics (i.e., GPS position, nest age, nest elevation, POPULATION STATUS OF Overview slope of nest and vegetative presence) throughout coastal Louisiana. DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS The work plan “Population Status of Dia- mondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in (MALACLEMYS TERRAPIN) Louisiana and the Interaction of Crab Fisher- IN LOUISIANA AND THE ies on Population Viability” documents - ter Service Program Our program continues to assist other LDWF INTERACTION OF CRAB rapin abundance and distribution, a priority species research initiative as identified within programs as well as other natural resource FISHERIES ON POPULATION the state’s WAP, throughout coastal Louisiana. agencies. These efforts are principally geared VIABILITY Several physiological and ecological factors to addressing ephemeral needs (i.e., avail- Steven Pearson, Will Selman, Beau Gregory, may influence these select endpoints including ability of trained personnel and associated re- Wade Hardy, James Haynes, Sergio Merino, reproductive productivity as well as threats/ sources) for partner agencies. Some examples Casey Wright and Jon J. Wiebe interactions which potentially limit reproduc- are shown in Table 4. tive productivity (i.e., nest depredation, coastal Overview LDWF Office of Fisheries is interested in the Table 4. potential impact commercial blue crabCal ( - Department Program Department Outside Program linectes sapidus) fisheries may have on dia- Years Projects mondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) Program Leads Collaborators Collaborators populations within state waters. Current Waterfowl Bag Checks knowledge of this species’ population and Cassidy Lejeune Remote Sensing (Evaluation Coastal 2013 - Dr. Steven Shane Granier N/A of Colonial Waterbird Re- abundance within Louisiana is limited. LDWF Operations 2014 Pearson is currently implementing at step-wise work Lance Campbell productive Productivity as plan: well as Habitat Restoration) Amity Bass Marshbird Surveys Natural 2011 - Dr. Steven Richard DeMay - Michael Seymour Shorebird Surveys Objectives Heritage 2014 Pearson BTNEP 1. Determine diamondback terrapin distri- Jeff Boundy, PhD Terrapin Surveys Julia Lightner Tim Osborn – NOS Derelict Trap Removal bution and abundance throughout coast- Office of Dr. Steven 2014 Mark Schexnayder Rad Trascher - CCA Terrapin and Fisheries By- al Louisiana. Fisheries Pearson 2. Develop bio-statistical modeling compo- Marty Bourgeois catch Evaluation Federal Program nent to assist in ascertaining Louisiana Years Collaborators Outside Programs Projects terrapin stock status. Program Leads Shorebird (Piping Plover), United Hardin Waddle, PhD Macroinvertebrate and Habitat States 2013- Rob Dobbs Casey Wright N/A Evaluation on Isle Derneries Geological 2017 Kate Spear (Whiskey, Trinity and Raccoon Survey Islands) Office of Wildlife 59

Coastal Operations Program

The Coastal Operations Program’s two primary the vessel. It will be completed during the early ing the 2013-2014 hunting season on Atchafa- responsibilities include management of coastal part of next fiscal year. laya Delta, Pass-a-Loutre, Pointe-aux-Chenes, WMAs and refuges and oil spill response and and Salvador WMAs. This equates to a success damage assessment. The Coastal Operations Similar to last fiscal year, the Coastal Operations of one deer for every 16.3 efforts. Eighty-five Section is responsible for the stewardship of Program continued to allocate significant time percent of the effort and 93 percent of the har- 11 coastal WMAs and refuges: Atchafalaya to address staffing issues. Coastal Operations vest was on Atchafalaya Delta WMA. Delta WMA, Biloxi WMA, Isle Dernieres Bar- experienced turnover of a few field employees rier Islands Refuge, Lake Boeuf WMA, Marsh and had multiple employees on extended leave Hogs Island Refuge, Pass-a-Loutre WMA, Pointe- due to medical issues. The program manager According to self-clearing permits and hunter aux-Chenes WMA, Salvador WMA, State Wild- of Coastal Operations also changed this fiscal interviews, approximately 810 hunter efforts life Refuge, St. Tammany Refuge and Timken year. D. Todd Baker was promoted from Coastal were successful in removing 180 hogs for a WMA. Management of coastal properties Operations Program Manager to a Biologist Di- success of one hog per 4.6 efforts. These statis- encompasses the oversight of all activities on rector in Baton Rouge. Cassidy Lejeune was pro- tics are for Pass-a-Loutre, Pointe-aux-Chenes, these areas and includes marsh management moted to replace Todd Baker as the new Coastal and Salvador WMAs. Ninety-nine percent of activities and wetland restoration. The Coastal Operations Program Manager. Lance Campbell, the effort and harvest was on Pass-a-Loutre Operations Program oversees and operates formerly of the Alligator Management Program, WMA. An additional six hogs were reported heavy equipment (excavators, bull dozers, was also hired as a Biologist Manager to assist harvested from Atchafalaya Delta WMA during tugboat, barges, etc.) to aid with restoration with management activities on multiple areas the 2013-2014 hunting season. Hog harvest and management on coastal properties. The in the southwest. Overall, Coastal Operations at Atchafalaya Delta most always occurs while oil spill section of the Coastal Operations Pro- Program had a successful year and completed pursuing other species such as deer and rab- gram is responsible for responding to oil spills projects throughout the state despite person- bits. Hunters reported an interest in harvesting throughout the state and conducting damage nel changes in the program. Coastal Operations hogs during roughly 2,000 hunts on Atchafa- assessment impacted sites. All damage assess- strives to provide excellent recreational oppor- laya Delta WMA. ment efforts are used to seek restoration from tunity, conserve coastal marsh habitats, and im- the responsible parties to restore the damages plement restoration projects to improve habitat that resulted from the spill. conditions for a wide suite of wildlife species. COASTAL OPERATIONS’

The 2013 hurricane season was relatively un- Waterfowl WMAS AND REFUGES eventful. As a result, only one small storm im- The 2013-2014 Waterfowl Season was from pacted Coastal Operations’ coastal WMAs and Nov. 9, 2013 - Jan. 19, 2014 on coastal WMAs. Atchafalaya Delta WMA refuges. Tropical Storm Karen impacted the Coastal Operations staff conducted hunter Area Biologists - southeast portion of Louisiana on Oct. 6, 2013. participation/harvest surveys on 11 days - dur David LeBlanc & Lance Campbell The storm made landfall in Plaquemines Parish ing the season on four coastal WMAs (Atcha- and only caused minimal impacts. Pass-a-Lout- falaya Delta, Pass-a-Loutre, Pointe-aux-Chenes, Atchafalaya Delta WMA is the largest WMA re WMA sustained some damage to submerged and Salvador WMAs). An estimated 5,224 duck in the state at 137,000 acres and is located in aquatic vegetation (approximately 20 percent hunters visited the WMAs during the 11 sur- southern St. Mary Parish. The WMA is owned loss) and barrier island beach habitats. Most vey dates and averaged 1.9 ducks per attempt. by the state and has been managed by LDWF of the coastal WMAs and refuges only experi- Hunters also harvested 3,315 coots, 200 galli- since 1978 under a lease agreement with the enced an extreme high tide event as a result of nule, 82 mergansers, 20 snow/blue geese and Louisiana State Lands Office. The habitat is the storm. five speckled belly geese. The Limited Access dominated by fresh tidal marshes and exten- Areas (LAAs) continued to be the most suc- sive shallow water flats. This WMA enjoys a Heavy equipment maintenance and upgrades cessful hunting locations on their respective diverse range of ecotypes from broad upland continued this fiscal year. The renovation of one WMAs, with the exception of Salvador WMA. ridge habitat to brackish marshes. 80-foot deck barge was completed in August 2013. The project included replacing the entire Teal Season One significant challenge Coastal Operations deck, replacing all four corners, replacing nine The 2013-2014 Teal Season was from Sept. 14- faced this year was responding to a vandalism sheets of thin steel, one brace repair, four new 29. Coastal Operations staff conducted hunter case at Big Island of Atchafalaya Delta WMA. man holes, new anodes, and new paint job. A participation/harvest surveys on four days dur- Two pieces of equipment (a John Deere bull- second significant repair this fiscal year was the ing the season on four coastal WMAs (same as dozer and Kubota UTV) were stolen and sunk in replacement of the lower section of boom on above). An estimated 1,670 teal hunters visited the mud by a mischievous teenager. The van- Coastal Operations’ dragline after it was dam- the WMAs this year during the four days that dalism cost LDWF time and money to resolve. aged during a restoration project. Major repairs waterfowl bag checks were performed. Theses The total cost was approximately $20,000 to were also performed to one bulldozer that was hunters harvested an estimated 1,160 teal for a retrieve and repair the equipment. Most of the vandalized while at Atchafalaya Delta WMA. Fi- success of 0.7 teal per hunter effort. expense costs were associated with the rental nally, Coastal Operations initiated the purchase of a bulldozer and the use of Coastal Opera- of a small “truckable” push boat to help move Deer tions’ tugboat and barges to retrieve the sunk- Self-clearing permits and hunter check in of barges in shallow water. A contract was award- en equipment. Coastal Operations staff worked harvested deer revealed that 3,200 hunter ef- ed to a shipyard In Panama City, Fla., to build closely with LDWF Enforcement Division, St. forts were expended to harvest 196 deer dur- 60 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Mary Parish Sherriff Office and the 16th Judicial District Attorney to resolve issues related to the vandalism case.

House Bill 376 was passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by Gov- ernor Jindal in 2013. The new law established a new houseboat mooring program on Atchafalaya WMA which included a bid system for five-year leases and the collection of fees for lottery permits. The new program was implemented in July 2013. All available lease sites (40 percent of available pilings) were issued to the public, and bids accepted ranged from $350 to $4,000 per year. The remaining 60 percent of the available mooring areas were issued by computerized lottery drawing. Fees : Bow hunter with deer. Youth deer hunter. (Atchafalaya Delta WMA) Left Right: were also collected for lottery permits, ranging from $300 to $500. A total of 68 houseboat permits (lease and lottery) were Issued for the 2013-2014 hunting season. Coastal Operations collected $50,177.00 as a result of the new houseboat mooring program. The fees collected were deposited into a houseboat mooring account that will be made available for future maintenance of mooring sites. In tandem with issuing houseboat permits for the 2013-2014 hunting season, Coastal Operations staff performed some maintenance and improvements to the Log Island Pass Mooring Area. Numerous pilings were installed on the north bank of Log Is- land Pass to provide more opportunities and to compensate for the closure of a mooring area in Catfish Pass. Staff also LEFT: Youth duck hunter. (Atchafalaya Delta WMA) RIGHT: Installing new mooring sign. began collecting permit data and developing plans to perform additional maintenance during next fiscal year.

WMA staff continued to work closely with USACE on multiple issues related to the maintenance of the lower Atcha- falaya River Navigation Channel. Due to limited budget, USACE did not award any dredging/beneficial use contracts for the Bay or Bar channels between July 2013 and June 2014. However, Coastal Operations staff did coordinate with -US ACE personnel about selecting locations for beneficial use projects to create linear marsh islands in the Bay Channel and bird nesting islands in the Bar Channel. Coastal Operations staff helped select three locations (Linscombe, Gary and Spoonbill islands) for future Bay Channel dredging and one location (Aves Island) for future Bar Channel dredging. Dredg- Youth hunt group photo. (Atchafalaya Delta WMA) Office of Wildlife 61

ing operations will resume next fiscal year. This Recreational use of the WMA totaled approxi- lottery (30 tags) alligator hunters for the 2013 year Coastal Operations staff also coordinated mately 21,880 visitors, and total rainfall for the season. A total of 237 tags were filled. LDWF with USACE personnel about options for the year was 37 inches. generates operating budget as a result of alli- use of large rocks/boulders from the de-autho- gator harvests on coastal WMAs. rized Demonstration Channel Alignment Struc- Hunting Statistics ture project In the Bar Channel. LDWF staff Biloxi WMA hopes to obtain the rocks from USACE as a do- Teal Season Area Biologist - Shane Granier nation and hopes to use the rocks beneficially Hunter success during the 2013 Teal Season was poor. The average kill per effort was 0.7 to create or maintain rock shoreline protection Biloxi WMA is owned by the Biloxi Marsh Land teal per hunter during the four dates that staff projects on coastal properties. Co. and has been managed by LDWF since conducted hunter surveys. This average was 1957. This 35,644-acre WMA located in St. Ber- slightly lower than the 2012 season. Coastal Operations staff assisted LDWF Min- nard Parish is dominated by brackish smooth erals Management Staff with coordinating oil cordgrass and black needle rush. Along its and gas activities at Atchafalaya Delta WMA. Waterfowl Season During the 11 waterfowl bag checks conduct- southern boundary is Bayou Loutre which was One of the major oil/gas activities this year ed, an estimated 2,320 hunters averaged 2.2 the historic path of the Mississippi River. This was preparing for a 3D seismic survey on the ducks per hunter. Success in the WMA’s LAAs WMA has very diverse habitat from low saline east side of the WMA. Staff attended meetings continue to outpace the WMA average. Hunter marshes in the northeast to freshwater ridges and provided guidance in anticipation of the success within the LAAs ranged from was 3.4 in the south. survey. The survey was initiated in June 2014 ducks per hunter effort, while success outside and will be ongoing through a majority of next the LAAs was 2.1 ducks per effort. The top Coastal Operations staff posted a vast majority fiscal year. Other mineral activities included re- three species harvested on the WMA were of the boundary of the WMA during this fiscal viewing proposals and conducting site visits for green-wing teal (31 percent), blue-wing teal year. Several employees participated in a week proposed well locations and pipelines. Several (27 percent), and gadwall (12 percent). Also long effort to install new boundary signs dur- new wells were drilled on the WMA. A majority harvested were 1,690 coots, 20 gallinule, 10 ing August 2013. Approximately 331 boundary of the new oil and gas exploration occurred in mergansers, 10 snow geese, and five speckled signs were installed along the perimeter of the the vicinity of the Wax Delta. belly geese. WMA.

Staff continued to maintain facilities,- camp Deer Season Isles Dernieres Refuge grounds and Big Island to a high standard this Area Biologists - year. One of the greatest accomplishments Archery Season Tyson Crouch & Lance Campbell was needed maintenance on Big Island. Staff Efforts 2,520 maintained shooting lanes as done annually, 173 deer This refuge is a series of barrier islands in but also initiated significant repairs to the main Harvest (97 bucks, 76 does) Terrebonne Parish including Raccoon Island, road. An excavator and a bulldozer were used Whiskey Island, Trinity Island, East Island and Success 1 deer/13.7 efforts to elevate, shape and level the road to improve Wine Island. This refuge has been managed by access during wet conditions, particularly for Youth Hunts LDWF since 1992, and ownership of the islands youth hunt events. The road repairs will be Youth Participants 30 was transferred to LDWF in 2000. The refuge completed during next fiscal year. Efforts 60 is comprised of beach, dune and salt marsh habitat and home to one of the largest colonial 10 deer Staff continues to support a wide variety of Harvest water bird nesting colonies in Louisiana (Rac- (5 buck, 5 does) research projects by granting access permits, coon Island). providing lodging, and assisting with logistics Success 1 deer/6 efforts and information. Example projects are: Total Season Isle Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge is experi- United States Geological Survey (USGS) Efforts 2,490 encing some of the highest shoreline erosion initiated a project to monitor/measure rates in coastal Louisiana. As a result, Coastal 183 sediment transport, deposition, and trap- Harvest (102 bucks, 81 does) Operations managers are constantly pursuing ping efficiency in marshes at the Wax funding for large scale restoration projects for Delta. Success 1 deer/13.6 efforts the refuge. This fiscal year, two project propos- LSU and University of Texas continued als were created for Raccoon and Wine islands with their National Science Foundation to construct additional rock breakwaters, in- “Delta Observatory” Project designed Hog Season stall rock groins for trapping sediment, and cre- to improve modeling and forecasting of As stated earlier, an estimated six hogs were ate/nourish 400+ acres of barrier island habi- delta growing processes that can support harvested from Atchafalaya Delta WMA dur- tat. These proposals were created as part of restoration and resource management. ing the 2013-2014 hunting season. Hunters an interagency effort with USFWS and USDA- Coastal Operations staff continued to reported an interest in harvesting hogs during NRCS to pursue Federal Funds (Breaux Act and/ coordinate with Coastal Estuary Services roughly 2,000 deer or rabbit hunts on Atchafa- or Restore Act) for restoration of the islands. regarding monthly monitoring at Coast- laya Delta WMA. wide Reference Monitoring System sites Among smaller scale future restoration proj- on Atchafalaya Delta WMA. Alligator Season ects, Coastal Operations coordinated with the A total of 240 alligator tags were issued to Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana to de- Atchafalaya Delta commercial (210 tags) and velop a sand fence and shoreline protection 62 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

project and site selection for future planting known as beach bean or baybean. This discov- projects, all to be implemented later in 2014. ery may be the first confirmed documentation of the plant in Louisiana. Various restoration projects were implemented this year including: In an attempt to minimize herbivory to existing The annual Coalition to Restore Coastal habitat and planting projects, Coastal Opera- Louisiana/Nicholls University/LDWF plant- tions staff removed nearly 60 nutria from Rac- ing project. Approximately 4,050 smooth coon Island this year. cordgrass plugs and black mangrove seed- lings were planted as part of the project. Lake Boeuf WMA These plugs were distributed among Rac- Area Biologist - Shane Granier coon, Whiskey and Trinity islands. Black mangrove propagules were also collected Lake Boeuf WMA is an 802-acre WMA located to aid in future planting projects. in Lafourche Parish just south of Lake Boeuf. Barrier islands aerial seeding project. (Isles Dr. Henry Utomo, of the LSU AgCenter, This WMA is dominated by cypress/tupelo Dernieres Refuge) conducted multiple seedings of PolyC15 swamp and has an extensive freshwater marsh smooth cordgrass within the fill area of dominated by bull tongue and maiden cane. the TE-48 project. These seedings were Marsh Island Refuge experimental and included hand seeding Coastal Operations staff accomplished a couple Area Biologists - and aerial seeding from a crop duster air- of projects at the WMA this fiscal year. Projects plane. included the mowing of the ridge and trimming Tyson Crouch & Lance Campbell of woody growth in preparation for hunting Marsh Island Refuge is a 76,664-acre refuge The refuge was host to multiple research proj- season, improvements to the self-clearing per- located in southern Iberia Parish. The refuge ects including: mit station, and installation of boundary signs was donated to the state in 1920 making it one Nicholls University continued breeding along the perimeter of the WMA. Approxi- of the oldest and largest refuges in Louisiana. water bird research involving black skim- mately 50 percent of the boundary was posted The refuge was donated to LDWF by the Rus- mers and tern species. this fiscal year. sell Sage Foundation which was established by University of Louisiana - Lafayette con- Margaret Olivia Sage in honor of her late hus- ducted research on brown pelicans and A new regulation was implemented this year band. The donation came with a strict set of mammalian predators. at Lake Boeuf WMA. Deer hunting regulations management stipulations which are audited Tulane University accessed the refuge were changed to allow the public to hunt deer annually by the Russell Sage Foundation Com- while conducting a brown pelican radio until 1/2 hour past official sunset. The old regu- mittee. telemetry project. lation only allowed deer hunting until 12p.m. The USGS accessed the refuge to con- (noon). As stated above, the Russell Sage Foundation duct piping plover surveys and prey base is involved in the management of the refuge. monitoring as part of an extension from Self-clearing permits revealed that approxi- This year, Coastal Operations staff and Office research starting in 2012. mately 30 unsuccessful attempts were made of Wildlife Administrators hosted a meeting to harvest deer this year. and field trip with members of the Russell Sage During a survey for rare plants on Trinity Is- Foundation. Participants included Dr. Sheldon land, staff from the Louisiana Natural Heritage Danzinger who was appointed the new presi- Program documented multiple species of rare dent of the Russell Sage Foundation in 2013. plants including Canavalia rosea, otherwise Discussions included previous and current

LEFT: Barrier islands mangrove planting project.RIG HT: Barrier island planting project participants. (Isle Dernieres Refuge) Office of Wildlife 63

LEFT: Bird island construction photo.RIG HT: Bird island. (Marsh Island Refuge)

projects, management activities and numerous The Iberia Parish Coastal Impacts Assistance the refuge. A site visit was conducted to other activities. Members of the foundation Program Projects to construct marsh terraces develop an estimate and project details to were also shown public use areas, impounded in Lake Tom and Lake Sand were completed this promote this restorative effort. waterfowl units and various restoration proj- year. The purpose of these terraces was to not Bayou Platte Bird Island Project: This ects, past and present. only create new marsh habitat, but also to fa- project is funded through a $150,000 cilitate the stabilization of the northern shore- match grant from the National Fish and “Design Development” documents for the lines of the lakes. Immediately following the Wildlife Foundation/Shell Marine Habitat Marsh Island FEMA Consolidation Project construction of the terraces and before they Program. Restoration (elevation lift, acre- were put together by the architect firm MBSB could be fully planted with smooth cordgrass age increase and limestone cap) began on Group. After comments and revisions, these plugs, an unexpected benefit occurred on the the bird islands in Bayou Platte in an at- plans were submitted to Facility Planning and new emergent marsh: the occupation by many tempt to increase the nesting productiv- Control in anticipation of going out to bid in the nesting pairs of black skimmers, black-necked ity that has been lost through the years fall of 2014. A Capital Outlay proposal also was stilts and various tern species. Once all hatch primarily due to subsidence and erosion. created for the Marsh Island “Master Plan.” year birds were fledged, the plantings were Earth work was postponed during the This plan is designed to upgrade and replace completed. summer due to the occupancy by many most of the remaining infrastructure not cov- nesting colonial water birds. The target ered by FEMA (the bulkhead surrounding the Multiple restoration projects are in the -plan goal of breeding bird pairs between the headquarters island, elevating the island con- ning stages, underway, or in the monitoring two islands was 550. However, surveys taining the headquarters, fuel tank platform, stages on the refuge: this year indicated approximately 2,000 and generator shed). The FEMA Consolidation Marsh Island Chenier Restoration Proj- breeding pairs of colonial water birds us- Project is scheduled to be under construction ect: Funded by the Coastal Protection and ing the islands before construction was in 2015. Coastal Operations staff hopes to have Restoration Authority’s (CPRA) Coastal even completed. both of these projects completed within a five Forest Conservation Initiative, this project LA-39 Coast-wide Vegetative Planting year time frame. is designed to restore chenier habitat, via Project: Last year, CPRA planted nearly the planting of tree species such as live 10,000 smooth cordgrass, black needle oak and hackberry, historically found on rush, and California bulrush plants along the bay shore between Michel Point and Joe Aucoin Point to stabilize soils and slow erosion. Unfortunately, this year’s monitoring indicated that survival was nearly zero percent, mostly due to flooding stress immediately following the planting. TV-21 East Marsh Island Marsh Creation Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Project: This previously completed project entered its second year of monitoring and several levee breaches were located. An O&M (maintenance) project was developed by CPRA and the contractor, Profes- sional Construction Services, was selected to handle the repairs. LDWF staff attended a pre-construction meeting to further

Bird nesting on Platte Island. (Marsh Island Refuge) 64 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

discuss repair details with the contractor that include shoreline repairs, degrading of dikes and the removal of a timber mat plug. USDA-NRCS, Iberia Parish Soil and Water Conservation District, and LDWF conducted a collaborative effort to plant 10,000 plugs of smooth cordgrass on the shorelines of Lake Sand and Lake Hawkins. Coastal Operations’ heavy equipment operators repaired breaches at the Gordy Dam, Joe Aucoin Canal and sections of the Belly Dam Canal to assist in regaining Left: Planting project with airboat. Right: Planting project. (Marsh Island Refuge) functionality of one of the refuge’s water management units. The first full year of the newly implemented nutria harvest program was conducted this year. The six selected hunters were put on three-year leases to harvest nutria from the refuge and were allowed to hunt/trap from January through March. In those three months, these hunters harvested approximately 8,340 nutria. Through the use of prescribed fire, refuge staff burned approximately 2,000 acres this year.

Refuge staff posted and maintained boundary signs throughout the year and continued to LEFT: LDWF Tugboat used for Bayou Platte Restoration Project.RIG HT: Breach repair. (Marsh maintain the headquarters, grounds, facilities Island Refuge) and public use areas.

Recreational use of the refuge by fishermen to- ed to an Arctic Goose Joint Venture meeting to A small dredge project was completed this year taled approximately 12,595 visitors, and rain- discuss management plans for arctic geese and on Pass-a-Loutre WMA that resulted in 15 acres fall for the year was 28 inches. their habitats, a USFWS meeting with the Fed- of marsh creation/nourishment. The project eral Office of Management and Budget to re- was mitigation associated with oil exploration Pass-a-Loutre WMA view program needs and budgets, and a multi- by Castex near Southeast Pass. A contractor, Area Biologist - Shane Granier day meeting with Ducks Unlimited (DU) and Coastal Dredging, used a small cutter head LDWF staff to discuss current events in water- dredge to excavate material from Pass-a-Loutre Technician Supervisor - Trebor Victoriano fowl management. The facility also hosted the and hydraulically pump it into broken marsh LDWF cadet academy’s 2014 fish identification near Swanson’s Ditch. This project was associ- Pass-a-Loutre WMA is 115,000 acres and was clinic and multiple university field trips as part ated with the drilling of a new oil/gas well on established in 1921 by an act of State Legis- of college course requirements. Coastal Opera- the WMA. lature. It was designated as a “state shooting tions staff provided logistical support, housing, ground” which was the precursor to today’s and information about Pass-a-Loutre WMA for Pass a Loutre WMA has historically been a WMA. It is Louisiana’s oldest WMA and one of these events. hotspot for mineral exploration and produc- the first in the country. Pass-a-Loutre WMA was tion. This year was consistent with past years. Governor John Parker’s response to public out- Pass-a-Loutre WMA is only accessible via boat Many projects were under construction dur- cry that the best hunting areas were all being and requires a fleet of boats to successfully ing this fiscal year such as construction and leased by wealthy hunters, and that the com- manage the day to day operations. This fis- maintenance of production facilities, drilling of mon man did not have quality hunting oppor- cal year, Coastal Operations staff replaced the new wells, plug and abandonment projects to tunities. The WMA is dominated by freshwater WMA’s 36-foot crewboat “Canvasback” with a remove decommissioned infrastructure, etc. Roseau cane marsh and fringed by a brackish new 40-foot pilothouse deck boat powered by Pass-a-Loutre staff assisted with planning and vegetation community. The WMA lies within outboard engines. The crewboat was over 20 permitting associated with these projects. the Mississippi River Delta in Plaquemines Par- years old and a bit antiquated. The new vessel ish. was purchased from Lifetyme Boats of Jones- As per the request of the public, a houseboat ville, La., and was deployed at Pass-a-Loutre in mooring program was created for Pass-a-Lout- The Pass-a-Loutre WMA Headquarters is a com- January 2014. This vessel is the primary vessel re WMA this year. The program was developed monly used facility for multi-day field meetings used to traverse the Mississippi River and haul to mimic the Atchafalaya Delta WMA program, and educational events. This year the facility personnel, equipment and supplies to and from but on a much smaller scale. The program in- hosted multiple events including but not limit- the Pass-a-Loutre Headquarters. cluded bid sites and lottery sites for the moor- Office of Wildlife 65

ing of five houseboats. The bid opening and lot- There are a few restoration projects that were voir Water Management Unit adjacent to tery drawing will be held In July 2014. Fees will implemented or designed this year including Dennis Pass. The project is in the design be collected for all permits issued. the following: phase and FEMA funds will be used to MR-09 Delta-Wide Crevasse CWPPRA return the impoundment to a functional Coastal Operations staff continued to coordi- Project: An O&M (maintenance) contract state. nate with USACE related to maintenance dredg- was issued to a dredge contractor by CPRA ing operations in the lower Mississippi River to use remaining MR-09 maintenance The second year of LDWF’s cooperative en- federally authorized navigation channels. Dur- funds to cleanout existing crevasses and/ deavor with USFWS to implement the Pass-a- ing this fiscal year, USACE used the Pass-a-Lout- or create new crevasses within the proj- Loutre Aerial Hog Eradication Project was suc- re Hopper Dredge Disposal Area while dredging ect area. Three passes were enhanced on cessfully implemented this year. The harvest Southwest Pass. No mining operations were Pass-a-Loutre WMA as part of this project. took place in March 2014 via the assistance conducted this year in the Hopper Dredge Dis- They were called the North Sawdust Bend of Jesuit Bend Helicopters and LSU Renew- posal Area which resulted in additional shoal- Crevasse, South Pass Campground Cre- able Natural Resources Department staff. This ing of Pass-a-Loutre. LDWF and LDNR notified vasse, and the Johnson Pass Crevasse. The project is being conducted to determine the USACE that this activity was “non-consistent” project was completed in May 2014. impacts of hog herbivory on coastal marshes with Louisiana’s Coastal Resources Program DU initiated the design of two crevasse of the WMA. Based on data collected in 2013 again this year. Coastal Operations staff also projects in coordination with Coastal and this year’s effort, results indicate that aer- coordinated with USACE about future plans for Operations staff. Field surveys were con- ial hog eradication can create significant mea- beneficial use activities and disposal protocols ducted to create permit plats to apply for surable improvements in habitat conditions in associated dredging the Mississippi River and Coastal Use/Clean Water Act Sect. 404 coastal marshes of Plaquemines Parish. A to- South Pass. USACE has requested that a dredge permits. Once permitted, the project will tal of 65 hogs were harvested as a result of a material placement plan be developed for Pass- be “shovel ready” and funding may be week’s effort. The technique for removing the a-Loutre WMA. Coastal Operations staff creat- available from North American Wetlands hogs is shooting from a helicopter with ground ed a map illustrating possible disposal locations Conservation Act (NAWCA) to implement support from airboats. on the WMA to initiate the plan. the project. One crevasse is located adjacent to the Pass-a-Loutre Headquarters Improvements and maintenance to the WMA and the second is off of South Pass. facilities continued this year. Some of the larger Coastal Operations staff continued to co- projects underway or completed are as follows: ordinate repairs to the Freshwater Reser- Staff successfully planted the dove field located just off of Cadro pass behind the campground. Staff also maintained shooting lanes and planted food plots for deer season. Approximately one mile of additional trails was created this year. Effort was put towards boundary posting of the WMA and LAA this year. Campground improvements were accomplished which included upgrades to self- clearing permit stations, signage, picnic tables, etc. Significant repairs were initiated to the interior of the Pass-a-Loutre Headquarters. A faulty design of the bathrooms’ show- ers resulted in water damage in multiple rooms. Natural gas service was restored to the WMA Headquarters. Photos of campground improvements. (Pass-a-Loutre WMA) Several research/monitoring projects are underway on the WMA including the following: Mottled Duck Hybridization Study (LSU) Hog Enclosures and Vegetative Response (LSU) Wildlife Utilization/Response to Different Restoration Techniques Crevasses vs. Ter- races (LSU) Fisheries Research and WMA Monitoring (Loyola University) Deer Tagging Project (survival, movement, home range) (LDWF)

Staff installing signs and repairing permit station. (Pass-a-Loutre WMA) 66 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Wilson’s Plover Monitoring Project (nesting success, hog depredation, nesting -uti lization of beach habitat) (LDWF)

Coastal Operations staff continued to closely coordinate with Plaquemines Parish about management issues. Two important topics addressed this year were the re-opening of Port Eades and hurricane evacuation plans for lower Plaquemines Parish. Coastal Operation staff met with the managers of Port Eades regarding WMA rules and regulations and to sug- gest a cooperative approach to managing both entities. Coastal Operations staff met with Left: Staff planting dove field. Right: Dredging of MR-09 crevasse. (Pass-a-Loutre WMA) Plaquemines Parish emergency preparedness personnel to provide input on the development of a hurricane evacuation plan. three species harvested were blue-wing teal Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA WMA staff banded waterfowl on the WMA this (47 percent), gadwall (24 percent), and green- Area Biologists - year including 70 black-bellied ducks and 23 wing teal (9 percent). Hunters also harvested Jarrod Galloway & Shane Granier mottled ducks. Staff also assisted with logisti- 80 coots, five mergansers, and five snow/blue cal support for data collection for the state’s geese. Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA is a 33,488-acre summer bird atlas on Pass-a-Loutre WMA. WMA located in southern Terrebonne and La- Deer Season fourche parishes. It was purchased from the The headquarters recorded 731 visitors this Self-clearing permits revealed that 221 hunter Exxon Company in 1968 at a cost of $21 per year. Recreational use of the WMA was- esti efforts were made to harvest four deer (all acre and marked the first purchase of marsh mated to be 20,225 visitors. Total rainfall for bucks). This equates to one deer per 55 efforts. land by the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. the year was 39 inches. It was purchased along with Salvador WMA. Hog Season The habitat of this WMA is primarily brackish Hunting Statistics Hunter interviews and self-clearing permits re- and intermediate marsh dominated by smooth corded 790 hunter attempts which resulted in cordgrass and wire grass. Point Farm is a 1,000- Teal Season the harvest of 179 hogs for a success of one acre bottomland hardwood ridge that is also During the four bag checks conducted an es- hog for every 4.4 hunts. timated 65 hunters harvested 230 teal for an located on the WMA. average success of 3.5 teal per hunter. Alligator Season Coastal Operations staff allocated time this fis- A total of 380 alligator tags were issued to Pass- cal year to coordinating hurricane repairs at Waterfowl Season a-Loutre commercial (350 tags) and lottery (30 Point-aux-Chenes WMA. Two projects coordi- An estimated 430 hunters using the WMA tags) alligator hunters for the 2013 season. A nated were the Pointe-aux-Chenes/DU levee during the 11 waterfowl bag check dates av- total of 379 tags were filled. LDWF generates repair and the Point Farm ditch cleaning ef- eraged 3.4 ducks per hunter effort. The LAA operating budget as a result of alligator- har forts. Both of these projects were the result averaged 3.8 ducks per hunter effort. The top vests on coastal WMAs. of FEMA claims and were approved to go to

LEFT: Mottled duck banding. CENTER: Collecting blood samples for mottled duck research. Right: Trip with the U.S. Coast Guard for spill response. (Pass-a-Loutre WMA) Office of Wildlife 67

construction. These projects will be completed Several restoration projects were completed or in the Pointe-aux-Chenes Unit. This plant- next fiscal year. were in the planning phase this year. The fol- ing effort was part of Dr. Utomo’s PolyC15 lowing list contains some of the larger projects: smooth cordgrass research. A few regulation changes were implemented Terrebonne Levee and Conservation Dis- Coastal Operations staff coordinated with this year for Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA. Histori- trict MitigationT erraces: The Terrebonne representatives from Restore the Earth cally, all night time activity was prohibited on Levee and Conservation District contin- Foundation for the planning of a 1,000- the WMA. This year the regulation was modi- ued to building terraces in the Point-aux- acre cypress tree restoration project in fied to allow for night time fishing on Island Chenes/DU unit and just south of the the eastern portion of the Montegut Unit. Road. This is the only portion of the WMA Montegut Unit. These terraces are built where night time activity is allowed. WMA as mitigation for wetland impacts from There have been several significant flood pro- regulations were also changed to clarify- fish several levee projects. There are a few tection projects completed or under construc- ing regulations related to shrimp harvest and hundred acres of terraces being built and tion on the WMA. The Terrebonne Levee and to make self-clearing permits mandatory for all planned for construction this year. Conservation District continued an aggressive activities on Point Farm. CWPPRA RestorationP rojects: The Island campaign to upgrade and improve many levee Road Marsh Creation and Nourishment systems for the local communities that run Pointe-aux-Chenes personnel attended meet- CWPPRA Project was awarded Phase I en- through Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA. Some of the ings and site visits to discuss options and de- gineering and design funding this year. If accomplishments of the Terrebonne Levee and tails for the acceptance of property that could funded, this project would be beneficial Conservation District in conjunction with LDWF be donated and incorporated into the WMA. to the WMA. The Madison Bay Marsh include: Staff coordinated with representatives from Creation and Terracing Project and Grand Construction of the J-2 Reach of- “Mor Ecological Restoration Services regarding the Bayou Freshwater Enhancement Project ganza to the Gulf” hurricane protection donation of approximately 300 acres of mitiga- were unfortunately not awarded Phase II levee continued this fiscal year. This section land established as a result of the Bayou funding during the 2013 Technical Com- tion of levee stretches from Montegut to Corne Sink Hole. Staff also coordinated with mittee Meeting. Coastal Operations staff the J-1 levee constructed a few years ago. the Conservation Fund regarding an inholding assisted USDA-NRCS with the selection of The alignment falls along the southern near Grand Bayou that was eligible for dona- sites for planting marsh vegetation as part boarder of the Montegut Management tion. These projects are in the early stages of of the LA-39 Coast-wide Vegetative Plant- Unit and it crosses the northern portion development and more progress is expected ing CWPRRA Project. of the Pointe-aux-Chenes Management next year. LSU AgCenter’s Coastal Roots Program Unit. The first lift of the levee was com- provided for the planting of 500 persim- pleted in January 2014. Coastal Operations staff continued to coordi- mon trees at Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA. St. Construction of a replacement water con- nate with adjacent landowners, USACE, LDWF Martin’s Episcopal School from Metairie, trol structure for the Montegut Manage- Enforcement Division, and Lafourche Parish La., planted the trees. ment Unit continued as well. The struc- Government regarding in-holding access issues DU and LDWF initiated surveys at Point ture being replaced is the western most in the vicinity of St. Louis Canal. Coastal Op- Farm to create plans and obtain permits structure. erations staff helped resolve issues regarding to construct a moist soil unit on the lower An “environmental” structure was in- bridge clearance/elevation for the Grand Bay- end of the farm. After the project plans stalled in the Morgana to the Gulf levee ou Boat Launch, a proposal for a gate across are developed, funding will hopefully be that crosses the Pointe-aux-Chenes/DU St. Louis canal, and requests for use of LDWF’s obtained to construct the project. Unit. The structure was installed to allow boat launch at night. Dr. Utomo of the LSU AgCenter conducted water exchange between the northern some small scale plantings of the terraces and southern portions of the unit.

LEFT: New water control structure. Right: Staff working on water control structures. (Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA) 68 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Left: Dove hunters. CENTER: Youth deer hunter. Right: Salinity data collection. (Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA)

Coastal Operations staff also coordinat- Hunter Statistics Hog Season ed with South Lafourche Levee District Five hunters were unsuccessful at harvesting this fiscal year regarding Reach K of the Teal Season a hog. Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protec- During the four bag checks conducted an es- tion levee. Staff worked with South La- timated 910 hunters averaged 0.5 teal per Alligator Season fourche Levee District to further the de- hunter effort. A total of 227 alligator tags were issued to velopment of a mitigation plan for the Pointe-aux-Chenes commercial (200 tags) and proposed flood protection levee from Waterfowl Season lottery (27 tags) alligator hunters for the 2013 Grand Bayou Marina to the northern During the 11 waterfowl checks conducted season. A total of 177 tags were filled. One boundary of the WMA. The plan con- for the season an estimated 2,250 hunters commercial trapper failed to fill tags and trap- sists of constructing terraces within the had an average success of 1.5 ducks per ping privileges were revoked. LDWF generates Grand Bayou Unit of the WMA. South hunter attempt. The top three species har- operating budget as a result of alligator- har Lafourche Levee District will initiate le- vested were green-wing teal (36 percent), vests on coastal WMAs. vee construction within the next two blue-wing teal (31 percent), and gadwall years and mimic what has been done by (14 percent). Hunters also harvested 1,465 Salvador/Timken WMAs the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation coots, 140 gallinule, 63 mergansers, and Area Biologists - District in Terrebonne Parish. five snow/blue geese. Hunters using the Jarrod Galloway & Shane Granier Montegut LAA continued to have better suc- A few significant projects LDWF has cess. The LAA averaged 3.0 ducks per hunter Salvador WMA is a 35,121-acre WMA located completed or are underway include the while the rest of the WMA averaged 1.5 in southern St. Charles Parish. It was purchased following: ducks per hunter. from Exxon in 1968 at a cost of $21 per acre, Staff renovated self-clearing permit and marked the first purchase of marsh land stations and installed new signage Deer Season by the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. It in preparation for hunting season. Thirty-one reported bow hunt efforts and 31 was purchased along with Pointe-aux-Chenes Staff put forth considerable effort youth hunt efforts resulted in the harvest of WMA. This WMA is a freshwater marsh domi- preparing Point Farm for deer and one deer (buck). nated by bull-tongue and maiden cane. Just to dove hunting. This work consisted the east of Salvador is the 3,920-acre Timken of planting dove fields and - main Squirrel Season WMA. It is owned by the New Orleans City Park taining access/shooting lanes for An estimated 40 efforts were made averag- Improvement Association and has been leased deer hunting. ing 1.4 squirrels per effort. to LDWF since 1995. Both of these WMAs are Staff continued with routine main- currently the beneficiary of one of the larg- tenance and improvement to the Rabbit Season est restoration projects in the state. The Da- Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA Head- An estimated 14 efforts were made averag- vis Pond freshwater Diversion Project diverts quarters. ing 0.3 rabbits per hunt. freshwater from the Mississippi River into the northern portion of Salvador WMA then drains Staff attempted to band mottled ducks Dove Season into Lake Cataouatche. on multiple occasions during the sum- Self-clearing permit data revealed that sev- mer months. A total of 55 ducks were enteen hunter efforts resulted in the harvest A significant regulation change was implement- banded at Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA. of 154 doves for an average of 9.1 doves per ed this year for Salvador WMA. An experimen- effort. Additionally, 135 hunters participated tal nighttime activity season was established to Visitor use of the headquarters was 260 in opening day of Dove Season where Coast- allow for nighttime fishing and frogging from visitors. Most of these were by Enforce- al Operations staff conducted bag checks. June through August. Self-clearing permit data ment Division. Recreational use of the Hunter success was 3.7 doves per hunter on from June 2014 revealed that approximately WMA was estimated at 70,600 users. that day. 170 people went frogging and they caught an Total rainfall for the year was 72 inches. average of 7.5 frogs per vessel. Office of Wildlife 69

Coastal Operations staff based at Pointe-aux- in cooperation with the USFWS along with Big ies Service and an alternate style structure had Chenes WMA continued to maintain the fa- Branch National Wildlife Refuge. to be selected. Following the revision, a col- cilities and equipment at Salvador WMA. Staff laborative effort from DU and LDWF obtained routinely visited the WMA headquarters to per- Coastal Operations coordinated with USFWS elevation and water depth data for the de- form needed work such as yard maintenance, and CPRA regarding access to St. Tammany velopment of permit plats. Upon completion, generator repairs and service, building repairs Refuge for O&M (maintenance) work for the these permit plats will be submitted to obtain and improvements, and repairs to docks and Goose Point/Point Platte Marsh Creation CWP- a Coastal Use permit before proceeding with the boatshed. Staff also allocated time to pur- PRA Project. A small portion of the project was implementation of the project. chasing materials and supplies needed to re- on the refuge and the project was completed post the boundary of the WMA. The boundary in 2009. Coastal Operations staff also issued Coastal Operations staff participated in an- an posting effort is scheduled for next fiscal year. an airboat permit which allowed for access for nual operations and maintenance inspection survey work. trip of the Lake Portage Land Bridge CWPPRA An estimated 15,900 recreational users visited Project (TV-17). The project has successfully the WMAs this year. State Wildlife Refuge maintained itself over the years and there are Area Biologists - no current plans for any modifications or re- Hunting Statistics Tyson Crouch & Lance Campbell pairs.

Teal Season State Wildlife Refuge is a 13,000-acre refuge Water depths and GPS coordinates were col- During the four bag checks conducted this year located in southern Vermilion Parish. It was do- lected as part of a set of permit plats seeking to an estimated 130 hunter efforts resulted in an nated to the state in 1911 by Mr. Edward Mc- dredge Lake Fearman to improve public access. average harvest of 0.7 teal per hunter. Ilhenny and Mr. Charles Ward to be managed Access has become limited and this dredging as a wildlife refuge. This is the oldest refuge in effort is needed to reopen the historic channel. Waterfowl Season the state and one of the oldest in the country. During the 11 waterfowl bag checks conducted LDWF staff completed considerable repair this season an estimated 225 hunters averaged USDA-NRCS, in coordination with Coastal Op- work, upgrades, and maintenance to the fa- 0.4 ducks per hunter effort. The Davis Pond erations staff, designed and proposed a shore- cilities of the refuge. These works included re- diversion outfall area averaged 0.5 ducks per line protection project (between Redfish Point placing the camp’s outdoor plumbing, exterior hunter and the LAA averaged 0.9 ducks per and Headquarters Canal) to be potentially se- painting, installation of a portable building/ hunter. The top three duck species harvested lected as a CWPPRA project as part of a critical shed, installation of a standby generator, and were blue-wing teal (59 percent), green-wing section of eroded shoreline on the bay shore other necessary building and grounds projects. teal (11 percent), and northern shoveler (11 of the refuge. percent). Hunters also harvested an estimated An estimated 8,225 recreational users visited 80 coots, 40 gallinule, and four mergansers. The DU proposed Tom’s Bayou Water Control the refuge this year. Structure project that is being funded by NAW- Deer Season CA remained in the design phase during this Self-clearing permit data showed that 209 fiscal year. Coastal Operations staff continued Oil Spill Section hunter efforts were made to harvest eight deer Biologists: Laura Carver & Clint Perkins to coordinate with DU and other agencies to (seven bucks and one doe). Hunter success advance the project, but the project had to be was one deer per 26 efforts. The oil spill section monitors and responds to revised. The proposed water control structure reports of oil spills throughout Louisiana. This was not satisfactory to National Marine Fisher- Hog Season section works with federal and state trustees Self-clearing permits revealed that 15 hunter efforts were made and one hunter was successful at harvesting one hog.

Alligator Season A total of 486 alligator tags were issued to Sal- vador commercial (456 tags) and lottery (30 tags) alligator hunters for the 2013 season. A total of 483 tags were filled. LDWF generates operating budget as a result of alligator- har vests on coastal WMAs. St. Tammany Refuge Area Biologist - Shane Granier

St. Tammany Refuge is a 1,310-acre refuge located on the north shore of Lake Pontchar- train in St. Tammany Parish. The refuge was purchased by the state in 1935 from the Great Southern Lumber Co. The refuge is managed Staff maintaining weir. (State Wildlife Refuge) 70 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

within the incident command structure to minimize impacts to wildlife and sensitive wildlife habitat when oil spills occur. In the event that wildlife is impacted by oil, they also take measures to recover the affected animals and have them treated and later released. In addition to immediate response activities, this section works with other federal and state trustees to assess the impacts that a spill has on wildlife through the Natural Resource Damage Assess- ment (NRDA) process and develop a restoration plan to be funded by the party responsible for the spill to compensate the public for the injured natural resources.

This year the oil spill section received thousands of reports of oiling from the National Response Center and Louisiana State Police. Oil impacts to southern leopard frog. Staff reviewed the reports daily to assess which spills posed a significant impact to wildlife. For many of the spills, staff simply coordinated with other responding agencies to gain further information on the necessity of a response action. For others, staff became actively involved in response efforts and represented LDWF at spill locations and in incident command centers. Staff also participated in numerous drills to better prepare for future spills.

In addition to actively monitoring reports and responding to spill, staff completed various training sessions and coordinated with various state trustees for spill response planning purposes. Below are highlights from this year: Staff continued to participate in U.S. Coast Guard Geographic Response Plan development with both Sector New Orleans and Morgan City. These plans identify sensitive sites throughout the area to assist LEFT: Oiled alligator. RIGHT: Release of rehabilitated alligator. in spill response actions. During this fiscal year, the New Orleans plan was finalized and the Morgan City plan was drafted. Staff attended multiple Sector New- Or leans Area Committee meetings this year. Staff participated in Stone Energy and Castex Energy oil spill response drills and training workshops. Staff created a professional services contract with The Response Group to develop a Louisiana Wildlife Response Plan. Staff also initiated the development of a contract with Wildlife Response Services for emergency wildlife rehabilitation services. Staff participated in habitat equivalency analysis training and other miscellaneous training at Louisiana Oil Spill Coordina- tor’s Office. Coastal Operations had representation at the 2014 International Oil Spill Confer- ence in Savannah, Ga. LEFT: Oiled turtle. RIGHT: Staff rehabilitating oiled snake. Office of Wildlife 71

CASE SPECIFIC NRDA AND Response 2-inch transfer line. It resulted in impacts RESPONSE WORK Coastal Operations staff were involved in ap- to freshwater marsh south of Lake Long. Staff worked diligently this year with other proximately 35 spills that required active Mississippi River Spill: A barge collision trustee agencies to assess natural resource “hands on” response this fiscal year. Impacts in the Mississippi River resulted in the re- damages and respond to significant releases occurred in all types of habitats from coastal lease of 750 barrels of light crude oil. that were not associated with the Deepwater marshes to upland forests. Below are examples Colquitt Spill: This incident was the re- Horizon oil spill: of several spills that staff were involved in that lease of 400 barrels of crude oil from an Coastal Operations continued to assist are not confidential: 8-inch pipeline In Claiborne Parish. Nu- with logistics and monitoring regarding Bayou Sorrel Spill: This spill occurred In merous oiled animals were recovered, an experimental capping strategy to stop January 2013, but required monitoring captured, and rehabilitated as a result of a continuous release from 2005. throughout this fiscal year. Approximately field reconnaissance efforts by LDWF staff. Staff reviewed and commented on a pro- 100 barrels of oil were released into an Octave Pass Spill: This spill was the re- posal from the U.S. Forest Service to use area of bottomland hardwoods and- cy lease of 100+ barrels of crude oil from a additional funds from a past NRDA case to press swamp. flow line on Delta National Wildlife Refuge further red-cockaded woodpecker habi- Jena Oil Spill: This incident was a release in Plaquemines Parish. Coastal Operations tat creation and restoration on Kisatchie of 75 barrels of crude oil and 100 barrels staff worked with USFWS regarding wild- National Forest. of salt water from a tank battery that im- life response and habitat assessments for Staff participated in an effort to close out pacted a small inland creek. this incident. three pending NRDA cases (Lake Grand Breton Sound Spill: This spill was a re- Ecaille, Mosquito Bay and Little Lake) lease of seven barrels of crude oil from an where the responsible parties agreed to offshore platform. cash settlements. The funds will be cou- South Block Spill: There were multiple re- pled with ongoing restoration in the Lake leases from a facility In South Block result- Hermitage area. ing in over 20 barrels of oil contamination Besides the three listed above, staff con- in brackish marsh near the facility. tinued to assist with roughly 27 pending Lake Long Spill: This spill was the release cases. of an unknown amount of crude oil from a

Alligator Program

Louisiana’s Alligator Management Program consists of two complex segments: research/management of the wild population and a statewide farm/ranch program. Figure 5. LOUISIANA COASTAL MARSH ALLIGATOR NEST The program is funded by alligator industry generated revenues (alligator hide tag fees, shipping label fees, PRODUCTION (1970-2013) alligator hunting license fees, alligator hide severance taxes, and other alligator related fees). Based on Aerial Surveys Wild Alligator Program Inventory methods, harvest regulations, tagging and reporting requirements, and a complex computer program are continually upgraded to regulate and monitor a sustainable-use alligator management program in Louisiana. Annual coast-wide alligator nest surveys are conducted to index alligator populations and to Thousands of Nests establish harvest quotas in coastal Louisiana. Dur- ing summer 2013 we estimated that 45,069 alligator nests were present in the coastal marsh habitats an increase of 7 percent from 2012 (Figure 5).

Wild alligator harvest quotas are established to cor- relate harvest with alligator population density and distribution. Alligator harvest tags are allocated to individuals who either own or lease land that is consid- 72 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Figure 6. LOUISIANA WILD ALLIGATORS HARVESTED ered alligator habitat. Digital landowner and survey information are combined with the latest aerial photography images to (2013 REGULAR HARVEST SKIN LENGTHS) allow for an accurate assessment/classification of each participant’s property. The majority of the lands enrolled in the wild alligator harvest program have been entered in the GIS system for property ownership and habitat assessment.

In September 2013, the annual wild alligator harvest produced 35,361 alligators, which averaged 7.5 feet in total length and had an estimated value of over $13.4 million. Beginning in late winter 2008 and continuing into spring and summer of 2009, the worldwide economic recession significantly impacted world trade in raw and tanned alligator skins and manufac- tured products. Price and demand for wild and farm-raised alligator skins dropped precipitously during this period. The drop in price and demand coincided with the economic recession and with tanners implementing stricter quality standards. During 2010, 2011 and 2012 demand and price for both wild and farm-raised alligators began to recover; that recovery has continued into 2013. It is anticipated that price for wild alligators harvested in 2014 will remain stable as compared to 2013. Adult-sized alligators (those 6 feet and larger) comprised the Figure 7. LOUISIANA FARM ALLIGATORS HARVESTED majority of the harvest (Figure 6). (2012 SKIN BELLY WIDTHS) LDWF provided additional alligator harvest opportunities for the general public by continuing its lottery alligator harvest program. In 2013 the lottery alligator harvest program provided opportunities for 341 alligator hunters to harvest 879 alligators. Lottery alligator harvests were conducted on 43 public areas (WMAs and public lakes) throughout the state.

Farm Alligator Program The December 2013 statewide farm/ranch inventory totaled 663,411 alligators, up from 565,036 alligators in December 2012, and was approaching the record 731,909 in December 2008. The decline in 2012 was due in large part to the worldwide economic recession, and to farmers voluntarily limiting their egg collections significantly in summer 2009; then collecting about half the usual amount in 2010 (205,261 eggs) as markets and demand slowly improved. Market conditions continued to improve in 2012-2013 as both skins and meat were in high demand, and in 2011 with farmers collected 353,176 wild alligator eggs yielding 300,546 hatchlings. In 2012 farm- Figure 8. LOUISIANA FARM ALLIGATORS HARVESTED ers continued to build their inventories collecting 413,648 eggs (2013 SKIN BELLY WIDTHS) yielding 349,514 hatchlings, while in 2013 farmers collected 498,285 wild alligator eggs which produced 432,386 hatchlings. During the 2012 tag year (September 2012 through Au- gust 2013) 293,509 farm alligators were harvested (Figure 7). During the 2013 tag year (September 2013 through December 2013) a total of 100,608 farm alligators were harvested, averaging 25.4 cm belly width (4.17 feet in length) (Figure 8). An estimated 394,000 farm-raised alligators were harvested during the FY 2013-2014. Because the program transitioned from a tag assignment year based on the September harvest to a calendar year assignment, two tag years were documented in this report, 2012 and 2013. The total estimated value of these alligators was $86.7 million. Office of Wildlife 73

Farmers participating in the wild alligator egg percentage of the total alligators harvest- collection program are required to return Research Activities ed. This project, coupled with coastwide The following list provides a summary of the 12 percent of the eggs hatched as 4-foot al- nest survey provides critical information various research and monitoring projects that ligators, which compensates the wild alliga- regarding the status of the wild alligator the alligator program staff conducted and/or tor population for the collection of eggs. The population. Data generated from these participated in during FY 2013-2014. remaining animals can be sold by the farmer. projects provides the basis for evaluating During FY 2013-2014, a total of 38,349 farm- the impact of our current harvest strate- raised alligators were released to the wild. All Monitoring gies and for establishment of annual wild released alligators were measured, marked, 1. Evaluation of Survival, Growth and harvest quotas. tagged and sexed. Survival of farm-released Reproduction in Farm-Released alligators appears to be similar to wild alliga- Alligators - 4. Evaluation of AlligatorN est Density - tors. Re-trapped alligators were harvested in This activity involves numerous projects LDWF biologists work with cooperating al- September 2013, and data on size class and sex related to survival analysis, growth and ligator farmers to gain access to their GPS ratio collected. Data evaluation continues on reproductive success (farm-released vs. data from annual egg collections. This survival rates of the farm-released alligators. native wild). Due to the recent reduction data will facilitate comparisons between of the 14 percent release rate to 12 per- our coastwide nest survey and estimates Program staff members routinely communi- cent, it is imperative to monitor survival of nest density as recorded by the farmer cate with various alligator industry participants closely. The 12 percent return rate started during egg collections. Some farmers including trappers, farmers, landowners and with the 2007 permits (releases “due” in have advised staff of reduced nest pro- dealers. Information is provided regarding wild 2009). Information on size class frequency duction on selected wetlands; close re- alligator and alligator egg harvests, harvest distribution of wild alligator populations view of this nesting production data will statistics and management recommendations. and susceptibility to harvest is provided allow us to evaluate nest distribution and Staff routinely visits alligator farms providing annually to enhance survival estimates. density changes over time. recommendations on alligator husbandry and Although some growth information has culture. Numerous requests for information been published we plan to evaluate growth rates in more detail; we now have 5. West Nile Virus (WNV) - are handled each year. LDWF, in conjunction with LSU School of “re-traps” that were captured over 20 Veterinary Medicine (LSUSVM), continues years since release, and this is undoubt- to monitor occurrence of WNV on alligator edly one of the largest mark-recapture Nuisance Alligator farms in Louisiana. Initial mortality related projects currently in progress. Staff from to WNV occurred in fall/winter 2003. Ag- the LSU Department of Experimental Sta- Program gressive mosquito control on farms has LDWF manages a statewide nuisance alliga- tistics assists with annual evaluation of reduced on farm mosquito populations tor control program. The nuisance program survival and growth based on farm “re- and seems to have reduced the incidence is designed to remove problem alligators in traps” recovered in September harvests. of WNV in recent years. However, 2012 order to avoid potential human/alligator con- In the future, we plan to have contractors turned out to be the worst year on record flicts. Through the process of nuisance alliga- from LSU’s School of Renewable Natural for human cases of WNV in Louisiana and tor hunter appointments and annual renewals, Resources provide input as to analyses on in the United States. During FY 2012-2013 LDWF maintains a statewide network of quali- this project, possibly involving a graduate we continued to have expertise from staff fied nuisance alligator hunters. Nuisance alliga- student project. at LSUSVM available if needed to collect tor complaints are phoned into various LDWF samples from farm alligators to monitor offices, where complaints are recorded and 2. Coast-Wide Nest Survey - for any health concerns, provide diag- then forwarded to a nuisance alligator hunter The annual coastal nesting survey is essen- nostics as needed, and assist with other in the vicinity of the complaint. Nuisance hunt- tial for monitoring our alligator population, health surveillance parameters. ers respond promptly and catch and remove and is used annually to determine wild al- the alligator as deemed necessary. Hunters are ligator and wild alligator egg harvest quo- After several years of research, develop- allowed to harvest the nuisance alligator and tas (for the adult harvest each September ment and testing, a WNV vaccine was to process the meat and skin of the alligator as well as egg ranching quotas). This is an developed, gained conditional approval for commercial sale. This process provides for integral part of our required “finding of no by the USDA, and became available to immediate response to problem alligators and detriment” needed to achieve export au- farmers in October 2011 from the Boeh- for payment to the nuisance alligator hunter, thorization by the USFWS. ringer-Ingelheim Company. The vaccine thereby minimizing the program operating requires two, 0.5 ml injections into the tail costs to the department. 3. Evaluation of Statewide Harvest of the alligator (a two to four week inter- Program - val between injections is recommended). During FY 2013-2014, a total of 60 nuisance al- We continue to analyze size class fre- The cost is $2.50 per injection or $5 per ligator hunters were enrolled in the program; quency distribution, average size, sex animal. Work continues on development annually the nuisance hunters respond to sev- ratios, etc. for alligators harvested each of a single dose vaccine. Several farmers eral thousand complaints and harvest approxi- year. During the 2013 wild season staff have taken advantage of this new proac- mately 1,500 alligators. collected sex ratio data on 14,206 alliga- tive technology to prevent WNV in captive tors (69.7 percent males, 30.3 percent hatchling and yearling alligators. females) which represented a significant 74 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

6. Best Management Practices - American alligators in the scientific jour- mercially available feeds with protein lev- LDWF and the LSUSVM in conjunction nal “Aquaculture” in 2013. Hatchlings els ranging from 37 percent to 55 percent with the Louisiana Alligator Farmers and were provided to Dr. Reigh by LDWF from protein in order to evaluate food conver- Ranchers Association developed a docu- eggs collected and incubated at Rockefell- sion rates and water and atmospheric ment entitled “Best Management Prac- er Refuge for continued nutrition studies ammonia levels; so as to advise alligator tices for Louisiana Alligator Farming.” The to benefit the alligator farming industry. farmers as to the optimum dietary regime document was distributed in June 2011 available while avoiding toxic ammonia and details recommended practices to Contracts buildup in commercial sheds. Preliminary ensure animal welfare of captive reared 1. Diagnostic Services (LSUSVM - Dr. results showed the 41 percent to 55 per- alligators in Louisiana, including egg col- Nevarez) - cent protein diets were not significantly lection, hatching, rearing, release to the Dr. Nevarez is contracted to provide diag- different in their effects on alligator body wild and euthanasia. This document was nostic services as needed for the alligator weight or chest girth, but the 37 percent updated and distributed in January 2013 industry. Farmers may consult with Dr. protein diet did show significantly lower as new information regarding euthana- Nevarez at any time for assistance with body weight at the end of the feeding sia was investigated, and will be updated any alligator husbandry or disease is- trial. Another study entitled “The effect as any pertinent topic to alligator fam- sue. Our staff often assists with logistics of dietary energy-to-protein ratios for ing becomes available. The intent of this and transport of alligators/samples to compounded alligator diets” was initiated document is to ensure that licensed al- LSUSVM in Baton Rouge for evaluation. as well. As noted above, Dr. Reigh and ligator farms/ranches are employing hu- Periodic health surveillance of farm re- his research associate also published a mane methods of working with alligators. leased alligators is conducted to monitor manuscript in the scientific journal “Aqua- Through industry contributions, Dr. Ne- health status of farm alligators released to culture” entitled “Amino acid availability varez at LSUSVM has evaluated the most the wild. Dr. Nevarez and pathologists at of selected plant products and fish meal appropriate methods of euthanasia for LSUSVM have also assisted with necropsy for American alligator (Alligator mississip- alligators and demonstrations were made and research findings for publications co- piensis)” to evaluate the use of corn grain, at industry meetings. authored with LDWF alligator program soybean meal, soy protein concentrate, staff members; including case reports of wheat gluten and menhaden fish meal for 7. Alligator Research Facility - a large fibrosarcoma and a fibromyxoma alligator feeds. Digestibility studies con- After several years of planning and fund in wild alligators. tinue to aid farmers in their farm manage- raising by industry personnel, construc- ment; industry support from feed manu- tion began on an alligator research facility 2. LSU Experimental Statistics - factures at Cargill have been instrumental at LSU’s AgCenter Aquaculture Research The LSU Department of Experimental Sta- in this process. Station. Funding for facility construction tistics is under contract to provide tech- was provided purely by monetary dona- nical statistical expertise for numerous 4. Electrical Immobilization (Smith- tions from alligator industry participants alligator projects; most importantly the Root, Inc.) - including alligator farmers, wetland land- evaluation of survival of farm-released LDWF contracted with Smith-Root, Inc., owners, tanners, feed manufacturers, alligators, population trends from nest- to conduct a study entitled “Evaluation alligator hunters and other interested ing survey data, and more recently with of Pulsed Electric Field Technology to Im- parties. The building will be available to hide grade/length correlations. Assistance mobilize Farm–Raised Alligators.” Recent house alligators of various sizes for proj- is being provided with refining statistical concerns regarding the handling and eu- ects related to all phases of alligator hus- analyses of growth comparisons of farm- thanasia of reptiles in commercial opera- bandry. LDWF staff has worked closely released and native wild alligators. Discus- tions overseas has led the Louisiana alliga- with alligator producers and feed manu- sions continued this fiscal year to transi- tor industry to evaluate their husbandry facturers to provide input to identify and tion to new statisticians with the LSU and harvesting practices. The recent de- prioritize research goals and secure long School of Renewable Natural Resources mand for larger alligator hides has led to term funding sources for facility opera- due to the pending retirement of the cur- an increase in the number of alligators tion. The LSU AgCenter has established rent contract statistician and research as- being raised to over 5 feet in length. This an Alligator Research Fund to receive sociate. creates a new challenge for restraining additional donations for funding various these animals for evaluation of hide qual- research projects. Facility completion was 3. Nutrition Research (LSU AgCenter, ity and euthanasia. Although electrical set for fall 2013 with plans to stock with Aquaculture Research Station) - immobilization has been well investigated hatchlings and initiate research projects A detailed research project entitled “Ef- in fish, little work has been done with this thereafter. An article on the new facility fects of Dietary Protein on Alligator technology for alligator immobilization. and research done on varying levels of Growth and Air/Water Quality of Produc- In order for this technique to be deemed protein in diets (and how much can be tion Systems” was undertaken after being acceptable, a number of studies have to utilized) was published by Dr. Reigh and listed as a high priority area requiring fur- be performed to ensure their humane associates in the Summer 2013 issue of ther knowledge to improve farm produc- application. The pilot study was done in “Louisiana Agriculture.” Dr. Reigh and tion while minimizing costs (avoid feeding late November 2012 to determine appli- Ms. Millie Williams also published their excess protein that might go unutilized). cability of electro-immobilization equip- results on amino acid availability and se- The investigators (Dr. Robert Reigh and ment for alligators and initial results were lected plant products and fish meal for Dr. Greg Lutz) are evaluating various com- promising. Numerous tests were done Office of Wildlife 75

evaluating vertical and horizontal place- We continued to support and collaborate with scientific journals and review several papers ment of electrode probes; threshold post-doctoral research associates with their each year. responses of alligators to AC, pulsed bi- work on numerous projects. Associates from polar, and pulsed DC waveforms; voltage several universities (University of North- Tex Our research efforts have been hampered in gradient and exposure times to induce as, University of California at San Bernardino, large part by lack of holding facilities for alli- immobilization; and the effects of tem- University of Missouri, University of California gators. We had a small functioning laboratory, perature on the resulting immobilization. San Francisco, UCLA, Slippery Rock Univer- but the tremendous physical plant losses due The contractors provided a detailed re- sity, George Mason University, University of to Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in port entitled “Evaluation of pulsed elec- Tennessee, and University of Georgia) were 2008 have limited our progress. This lab was tric field technology to immobilize farm- hosted at Rockefeller in 2013-2014 to collect a shared room in the maintenance workshop raised alligators.” Further studies were additional samples for several studies. Several and is now not usable due to repairs to the conducted in November and December collaborators made presentations with LDWF shop. Our biological staff constructed a cover/ 2013 to determine if electrosedation is staff as co-authors at meetings as listed above. awning to the semi-repaired holding tanks, suitable to assist farmers in safe handling which has helped. Initial work done to supply of larger alligators, rather than just prior We conducted a study on the effects of feral adequate heat to holding tanks was completed to euthanasia; blood samples for stress swine on alligator nests; including a detailed in spring 2009 and minor repairs continued hormone analyses and EEGs will evaluate survey of all Louisiana alligator ranchers. This this fiscal year. Frequent water lines breaks oc- manual restraint vs. electrosedation. was accepted and published in the Southeast- cur and holding tanks leak continuously; and ern Naturalist in 2012, and an updated manu- temperature control is sporadic and inconsis- Other Research script was being prepared to summarize results tent. We met several times again this year to We published several abstracts and full papers from 2011, 2012 and 2013; this presentation discuss schematic drawings for a new lab and this year, including records on alligator nests was made at the Crocodile Specialist Group holding facility. being used by other reptiles (ground skinks, meeting in Lake Charles in May 2014. river cooters and speckled king snakes). We Other Activities co-authored a paper on stem cell niche and We previously assisted a graduate student Alligator program staff assisted with filming for replacement of teeth in alligators which was from California with his research on use of sta- Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s series “Alive! In published in the Proceedings of the National ble isotopes to determine alligator diet (non- America’s Delta” with a segment entitled “Al- Academy of Sciences; this year we learned it invasive); the manuscript remains in review. ligator: King of the Bayou” which was broad- was selected for the Publication Award in the cast several times this fiscal year and was well Basic Sciences category by the Louisiana As- We also assisted a PhD student from Univer- received. sociation of Professional Biologists. We also sity of Tennessee with alligator specimens for co-authored an abstract on alligator blood vis- her research involving molecular techniques Alligator program staff attended the Crocodile cosity and hematocrit presented by a graduate and bacterial community diversity in the gas- Specialist Group conference in Lake Charles student at the Society for Experimental Biology trointestinal tract. We submitted an abstract La., in May. Several staff members presented meetings in Valencia, Spain in July 2013. In Jan- co-authored with her to the 7th Congress talks on various aspects of LDWF’s alligator uary 2014, five abstracts we co-authored were of the International Symbiosis Society which management program. Rockefeller and Alli- presented at talks and posters at the Society was accepted for presentation at the confer- gator Program staff hosted the post-meeting for Integrative and Comparative Biology meet- ence held in Krakow, Poland in July 2012; her field trip held at Rockefeller Refuge. Guests ings in Austin, Texas. In April 2014, five ab- work continued into 2013-2014 as she works participated in a variety of activities, including stracts we co-authored were presented at talks on manuscripts from her dissertation. We co- measuring, tagging, notching and determining and posters at the Experimental Biology meet- authored a paper she led on the alligator gut the sex of young alligators, and releasing the ings in San Diego, Calif., and were published in microbiome published in Scientific Reports. marked juvenile alligators to the wild while on the FASEB journal. We had several abstracts on airboat tours through marshes adjacent to the our research and management programs ac- This year we co-authored a manuscript on refuge headquarters. Tours also included view- cepted for presentation at the Crocodile Spe- frugivory and possible seed dispersal by croco- ing of alligator holding facilities as well as a cialist Group meeting held in Lake Charles in dilians published in the Journal of Zoology, as brief helicopter tour over Rockefeller Refuge. May 2014; and two papers were prepared for well as a paper on canebrake fauna published the meeting Proceedings. in another journal. We also co-authored a paper on comparison of metabolic substrates in Publications/ We published a five-year study of wild hatch- alligators and several birds of prey published in ling sex ratios in the journal Southeastern Nat- the journal Zoology. Cooperative Research The following scientific papers were published uralist this fiscal year. We also published two from approximately July 2013 to June 2014: “Notes” on unusual alligators harvested in the In summer 2013 and June 2014 we made col- 2013 autumn season (barnacles on an alligator, lections of a series of embryos for further col- Elsey, R. M. and J. Nevarez. 2013. Alligator mis- and an unusually large alligator with mistaken laborative studies. We collected and preserved sissippiensis (American Alligator). Report of a gender). these embryos for research teams. large fibrosarcoma in a wild alligator. Herpeto- logical Review. 44(3)503-504. We co-authored a paper in the Journal of One staff member is serving on a graduate stu- Comparative Physiology with physiologists at dent committee; we also have several manu- Elsey, R.M., J. Nevarez, J. Boundy, and R. W Bau- University of North Texas on chronic hypoxia in scripts currently in press or in review; and we er. 2013. Case report of a massive fibromyxoma embryonic alligators. serve as manuscript reviewers for numerous 76 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

in an American alligator (Alligator mississippi- Elsey, R. M. 2014. Effects of feral swine (Sus Kohl, Z., K. Tate, R. M. Elsey, and D. Crossley II. ensis). Southeastern Naturalist. 12(4)N31-34. scrofa) on alligator (Alligator mississippien- 2014. (Abstract). Blood flow distribution fol- sis) nests in Louisiana: A three year summary. lowing adrenergic blockade and nitric oxide Elsey, R. M., W. Selman, R. King, M. Miller, Presented at the 23rd Working Meeting of the production inhibition in embryonic American and S. G. Platt. 2013. Alligator mississippien- Crocodile Specialist Group, Lake Charles, Loui- alligators, Alligator mississippiensis. Presen- sis (American Alligator). Nests used by other siana. May 2014. tation at the Experimental Biology meetings, reptiles in coastal Louisiana. Herpetological Re- April 26-30, 2014, San Diego, California. The view. 44(4):659-660. Finger, J. W. Jr., M. T. Hamilton, B. S. Metts, R. FASEB Journal. 28(1):Supplement 879.4. M. Elsey, T. Glenn, and T. D. Tuberville. 2014. Keenan, S. W., A. S. Engel, and R. M. Elsey. 2013. (Abstract). The effects of coal fly ash on the im- Kohl, Z., R. M. Elsey, and D. Crossley II. 2014. The alligator gut microbiome and implications mune system of the American alligator (Alliga- (Abstract). The ontogeny of physical compo- for ancestral archosaur symbioses. Scientific tor mississippiensis). Poster presentation at the nents of blood in the American alligator, Al- Reports. 3:2877 DOI:10.1038/srep02877. Interdisciplinary Toxicology Retreat, University ligator mississippiensis. Presentation at the of Georgia. April 10, 2014. UNT-UAEM Integrative Biology Workshop May Kohl, Z. F., R. M. Elsey, and D. A. Crossley. 2013. 9, 2014. The ontogeny of blood viscosity and hemato- Gross, B. A., M. Venegas-Anaya, R. D. Bradley, crit in the American alligator, Alligator missis- R. M. Elsey, R. E. Willis, and L. D. Densmore, Lance, V., R. M. Elsey, and P. Trosclair, III. 2014. sippiensis. (Abstract). Society for Expermien- III. 2014. (Abstract). Experimental design for (Abstract). Sexual maturity in the American al- tal Biology meeting. Valencia, Spain, July 3-6, morphological and genetic preservation of ligator. Presentation at the 23rd Working Meet- 2013. museum specimens for the American alligator ing of the Crocodile Specialist Group, Lake (Alligator mississippiensis). Poster presentation Charles, Louisiana. May 2014. Platt, S.G, R. M. Elsey, H. Liu, T.R. Rainwater, J. at the 23rd Working Meeting of the Crocodile C. Nifong, A. E.Rosenblatt, M. R. Heithaus, and Specialist Group, Lake Charles, Louisiana. May Linscombe, J., L. Campbell, E. Mouton. 2014. F. J. Mazzotti. 2013. Frugivory and seed disper- 2014. (Abstract). Alligator population monitoring in sal by crocodilians: An over-looked form of sau- Louisiana. Presentation at the 23rd Working rochory? Journal of Zoology. 291:87-99. Hamilton, M. T., J. W. Finger, Jr. , B. S. Metts, R. Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist Group, Lake M. Elsey, T. Glenn, and T. D. Tuberville. 2014. Charles, Louisiana. May 2014. Platt, S. G., T. R. Rainwater, R. M. Elsey, and C. (Abstract). The effects of dietary exposure to G. Brantley. 2013. Canebrake fauna revisited: coal fly ash contaminated prey on the immune Lujan, S.L., T. Owerkowicz, R. M. Elsey, J. W. additional records of species diversity in a criti- system of the American alligator (Alligator mis- Hicks, and K. M. Middleton. 2014. (Abstract). cally endangered ecosystem. Bamboo Science sissippiensis). Poster presentation at the 23rd Acute and chronic alterations in atmospheric and Culture. 26(1):1-12. Working Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist oxygen do not alter femoral biomechanics in Group, Lake Charles, Louisiana. May 2014. Alligator mississippiensis. Presentation at SICB Crossley, D. A. II, R. M. Elsey, and J. Eme. 2014. meeting. Austin, Texas. January 2014. P3.144. (Abstract). Cardiovascular regulation in em- Joneson, J. R., R.M. Elsey, and T. Owerkowicz. bryonic American alligators during chronic 2014. (Abstract). Tenotomy of the caudofemo- Membrano, N., R. M. Elsey, and T. Owerkowicz. exposure to reduced environmental oxygen. ralis longus muscle elicits changes in muscular 2014. (Abstract). The effects of eggshell remov- Presentation at SICB meeting. Austin, Texas. but not skeletal morphology in the American al on embryonic skeletal development in the January 2014. 74.1. alligator. Presentation at SICB meeting. Austin, American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Texas. January 2014. 110.5. Presentation at the Experimental Biology meet- Crossley, D. A., et al. 2014. (Abstract). Differen- ings, April 26-30, 2014, San Diego, California. tial vascular perfusion in response to bouts of Joneson, J. R., A. C. Medina, R.M. Elsey, and The FASEB Journal. 28(1):Supplement 921.7. acute hypoxic exposure in embryonic American T. Owerkowicz. 2014. (Abstract). Investigat- alligators. Submitted for consideration for pre- ing the function of the caudofemoralis lungus Mouton, E. C. Jr., R. M. Elsey, L. Campbell, and sentation at SICB meeting. Austin, Texas. Janu- (CFL) muscle and musculoskeletal plasticity in J.T. Linscombe. Louisiana’s Alligator Manage- ary 2014. American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). ment Program. 2014. (Abstract). Presentation Poster presentation at the Experimental Biol- at the 23rd Working Meeting of the Crocodile Elsey, R. M., and J. W. Lang. 2014. Sex ratios of ogy meetings, April 26-30, 2014, San Diego, Specialist Group, Lake Charles, Louisiana. May wild American alligator hatchlings in Southwest California. The FASEB Journal. 28(1):Supple- 2014. Louisiana. Southeastern Naturalist 13:(2):191- ment 919.9. 199. Sweazea, K. L., J. P. McMurtry, R. M. Elsey, P. Re- King, R. and R. M. Elsey. 2014. Louisiana’s nui- dig, and E. J. Braun. 2014. Comparison of meta- Elsey, R. M., R. King, J. C. Nifong, and M. G. sance alligator program. (Abstract). Presenta- bolic substrates in alligators and several birds Frick. 2014. Alligator mississippiensis (Ameri- tion at the 23rd Working Meeting of the Croco- of prey. Zoology. 117:253-260. can Alligator). Epibiosis. Herpetological Review. dile Specialist Group, Lake Charles, Louisiana. 45(1) 118-119. May 2014. Vasconcellos, D., T. Owerkowicz, J. Eme, J. Blank, R. M. Elsey, and J. Hicks. 2014. (Abstract). Elsey, R. M., R. King, K. M. Gribbins, D. E. Like, Kohl, Z. F., R. M. Elsey, and D. A. Crossley, II. Osteoderm accretion as proxy for whole body and V. Lance. 2014. Large presumptive female 2014. (Abstract). Differential vascular perfu- growth in the American alligator. Poster pre- Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator). sion in response to bouts of acute hypoxic sentation at the Experimental Biology - meet A case of mistaken identity. Herpetological Re- exposure in embryonic American alligators. ings, April 26-30, 2014, San Diego, California. view. 45(1):119-120. Presentation at SICB meeting. Austin, Texas. The FASEB Journal. 28(1):Supplement 1161.3. January 2014. 74.3. Office of Wildlife 77

Yang, J., T. Owerkowicz, R. M. Elsey, and Lien, C. 2014. (Abstract). Cardiac regenerative capacity of the American alligator. Presentation at the Experimental Biology meetings, April 26-30, 2014, San Diego, California. The FASEB Journal. 28(1):Supplement 87.5.

Alligator Advisory Council

The Alligator Advisory Council monitors and compliance reviews, and enhancing ethical addresses many issues concerning the alliga- standards for husbandry, harvest and humane tor industry at local, national and international practices. levels. The council supports husbandry and disease research, addresses public concerns re- LDWF worked closely with Louisiana Public garding animal welfare, engages in internation- Broadcasting to develop a documentary film al conservation and trade issues, and develops on LDWF’s alligator management program. The markets for sustainable Louisiana products. film aired this year.

The council contributed to and participated The Alligator Advisory Council worked with in the 23rd Working Group meeting of the In- the LSU School of Human Ecology to promote ternational Union for Conservation of Nature the use of lower grade alligator skins. Several Crocodile Specialist Group meeting, which LSU alumni have incorporated grade-3 alliga- was hosted by Louisiana and McNeese State tor leather into their fashion lines. LSU student University. The conference was attended by garments were showcased at Fashion Week 363 delegates from 38 countries. This meeting New Orleans in March 2014. Students from yielded $50,000 in pledges to support sustain- the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology able use efforts for crocodilians world-wide, also worked with grade-3 alligator leather and modeled after Louisiana’s program. showcased their products at the Beijing Fash- ion Week. The use of lower grade alligator was The council led a petition to extend the sun- promoted in China, Europe and Hawaii by LSU set clause for AB2075, which allows the sale School of Human Ecology faculty. of alligator and crocodile products within the state of California. Both California’s Assembly and Senate passed the measure with 70 percent in favor. The council worked closely with the California Retailers Association, the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Crocodile Specialist Group, and the Louisiana Congres- sional delegation to support this bill.

The council has worked to develop humane harvest guidelines approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the World Health Organization. Best Management Prac- tices for crocodilians have now been adopted by Australia, Louisiana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Several issues associated with alligators and crocodilians were addressed at the Conven- tion on International Trade in Endangered Spe- cies (CITES). The electronic permitting system, which substantially saves time and reduces permit costs for alligator farmers and dealers making frequent international shipments, continues to be a priority. The council also focused on issues such as non-detriment findings, monitoring, best management practices,

Office of Fisheries 80 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Mission

The purpose of the Fisheries program is to manage living aquatic resources and their habitat, to support the fishing industry, and to provide access, opportunity and understanding of the Louisiana aquatic resources to the state’s citizens and others beneficiaries of these sustainable resources.

Objectives

To provide high quality fishery management information through effective data collection, analysis and information sharing. To be an effective, efficient steward of our renewable aquatic resources. To provide and enhance recreational fishing experience through improved access, opportunity and public awareness. To maintain a sustainable and economically viable fisheries environment. To create a work environment in which all Fisheries staff are enabled and empowered to achieve the office’s goals and objectives.

Organization

The Office of Fisheries structure is comprised of the following sections: Marine Fisheries - to manage the marine (saltwater) fisheries resources of the state. Inland Fisheries - to manage the inland (freshwater) fisheries resources of the state. Fisheries Management - to provide technical and scientific research in support of fisheries management. Fisheries Oversight - to provide guidance and assistance to Louisiana’s valuable commercial fishing industries. Fisheries Extension – to provide fishery management information to the recreational fishing sector through hatcheries, improved fishing and- boat ing access, aquatic outreach and volunteer activities.

Fisheries Funding

The Statutory Dedications utilized by the -Of sion (GSMFC). The funds from the USFWS are Fisheries Funding Sources fice of Fisheries are primarily the Conserva- primarily from federal assistance in the Sport (Appropriated Funding) tion Fund and the Artificial Reef Trust Fund. Fish Restoration Program. The funds are dedi- The Conservation Fund is funded primarily cated to marine and freshwater monitoring, by license revenue and oil and gas revenue research, management and boating access, from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and aquatic education, and aquatic outreach. The 9% 8% Fisheries (LDWF) property. The Conserva- funds from NOAA represent various grants tion Fund is a general funding source used to that are utilized to collected offshore fisher- fund invasive aquatic plant, marine fisheries ies independent data and commercial fisheries monitoring and research and general office dependent data, and to provide assistance to operations. The Artificial Reef Trust Fund is the commercial fishing industry for recovery funded through donations from oil and gas related to hurricanes. The funds from GSMFC 34% companies. Oil and gas companies donate represent various grants that are utilized to one half of the realized savings over a tradi- collect recreational and commercial fisheries 49% tional onshore removal of obsolete offshore dependent data. oil and gas offshore structures. The Artificial Reef Trust Fund is used to fund the building Interagency transfer funds are provided by and monitoring of inshore, nearshore and other state agencies and used to fund various offshore artificial reefs, research related to projects. These projects include fisheries moni- species utilizing artificial reef structures, op- toring associated with freshwater diversions, erations of the Artificial Reef Program, and oil spill response and damage assessment, and other research and monitoring needs of the oil spill restoration projects. Federal Funds department. The self-generated funds are provided by oth- Statutory Dedications The Federal funds used by LDWF come from er non-governmental entities and are used to various federal entities, such as U.S. Fish and fund various projects. These projects include Self-Generated Funds Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Oceanic fisheries monitoring following the Deepwater Interagency Transfer Funds and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Horizon oil spill and funding for marine mam- and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commis- mal stranding response and mapping. Office of Fisheries 81

Ongoing Monitoring of 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Response and recovery efforts related to the Inshore monitoring takes place in the shallower Since the onset of the Deepwater Horizon oil 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill continued areas around the coast where normal depths spill through Dec. 19, 2014, more than 836 live throughout FY 2013-2014. As one of the pri- are from 1 to 30 feet. Sampling gear in this area and dead sea turtles, including incidental cap- mary state agencies involved in oil spill re- includes: seines, trammel nets, gill nets, trawls, tures, have been responded to by LDWF, as well sponse, LDWF staff continued to respond to dredges and square meters. Nearshore moni- as over 579 live and dead marine mammals. reports of residual oiling from the spill, partici- toring takes place in offshore waters of the Gulf pated in response and recovery efforts of ma- of Mexico, where normal depths are from 30 Currently, the northern Gulf is enduring the rine mammals and sea turtles, participated in to 240 feet, and the habitat consists of many longest and largest marine mammal Unusual the ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assess- of Louisiana’s commercially and recreationally Mortality Event in the history of the Gulf of ment (NRDA), and worked to ensure that the important species. Nearshore monitoring is Mexico, beginning in February 2010 (Figure seafood harvested in open waters tested at ac- conducted in the three designated zones off 2). A Unusual Mortality Event is defined as “a ceptable levels for public consumption accord- Louisiana’s coast: Eastern Zone, Central Zone stranding that is unexpected, involves a signifi- ing to standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug and Western Zone. Offshore monitoring is con- cant die-off of any marine mammal population Administration (FDA) and the Environmental ducted by LSU to monitor the biological com- and demands immediate response” (NOAA). Protection Agency (EPA). LDWF also conducted munities at artificial reef sites. The research enhanced fisheries monitoring to better man- has focused on video and acoustic methods. age fisheries in the wake of the spill. LSU is currently analyzing the data and this proj- Tissue Testing for ect will conclude in June 2015. Seafood Safety Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, state Fisheries Closures and federal officials worked to address seafood During FY 2013-2014, portions of state waters Marine Mammal and safety concerns about the consumption of fish located around Grand Terre Island and Bay from Gulf of Mexico waters. While fisheries Jimmy, within the Barataria Basin, remained Sea Turtle Stranding closures implemented in both state and fed- closed to all recreational and commercial and Rescue Program eral waters were aimed at preventing seafood fishing except for recreational and charter The LDWF Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle products that may have come into contact with boat angling. In July 2013, waters seaward a Stranding and Rescue Program is the first re- oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill from distance of one-half mile from the shoreline sponder to all marine mammal and sea turtle entering the market, additional measures were of East Grand Terre Island were closed to all strandings in Louisiana. The Office of Fisheries undertaken in order to ensure that the seafood commercial and recreational fishing except for continues to receive and investigate all reports being harvested in waters off Louisiana’s coast recreational and charterboat angling due to of live and dead marine mammals and sea met the thresholds set by the FDA for safe sea- the discovery and removal of tar mats in inter- turtles. food consumption. tidal and subtidal waters, some of which were outside of the existing closure area. In Decem- Fisheries biologists work closely with our fed- In May 2010, LDWF began collecting, test- ber 2013, commercial and recreational fishing eral counterparts and staff at NOAA - National ing and analyzing seafood tissue samples for closures extending seaward 1 mile from the Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and USFWS to polyaromatic hydrocarbons coast-wide on a shoreline between Caminada Pass westward investigate the cause of strandings and deaths, regular, ongoing basis. In March 2011, LDWF to Belle Pass were reduced to one-half mile. following established protocols while maintain- combined its efforts with the Louisiana Depart- Portions of state waters within the Mississippi ing all evidence collected under a formal Chain ment of Health and Hospitals (DHH), Louisiana River Delta also remain closed to commercial of Custody Form, as required by the Oil Pollu- Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) fishing. These areas were still closed at the end tion Act (33 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq.) NRDA pro- and Louisiana Department of Environmental of FY 2013-2014. cess. All sea turtle carcasses are recovered for a Quality (DEQ) to create The Louisiana Seafood necropsy. In April 2014, LDWF entered a Mem- Safety Plan, which calls for collection and test- Enhanced Resource orandum of Understanding with the LSU School ing of samples from inshore species, nearshore of Veterinary Medicine: Louisiana Animal Dis- reef fish and pelagic species, in addition to ease Diagnostics Laboratory in which space in corresponding water and sediment samples. Monitoring their new BSL-3 Laboratory is available for use In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, The samples were collected, transported and Fisheries biologists not only continued exist- to LDWF for necropsies on marine mammals. tested based on protocols agreed upon by the ing independent sampling efforts but also en- FDA, EPA and the Gulf states. hanced those efforts in order to both monitor LDWF also responds to all live marine mammal fisheries resources and to document trends in and sea turtle stranding calls on Louisiana’s As of Nov. 1, 2013, 3,500 tissue samples of Louisiana saltwater fisheries. Monitoring - ef coast and may aid in recovery, transport and crabs, finfish and shrimp from coastal Louisi- forts are divided into three components: in- release. In June 2014, LDWF and Audubon re- ana have been tested for hydrocarbon contam- shore, nearshore and offshore monitoring. The leased three rehabilitated sea turtles back into ination, along with corresponding sediment information gathered through enhanced moni- the Gulf of Mexico off of the Louisiana coast. and water samples in many cases. toring is used to better manage these species in light of the oil spill. 82 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report Table 1. Tissue testing results – inception to completion.

Atchafalaya & Calcasieu Pontchar- Terre- Month/Year Barataria Nearshore Vermilion Teche Sabine train bonne On Nov. 1, 2013, three-year funding for this Fish Samples project concluded. provides the results Table 1 February 2011 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2 of sampling to date. All samples tested below the FDA-established levels of concern, for safe March 2011 7 7 1 6 7 14 seafood consumption. April 2011 7 7 6 7 4 17 May 2011 5 7 6 6 7 22 Early Restoration June 2011 7 7 6 5 3 43 July 2011 7 7 4 7 6 27 Oyster Hatchery August 2011 7 7 6 7 6 33 The new oyster hatchery is being constructed pursuant to the Phase I Deepwater Horizon Oil September 2011 6 7 5 7 7 38 Spill NRDA Early Restoration Plan as part of the October 2011 7 7 3 7 7 18 Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project. The Louisiana November 2011 6 7 6 7 7 7 Oyster Cultch Project involves the placement December 2011 7 7 3 7 6 18 of 850 acres of oyster cultch onto six locations on the public oyster seed grounds and the con- January 2012 7 7 4 8 7 20 struction of this oyster hatchery adjacent to the February 2012 7 7 5 8 6 14 LDWF Marine Lab on Grand Isle capable of pro- March 2012 6 7 6 8 7 34 ducing 1 billion eyed larvae per season to offset April 2012 6 7 4 8 5 28 injuries to oysters in coastal Louisiana as a result May 2012 6 7 6 7 7 26 of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. June 2012 7 6 4 7 5 24 This state-of-the-art oyster hatchery will soon be July 2012 7 7 4 7 7 24 completed, and the hatchery is expected to pro- August 2012 7 6 3 2 5 24 duce oyster larvae in 2015 to serve as a means September 2012 7 7 5 8 6 21 for corrective action on recent cultch plants, if needed, and further enhance oyster production October 2012 7 7 7 7 7 27 on the public oyster seed grounds. LDWF hatch- November 2012 6 7 4 8 6 12 ery staff has been collaborating with Louisiana December 2012 7 5 6 6 7 9 SeaGrant in the construction of algal and larval January 2013 6 7 6 5 6 7 tank systems. February 2013 6 7 5 6 5 8 March 2013 7 7 5 8 4 58 Louisiana Marine April 2013 6 6 5 8 4 74 Fisheries Enhancement, May 2013 6 7 3 5 5 39 Research and Science June 2013 7 7 5 10 7 11 July 2013 6 6 6 9 2 76 Center August 2013 6 7 6 7 4 n/a During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, LDWF staff worked with the Deepwater Horizon NRDA trust- September 2013 7 7 5 7 4 n/a ees to incorporate the Louisiana Marine Fisher- October 2013 6 2 6 6 n/a ies Enhancement, Research, and Science Center Total 209 211 152 221 182 775 project into Phase III of Early Restoration. This Shrimp Samples work included attending public meetings, devel- March 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a oping the preliminary programming efforts, and creating the Phase III Early Restoration Plan and April 2011 2 1 1 1 1 3 Early Restoration Programmatic Environmental May 2011 1 1 1 1 1 19 Impact Statement. The objective of this restora- June 2011 1 1 1 1 1 22 tion project is to help compensate for the loss of July 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 23 recreational fishing services resulting from the spill by constructing facilities to enhance recre- August 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 19 ational fishing experiences through aquaculture, September 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 5 and promote environmental and cultural stew- October 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 29 ardship, education, and outreach. This project November 2011 1 1 1 1 1 11 will develop facilities at two sites with the shared December 2011 1 1 1 1 1 10 goals of fostering collaborative multi-dimensional research on marine sport fish and bait fish spe- January 2012 1 1 1 1 22 cies. LDWF is the lead agency for planning, imple- February 2012 1 1 1 1 1 20 mentation, construction, operation, and monitor- March 2012 1 1 1 2 1 14 ing of this project. April 2012 1 1 1 1 1 18 May 2012 1 1 1 1 1 18 June 2012 1 1 1 2 1 1 Office of Fisheries 83

Atchafalaya & Calcasieu Pontchar- Terre- Month/Year Barataria Nearshore Vermilion Teche Sabine train bonne Shrimp Samples cont. NRDA Activties July 2012 1 1 n/a 2 1 20 Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Office of August 2012 1 1 n/a n/a 1 17 Fisheries staff has worked in coordination with state and federal trustees on a NRDA. Over the September 2012 1 1 n/a 1 1 11 last year, LDWF staff provided technical assis- October 2012 1 1 1 1 1 n/a tance and logistical support for assessment ac- November 2012 1 1 1 3 n/a 20 tivities and participated in long-term and early December 2012 1 1 1 1 1 13 restoration planning efforts. LDWF also worked January 2013 1 1 1 1 n/a n/a to implement two Early Restoration projects including the Louisiana Oyster Cultch project and February 2013 1 1 1 1 n/a 10 the Louisiana Marine Science and Research Cen- March 2013 1 1 n/a 2 1 n/a ter. Preliminary programming and planning were April 2013 1 1 1 n/a 1 6 underway for the Louisiana Marine Science and May 2013 1 1 1 n/a 1 1 Research Center. June 2013 1 1 1 2 1 9 Early Restoration Efforts July 2013 1 1 n/a 3 1 11 In April 2011, BP committed to fund up to $1 bil- August 2013 1 1 n/a 2 1 n/a lion for Early Restoration of natural resources in September 2013 1 1 n/a 2 n/a n/a the Gulf of Mexico from the impacts of the Deep- October 2013 1 n/a n/a 1 n/a 13 water Horizon oil spill prior to the completion of the NRDA. As a part of this process, following Total 33 31 18 40 27 365 agreement between BP and the NRDA trustees Crab Samples and public review and comment, the Louisiana March 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a Oyster Cultch project was funded through the April 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a Early Restoration process. The project calls for the construction of six oyster cultch plants and May 2011 1 1 1 n/a 1 n/a an oyster hatchery to restore oyster resources June 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a injured as a result of the spill. The cultch plants July 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a were constructed in 2012 and 2013 in various August 2011 1 1 1 1 1 n/a areas of the Louisiana coast. A thorough evaluation of oyster density on each plant is scheduled September 2011 1 1 1 1 1 n/a for July 2014. Construction of the oyster hatch- October 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a ery is substantially complete, and the facility is November 2011 1 1 n/a 1 n/a n/a expected to be operational in summer 2015. December 2011 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a January 2012 1 1 n/a 2 1 n/a On April 1, 2013, the notice to proceed was given to start the construction of the NRDA oyster February 2012 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a hatchery on Grand Isle. The new hatchery build- March 2012 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a ing is intended to help augment oyster produc- April 2012 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a tion on the early restoration cultch plants. The May 2012 1 1 1 1 1 n/a structure will be similar construction to the adjacent LDWF Marine lab facility including pre- June 2012 1 1 1 1 1 n/a stressed concrete piles, floor decking and wall July 2012 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a panels, and standing seam metal roofing. Con- August 2012 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a struction is ongoing at this time. September 2012 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a October 2012 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a November 2012 1 1 1 1 n/a n/a December 2012 1 n/a 1 1 n/a n/a January 2013 1 1 n/a 1 n/a n/a February 2013 1 1 n/a 1 n/a n/a March 2013 1 1 1 1 1 n/a April 2013 1 1 n/a 1 n/a n/a May 2013 1 1 1 1 1 n/a June 2013 1 1 1 1 1 n/a July 2013 1 1 1 2 1 n/a August 2013 1 1 n/a 1 1 n/a September 2013 1 1 n/a 2 1 n/a October 2013 1 n/a 1 2 1 n/a Total 32 29 12 34 25 0 84 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Resource Management

Louisiana’s fisheries resources benefit all con- ters, 270 20-foot trawl samples were collect- and size-frequency of oysters. Utilizing addi- stituent groups in Louisiana, across the Gulf ed. Information crucial to setting the closing tional data on oyster growth, mortality and es- Coast and throughout the nation. The Louisi- dates of the 2013 spring inshore shrimp sea- timated commercial harvest rates, the model ana Constitution of 1974 provides the frame- son, opening dates of the 2014 spring inshore estimates the amount of oyster harvest that work to protect and enhance habitat and to shrimp season, opening and closing dates of can be allowed while preserving the reef mass. ensure sustainable commercial and recre- the 2013 fall inshore shrimp season, and the The model was tested for the second consecu- ational fisheries. Fisheries biologists collect the closing and reopening of shrimping in portions tive year in Hackberry Bay during the 2012- basic ecological data needed to efficiently and of state territorial waters in 2013 and 2014 was 2013 oyster season. The model indicated that effectively manage fisheries resources to -ben collected using these sampling procedures. 675 barrels of seed and 1,085 sacks of market efit all constituent groups. oysters could be harvested without detriment Oyster Sampling to the existing reef mass. Based on the model LDWF is responsible for managing Louisiana’s Management of the public oyster grounds and guidance, the oyster season was closely moni- fisheries and maintaining healthy fish popula- reservations relies heavily upon data gathered tored and closed once these harvest thresh- tions and habitat for the benefit of Louisiana’s through a comprehensive biological monitor- olds were met. Although model guidance was residents and visitors of both today and tomor- ing program. Nearly 500 square-meter samples produced for all other public oyster areas, only row. Responsible fisheries management starts are collected each July, and approximately the commercial harvest season for Hackbery with sound, scientific information about fish 3,100 dredge samples are collected during Bay was modified. populations and the ecosystems in which they each calendar year. In February 2014, repli- live, as well as the fisheries that harvest them. cation for the dredge sampling program de- Vessel Monitoring System LDWF biologists use a variety of methods to creased from three replicate samples per sta- In an effort to better manage public oyster gather this information, including examining tion to two per station. beds, the Office of Fisheries has implemented fishermen’s catch (fishery dependent data) the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Pilot Pro- and conducting scientific studies (fishery -inde Square-meter data is used to measure the an- gram, which requires oyster vessels fishing on pendent data). nual oyster stock size and for yearly oyster sea- public seed grounds to have a VMS provided son recommendations by the Office of Fisher- by the Office of Fisheries. VMS is a GPS system ies. Dredge data is used to monitor the overall that uses satellites to indicate where a vessel Monitoring health of the oyster resource during the year is located at all times, providing valuable data Monitoring fisheries, both fresh and saltwater, and to assess recruitment of new age classes on fishing effort by location. By covering costs is a crucial component of resource manage- of oysters into the population. Field biologists associated with the purchase, installation and ment. Important biological data is collected also gather hydrological data on public oyster operation of VMS, important information can specific to each type of sampling. In addition, areas and develop harvest and fishing effort es- be gathered through the pilot program, and hydrological data (conductivity, salinity and timates by conducting boarding report surveys recommendations can be made to the Louisi- water temperature) are collected with each of oyster boats. ana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) biological sample, as are wind direction and regarding greater utilization of this public re- speed. The information gathered during moni- Annual Oyster Stock Survey source. toring efforts, such as fisheries independent The 2013 oyster stock survey results indicated sampling, gives biologists and administrators an increase (+38 percent) in statewide oyster Roughly 320 VMS units have been installed on the information essential to manage each fish- resource availability on the public oyster seed permitted oyster vessels. A detailed analysis of ery appropriately; openings, closures, limits grounds, although stocks still remain well be- the VMS continued through FY 2013-2014, and and emergency actions are based upon moni- low the long-term average. The overall state- LDWF intends to use the data to develop ad- toring data. wide oyster stock assessment for 2013 showed vanced fishing effort models to assist in public approximately 1.7 million barrels of oysters seed ground stock assessments. Shrimp Sampling (seed-size and market-sized oysters combined) The long-term objectives of the shrimp fishery available. The project is being funded through a Federal research program are to assess and monitor Community Development Block Grant in coop- shrimp stocks and to evaluate shrimp fishery Sustainable Oyster Shell Stock Modeling eration with the Office of Community Devel- impacts on other fisheries and protected spe- Under contract and through collaboration with opment. During FY 2013-2014, the grant was cies. Each species requires an annual assess- LDWF, a research team led by Dr. Tom Soniat extended by a year, taking this to a three-year ment of the condition of the stock, the fishery at the University of New Orleans (UNO) contin- project. Through the extension, funds were and sectors of the economy that are impacted ued working with LDWF to test a sustainable awarded to UNO to utilize the VMS data col- by changes in either. The assessments are also oyster shell stock model for the public oyster lected to assist in the development of a shell needed so that LDWF can determine whether areas of Louisiana. This computerized model stock budget model for potential use as a man- or not a stock is overfished. provides guidance for fisheries management agement tool. Work on this model has been with the goal of conserving the oyster reef ongoing throughout FY 2013-2014, and results Inshore and offshore shrimp sampling contin- base. Oyster stock assessment sampling in are expected next year. ued during FY 2013-2014. In inshore waters, 2013 provided model input data such as esti- 248 6-foot and 1,735 16-foot trawl samples mates of reef mass (grams per square-meter) were collected. In state offshore territorial wa- Office of Fisheries 85

Oyster Hatchery and Research by the hatchery, LDWF staff set competent Remote Setting Program LDWF has continued its involvement and col- pediveliger larvae on whole oyster shell. This Since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, laboration with Louisiana SeaGrant at the spat set on whole oyster shell were deployed Louisiana’s public oyster seed grounds have existing oyster hatchery on Grand Isle. LDWF onto a public oyster reef and cultch plant site experienced significantly lower levels of suc- staff assisted with oyster larvae production. A at Hackberry Bay. The spat were monitored for cessful oyster reproduction (oyster spat set). portion of the hatchery-produced larvae raised growth and survival at Month 1 and 2, post de- Spat set is a key indicator of the overall oys- at the existing hatchery were either used by ployment, and will continue to be monitored ter population’s stability because it shows the LDWF for setting on shell as part of a remote for up to two years. recruitment of young oysters into the popula- setting project, or for deploying in the western tion. In response, LDWF developed the Remote part of the state (Figure 1). In addition to deploying spat-on-shell, hatch- Setting Program to increase oyster production ery-produced larvae were deployed in Calca- levels through the following activities: Beginning in the summer of 2014, hatchery- sieu Lake at the Mid-Lake sampling location in Stockpiling of cultch material. produced, spat-on-shell deployments were the western part of the state. By June 30, 2014, Deploying and subsequently “seeding” performed as a remote setting pilot project approximately 49 million hatchery-produced cultch material with oyster larvae. to test the efficacy of building reefs using oyster larvae were deployed. Setting oyster larvae onto cultch material. hatchery-raised spat. As larvae were produced Placing set material into on-shore tanks that can be used for future deployments.

LDWF is working closely with Plaquemines Par- ish on the Remote Setting Program and is utilizing Buras Boat Harbor as the program’s work site. Site improvements and the construction of work areas and the remote setting tanks are currently in the approval and permitting phase. Construction on the site will begin mid to late FY 2014-2015. Funding for the project comes from LDWF, CPRA and a Community Develop- ment Block Grant through Plaquemines Parish.

LDWF is also collaborating with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana to collect and stock- pile oyster shell at the Buras site. Oyster shell is the material of choice for setting larval oysters. This program began during FY 2013-2014 and the coalition began delivering shell to the Bu- ras site for storage. New LDWF Oyster Hatchery in Grand Isle, La. One component of the Remote Setting Pro- gram is designed deploy cultch material to certain pre-selected sites using contracted private oyster vessels. Beginning in December 2012, properly equipped oyster vessels were loaded with material using an aggregate conveyor at the Buras facility. Between four different sites, 6,149 tons of material were deployed. Vessel owners were compensated $50 per ton and $6 per mile for participating in the program. This portion of the program targeted the Hackberry Bay, Black Bay and Bay Gardene areas. Deploy- ment of material through this program has been closed; however, monitoring of the sites where deployment occurred for oyster development is ongoing.

Remote Setting Program numbers as of FY 2013-2014

Total Contracts Completed 20 Total Material Deployed 6,149 tons Total Cost of Material $205,911.75 Figure 1. Larvae and/or spat deployment locations in public oyster areas of Louisiana 2011-2014. Total Payments Invoiced $342.024.40 86 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Marine Finfish Sampling Freshwater Finfish Seventy-eight seine hauls were made during The primary objective of the Finfish Program Sampling the fiscal year. is to make rational recommendations for the Freshwater fisheries resources are monitored management of coastal finfish stocks based and managed through various sampling meth- Entanglement and trap net webbing are also on a database of scientific information. The in- ods. In FY 2013-2014, biologists estimated fished in a standardized manner to collect formation in the database is collected through relative abundance, age, growth and mortality, crappies, catfishes and sunfishes. A total of fishery independent and dependent sampling. size class structure, species composition, and 306 gill net samples were taken on various The fishery independent monitoring program genetics of sportfish populations in addition to lakes and rivers, while 290 lead net and hoop is an ongoing collection of data by fisheries physiochemical characteristics of the water on net samples were fished during the fiscal year. biologists in the field conducting surveys de- 145 lakes, rivers and streams. Sampling sites signed to sample coastal waters in an objective on inland lakes, reservoirs and rivers are pre- Mini biomass samples (one-day rotenone) manner. The surveys collect information based determined and selected to represent available were taken in the coastal freshwater marshes on geographic ranges independent of commer- aquatic habitats within the various water bod- as a means to measure species diversity and cial or recreational fishing operations. ies. Sampling protocol is standardized to the abundance. Coastal districts cooperatively extent possible to allow for comparison of data made 32 biomass samples in FY 2013-2014. Three gear types are used coast-wide to sam- over time. ple various year classes of estuarine-depen- Larval fish samples used to determine the dent fish: One means of freshwater sampling is through extent of the Asian carp invasion in Louisiana 1. A bag seine is used to sample young of the electrofishing. Samples are collected in both waters was initiated in the spring and summer year and provide information on growth spring and fall to provide a measure of popula- of 2013. Asian carp populations are continu- and movement. More significantly, these tion trends including abundance, size, distribu- ing to expand and invade United States wa- samples provide information on the -for tion, age structure and genetic composition. ters. Ichthyoplankton (drift) nets were used to age species and ecological components A total of 783 stations were sampled for 314 capture and assess Asian carp in the early life of marsh-edge and shoreline habitats hours of timed electrofishing during the fis- history stages (larvae) in Louisiana waters. By throughout the coastal zone. Seine sam- cal year. Sampling included largemouth bass documenting the presence/absence of Asian ples are taken quarterly during the first and crappies in the spring and fall, with forage carp larvae we will have information to assist month of the quarter. samples of all species also collected in the fall. in determining the leading edge of expansion. 2. A gill net is used to sample juvenile, sub- Thirty-five waterbodies and 65 stations were adult and adult fish. It provides informa- Seine samples are also taken to determine fish sampled, and 739 larval collections were taken tion on relative abundance, year class community relative abundance and young-of- in FY 2013-2014. strength, movement and gonad condi- the-year recruitment of popular sport fishes. tion. Gill net samples have been collected semi-monthly from April through Septem- ber, and monthly from October through Table 2. Largemouth genetics analyses on selected Louisiana lakes and rivers during FY March using a strike net technique. 2013-2014. 3. A trammel net is used to sample juvenile Total % Lake/River Sample # % Native % Hybrid % Florida and sub-adult fish. It provides information FL Genome on relative abundance, standing crop and Anacoco Lake 105 67.6% 26.7% 5.7% 32.4% movement. Trammel net samples are tak- Atchafalaya 450 94.9% 5.1% 0% 5.1% en monthly from October through March. Basin

During FY 2013-2014, the fishery-independent Caney Creek 189 16.4% 61.4% 22.2% 83.6% Reservoir finfish sampling program collected 935 (101 percent) gill net samples, 404 (92 percent) Caddo Lake 269 64.3% 29.7% 6% 35.7% seine samples, and 263 (97 percent) trammel Calcasieu River 126 89.7% 10.3% 0% 10.3% net samples for a 98 percent overall comple- Iatt 113 85.8% 12.4% 1.8% 14.2% tion rate. Gill net sampling exceeded targets, while seine and trammel sampling were slight- Ivan Lake 52 80.8% 9.6% 9.6% 19.2% ly below targets due to changes in sampling Lake Bruin 149 91.9% 7.4% 0.7% 8.1% methodology. Sample information for FY 2013- Mermentau 8 87.5% 12.5% 0% 12.5% 2014 includes a re-design in fishery-indepen- River dent finfish monitoring sampling frequency Nantachie Lake 80 66.25% 32.5% 1.25% 33.75% based upon internal statistical analysis follow- Red River Pool 1 103 81.6% 12.6% 5.8% 18.4% ing a period of expanded sampling due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Red River Pool 2 127 86.6% 11.8% 1.6% 13.4% Red River Pool 3 155 89% 11% 0% 11% Red River Pool 4 139 92.1% 7.20% 0.7% 7.9% Red River Pool 5 145 71.7% 25.5% 2.8% 28.3% Rockefeller 28 57.2% 21.4% 21.4% 42.8% Refuge University Lake 34 17.6% 67.7% 14.7% 82.4% Office of Fisheries 87

Special largemouth bass age, growth and mortality studies continued on 11 water bodies during FY 2013-2014, while crappie age, growth and mortality studies continued on seven lakes. The extensive data collected will be used in consideration of existing and proposed harvest regulations. Genetic analyses of largemouth bass populations were completed on 17 waterbodies statewide, with final number sampled and results presented in Table 2.

Commercial Harvest Louisiana produces nearly one-quarter of the seafood in the continental United States. Louisiana comes in second only to Alaska in terms of commercial fishing production and is home to three of the top six commercial Figure 2. Annual white and brown shrimp landings and value (Source: LDWF trip ticket data). fishing ports in the country. Seventy-eight percent of the seafood production in the Gulf of Mexico comes from Louisiana shrimpers, crabbers, oyster harvesters and fishermen. Nearly 13,000 commercial fishermen and over 1,500 seafood dealers/processors and brokers register each year to provide the nation with fresh seafood.

LDWF utilizes the Trip Ticket Program to collect commercial seafood statistics. Through this program, commercial landings data are collected on a trip basis from wholesale/retail seafood dealers, crab shedders and commercial fishermen holding fresh products licenses. There were over 190,000 commercial fishing trips reported last year producing in excess of 130 million pounds of seafood.

Beginning in May 2000, a computerized electronic trip ticket program was developed and made available to dealers. To date, roughly Figure 3. Annual blue crab dockside landings and values (source: LDWF trip ticket data). 200 dealers use the computerized program to submit their trip ticket data. Trip ticket information has been used: to enhance the accuracy of stock assessments conducted by state and federal fishery management agencies. to extend certain inshore shrimp seasons providing additional economic opportunity to fishermen. to develop a crop insurance program for oyster growers. to estimate damages from hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Along with the collection of commercial landings data, LDWF also conducts trip interviews of commercial fishermen to gather detailed information about a specific fishing trip. The federally funded program focuses on species of greatest state and federal interest. Figure 4. Historical Louisiana oyster landings from private oyster leases and public oyster areas. 88 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Shrimp are the state’s most valuable fishery. sels were monitored with an estimated 57,541 nual time-series of spawning stock biomass In 2013, total shrimp landings measured ap- charter angler trips during this time. LDWF and fishing morality rates. Current status of the proximately 98.8 million pounds (all species started the LA Creel program in January 2014. stock is determined with estimates of the re- combined/heads on weight) and had a dock- In the first six months of the program, fisheries productive potential of the resource. The final side value of $181.3 million, the third highest biologists conducted 4,996 interviews, repre- report (citation in “Reports”) is available. annual value on record. Brown shrimp landings senting 13,080 anglers and 517 charter cap- comprised approximately 40 percent of 2013 tains. Approximately 800 charter captains were An update stock assessment of blue crab in landings. White shrimp landings in 2013 mea- monitored with a total of 2,558 charter angler Louisiana waters was completed and used in sured nearly 56.9 million pounds (heads-off) trips taken during the first half of 2014. the ongoing Marine Stewardship Council Sus- weight. Although landings of both brown and tainability Certification Program of the Louisi- white shrimp were below the 2000-2013 an- Creel surveys put the fisheries biologist in di- ana blue crab resource. This assessment uses nual average, dockside values were consider- rect contact with the fishermen. Information a stage-structured model to estimate annual ably above annual averages (Figure 2). collected includes species sought and species time-series of spawning stock biomass and fish- caught, distance traveled, time fished, number ing morality rates. Current status of the stock is Louisiana commercial blue crab landings for caught and released, and length and weight determined with estimates of the reproductive 2013 totaled approximately 39 million pounds measurements of all freshwater fish harvested. potential of the resource. The final report (cita- and had a record dockside value of approxi- Seven recreational creel surveys were con- tion in “Reports”) is available. Staff also partici- mately $51.3 million. Louisiana led all states in ducted on inland waters during FY 2013-2014. pated in a benchmark Gulf-wide blue crab stock blue crab landings in 2013 (Figure 3). Theses lakes and rivers include the Atchafalaya assessment through the GSMFC’s Gulf Data, Basin, Lake Bruin, Lake Henderson, Calcasieu Assessment and Review process. This assess- Louisiana regularly leads the nation in the pro- River, Iatt Lake, Red River and Vernon Lake. ment used a modification of the most recent duction of oysters and continues to account Chesapeake Bay blue crab stock assessment for approximately one-third of the nation’s During FY 2013-14, fisheries biologists con- model as a base model to estimate time-series oyster landings. Among Gulf of Mexico states, ducted 1,160 interviews of 2,035 recreational of juvenile and adult abundance, fishing mor- Louisiana consistently ranks first in landings, anglers on freshwater lakes and rivers. Fishing tality rates, and maximum sustainable yield re- accounting for over 50 percent of all oysters trips averaged four hours in length and anglers lated reference points. The final report is avail- landed (Figure 4). caught an average of 2.33 fish per trip. able at http://www.gsmfc.org/publications/ GSMFC%20Number%20215.pdf. Louisiana commercial freshwater finfish landings for FY 2013-2014 totaled approximately Assessment Fisheries management staff continued work on 12 million pounds and included common spe- Fisheries management involves sampling, anal- stock assessments of black drum, sheepshead cies such as alligator gar, blue catfish, channel ysis and development of recommendations to and southern flounder in Louisiana waters. catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, -buf renovate and enhance fish populations. Infor- These assessments will use statistical catch falo, bowfin, carp and gizzard shad. Total dock- mation collected is used to evaluate the status at age models to estimate annual time-series side value of these species was approximately of the fisheries through stock assessments, of spawning stock biomass and fishing moral- $5 million. Wild caught crawfish landings in monitoring trends and evaluating the benefits ity rates. Current status of these stocks will be Louisiana for 2013 was 19,873,339 lbs. with a of regulations. determined with estimates of the reproductive dockside value of $16,631,188. potential of each respective resource. Final Stock Assessment reports will be available February 2015. Pre- liminary results of the black drum stock assess- Recreational Harvest Marine ment were presented at the 2014 LA Chapter- At the end of 2013, LDWF ceased monitor- The Red Snapper Quota Monitoring Program American Fisheries Society Meeting (citation in ing recreational fisheries through the Marine was successfully completed during the latter “Presentations”). Recreational Information Program. LDWF now half of 2013, and red snapper landings esti- monitors recreational fisheries through its own mates were continually calculated by the stock Reports LA Creel Program and inland creel surveys. The assessment section. The Red Snapper Quota Beck, S. G. Decossas, J. Shepard. 2014. Rec- LA Creel Program uses dockside interviews of Monitoring Program served as a template for reational Statistics Program: LA Creel Landing recreational anglers to determine catch and a the development of a new statewide recre- Statistics. Louisiana Department of Wildlife telephone survey to determine fishing effort. ational saltwater angler survey (LA Creel). The and Fisheries. The Marine Recreational Information Program, stock assessment section played a major role in formerly the Marine Recreational Statistics the design and implementation of LA Creel and West, J., J. Adriance, K. Lewis, and J.E. Powers. Survey, in cooperation with NMFS and GSMFC, continues to provide landings estimates and 2014. Assessment of Striped Mullet (Mugil uses dockside interviews of recreational an- make protocol adjustments as needed. The LA cephalus) in Louisiana Waters. Louisiana De- glers to determine catch, and a telephone sur- Creel statistical protocol is available (citation in partment of Wildlife and Fisheries. vey to determine charter fishing effort. “Reports”). West, J., H. Blanchet, M. Bourgeois, and J.E. During the last half of 2013, fisheries biologists A stock assessment of striped mullet in Loui- Powers. 2014. Update Assessment of Blue Crab conducted approximately 2,703 interviews of siana waters was developed and presented to (Callinectes sapidus) in Louisiana Waters. Loui- recreational fishermen along Louisiana’s coast. LWFC for transmittal to the Louisiana Legisla- siana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. There were an estimated total of 2,629,296 an- ture in February 2014. This assessment uses a gler trips taken. Approximately 400 charter ves- statistical catch at age model to estimate- an Office of Fisheries 89

Presentations Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Larto/Saline Lake ery Characteristics with Size Limit Simulations. Davis, D., J. West, J. Adriance, and J. Powers. Crappie: Population and Fishery Characteristics Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. 2014. Status of the black drum (Pogonias with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana Depart- cromis) stock in Louisiana waters. 2014 LA ment of Wildlife and Fisheries. West, J., S. Beck, and D. Davis. 2013. Poverty Chapter- American Fisheries Society Meeting, Point Reservoir Largemouth Bass: Population Thibodaux, La. Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Old River Raccouri and Fishery Characteristics with Size Limit Sim- Crappie: Population and Fishery Characteristics ulations. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Inland with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana Depart- Fisheries. Largemouth bass population dynamics and ment of Wildlife and Fisheries. fishery characteristics were determined for West, J., D. Davis, and S. Beck. 2013. Toledo 11 Louisiana waterbodies. Equilibrium age- Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Poverty Point Res- Bend Reservoir Largemouth Bass: Population structured population models were also de- ervoir Crappie: Population and Fishery Charac- and Fishery Characteristics with Size Limit Sim- veloped to simulate each fisheries response to teristics with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana ulations. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and multiple size regulations. Results provide infor- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Fisheries. mation to better understand the effects of -cur rent largemouth bass harvest regulations on Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Toledo Bend Res- West, J., S. Beck, and D. Davis. 2013. Vernon their fisheries while also providing a baseline ervoir Crappie: Population and Fishery Charac- Lake Largemouth Bass: Population and Fish- to compare future regulation change against. teristics with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana ery Characteristics with Size Limit Simulations. Final project reports are available (citations Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. in “Reports”) describing the status of each waterbody’s largemouth bass population and Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Vernon Lake Crap- West, J., S. Beck, and D. Davis. 2014. Caddo Lake fishery, as well as a comparison of population pie: Population and Fishery Characteristics Largemouth Bass: Population and Fishery Char- dynamics and fishery characteristics among all with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana Depart- acteristics with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana waterbodies included in this project. Project ment of Wildlife and Fisheries. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. results were presented at the 2014 LA Chapter- American Fisheries Society Meeting (citation in West, J., D. Davis, and S. Beck. 2013. Black/ Presentations “Presentations”). Clear Lake Largemouth Bass: Population and Beck S., J. West, D. Davis. Louisiana largemouth Fishery Characteristics with Size Limit Simula- bass (Micropterus salmoides): population -dy Crappie population dynamics and fishery char- tions. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and namics, fishery characteristics, and evaluation acteristics were determined for eight Louisiana Fisheries. of size regulation effectiveness. American Fish- waterbodies. Equilibrium age-structured popu- eries Society: LA Chapter Meeting. Thibodaux, lation models were also developed to simulate West, J., D. Davis, and S. Beck. 2013. Lake Cata- La. each fisheries response to multiple size regu- ouatche Largemouth Bass: Population and lations. Results provide information to - bet Fishery Characteristics with Size Limit Simula- ter understand the effects of current crappie tions. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Management Plans harvest regulations on their fisheries while also Fisheries. providing a baseline to compare future regula- Inland Waterbody tion change against. Final project reports are West, J., D. Davis, and S. Beck. 2013. Chicot Management Plans available (citations in “Reports”) describing the Lake Largemouth Bass: Population and Fish- Waterbody Management Plans are a compi- status of each waterbody’s crappie population ery Characteristics with Size Limit Simulations. lation of lake description, history, authorities, and fishery, as well as a comparison of popu- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. synopsis of fisheries and vegetation sampling lation dynamics and fishery characteristics data, analyses, corrective measures needed, among all waterbodies included in this project. West, J., S. Beck, and D. Davis. 2013. Cross Lake and recommended actions. During FY 2013- Largemouth Bass: Population and Fishery Char- 2014, the 21 management plans below were Reports acteristics with Size Limit Simulations. Louisi- completed and approved. A total of 71 man- Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Caddo Lake Crap- ana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. agement plans are now available to the public pie: Population and Fishery Characteristics on the LDWF website. with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana Depart- West, J., D. Davis, and S. Beck. 2013. Bayou ment of Wildlife and Fisheries. D’Arbonne Lake Largemouth Bass: Population Waterbody management plans completed dur- and Fishery Characteristics with Size Limit Sim- ing FY 2013-2014 and available to the public on Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Cross Lake Crappie: ulations. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and the LDWF website: Population and Fishery Characteristics with Fisheries. Amite River Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana Department Barataria Basin of Wildlife and Fisheries. West, J., S. Beck, and D. Davis. 2013. False River Bayou Lacombe Largemouth Bass: Population and Fishery Char- Bayou Plaquemine Beck, S., and J. West. 2014. Bayou D’Arbonne acteristics with Size Limit Simulations. Louisi- Caddo Lake Lake Crappie: Population and Fishery Charac- ana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Cane River teristics with Size Limit Simulations. Louisiana Cross Lake Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. West, J., S. Beck, and D. Davis. 2013. Lake Con- Dubuisson Lake cordia Largemouth Bass: Population and Fish- Grand Bayou Reservoir Hodges Gardens 90 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Kincaid Lake Basin, Terrebonne Basin, Atchafalaya River Ba- 2013- Fall Inshore Shrimp Season Lafourche Lake sin, Vermilion-Teche River Basin, Mermentau Opened at 6:00 p.m. Aug. 12, 2013 from the Lake Fields-Lake Long River Basin, Calcasieu Basin, and Sabine River MS/LA state line westward to South Pass of the Lake St. Joseph Basin. Mississippi River. Mill Creek Reservoir Closed at official sunset Jan. 13, 2014 except in Nantachie Lake Based on analysis of historic data, as well as the following areas: Raccourci-Old River data generated from biological sampling con- The open waters of Breton and Chande- Saline Lake ducted by fisheries biologists, the following leur sounds as described the double-rig Tickfaw River shrimp management recommendations were line in R.S.56:495.1(A)2. Turkey Creek lake made to the Secretary of LDWF and the LWFC. Verret-Grassy- Palourde Lakes These measures were implemented during FY 2014 - Spring Inshore Shrimp Season 2013-2014. Opened at 6:00 a.m. June 2, 2014 from the Marine Fishery MS/LA state line westward to South Pass of the management Plans Lake Pontchartrain Basin and Portions of Mississippi River. LDWF began developing and updating new and Mississippi River Basins Closed at 6:00 a.m. July 15, 2014 except for the existing fishery management plans to provide 2013 - Spring Inshore Shrimp Season following waters: a mechanism to strategically implement sci- Opened at 6:00 a.m. May 27, 2013 from the That portion of Lake Borgne seaward of ence-based management recommendations MS/LA state line westward to South Pass of the a line extending one-half mile from the for resolving fisheries issues. The goal of these Mississippi River shoreline plans is to ensure long-term conservation and Closed at 6:00 a.m. July 18, 2013 except for the That portion of Mississippi Sound north of sustainable use of these fisheries resources for following waters: a line beginning at 30 degrees 05 minutes the maximum environmental, social and eco- That portion of Mississippi Sound be- 00.0 seconds north latitude and -89 de- nomic benefit to the state and its citizens and ginning at a point on the Louisiana- grees 30 minutes 00 seconds west longi- visitors. Mississippi Lateral Boundary at latitude tude; thense southeasterly to a point on LDWF has developed a document to 30°09’39.6” N and longitude -89°30’00” the western shore of Three-Mile Pass at guide the development of future fishery W; thence southeasterly to a point at 30 degrees 03 minutes 00 seconds north management plans with reference to ap- latitude 30°03’12” N and longitude latitude and -89 degrees 22 minutes 23 plicable principles and standards of the -89°21’30” W; thence northeasterly to seconds west longitude; thence north- United Nations Food and Agriculture Or- the most easterly point on Isle Au Pitre easterly to a point on Isle Au Pitre at 30 ganization Code of Conduct for Respon- at latitude 30°09’20.5” N and longitude degrees 09 minutes 20.5 seconds north sible Fisheries. -89°11’15.5” W, which is a point on the latitude and -89 degrees 11 minutes 15.5 Work on a first draft of a revised pilot fish- double-rig line; thence northerly along seconds west longitude, which is a point ery management plan for Louisiana blue the double-rig line to a point on the on the double-rig line as described in R.S. crab has continued and a final completion Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral Boundary 56:495.1(A)2 date was estimated to be October 2014. at latitude 30°12’37.9056” N and longi- The open waters of Breton and Chande- The fishery management plan will also be tude -89°10’57.9725” W; thence westerly leur sounds as described by the double- complemented by a United Nations Food along the Louisiana-Mississippi Lateral rig line. and Agriculture Organization-based self- Boundary to the point of beginning. assessment. The open waters of Breton and Chande- leur sounds as described by the double- Management rig line. Recommendations Through utilization of the previously mentioned recreational and commercial sampling techniques, fisheries managers then analyze the resulting data to develop recommendations to renovate and enhance fish -popula tions. The information collected is used to produce recommendations for setting seasons and harvest limits and to monitor the species found in an area over time.

Shrimp Management Greater flexibility in managing the shrimp resource is now provided through the use of a basin type management approach, as opposed to the historical zone approach. Louisiana’s major estuarine basins include the Pontchar- train Basin, Mississippi River Basin, Barataria Figure 5. 2013 Spring Shrimp Season Opening Map. Office of Fisheries 91

Closed at official sunset Dec. 18, 2013 from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Miossissippi River westward to the westn shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island

2014 - Spring Inshore Shrimp Season Opened at 6:00 a.m. May 26, 2014 from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River westwatd to Freshwater Bayou Canal. Closed at one-half hour after sunset July 3, 2014 from the Atchafalaya River westward to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal. Closed at one-half hour after sunset July 15, 2014 from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River westward to the Atchafa- laya River.

Mermentau, Calcasieu and Sabine River Basins Figure 6. 2013 Fall Shrimp Season Opening Map. 2013 - Spring Inshore Shrimp Season Opened at 6:00 a.m. May 27, 2013 from the Atchafalaya River westward to the LA/TX state line. Closed at 6:00 a.m. July 9, 2013 from the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal westward to the LA/TX state line.

2013 – Fall Inshore Shrimp Season Opened at 6:00 a.m. Aug. 12, 2013 from the Atchafalaya River westward to the LA/TX state line. Closed at official sunset Dec. 18, 2013 from the Atchafalaya River westward to the LA/TX state line.

2014 – Spring Inshore Shrimp Season Opened at 6:00 a.m. June 2, 2014 from the Figure 7. 2014 Spring Inshore Shrimp Season Opening Map. western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal westward to the LA/TX state line. Closed at 6:00 a.m. July 21, 2014 from the Western Mississippi River, Barataria, 34 minutes 00 seconds west longitude, western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal Terrebonne, Atchafalaya River and and south of 29 degrees 07 minutes 00 westward to the LA/TX state line. Vermilion-Teche River Basins seconds north latitude from -90 degrees 2013 – Spring Inshore Shrimp Season 34 minutes 00 seconds west longitude Offshore Shrimp Seasons Opened at 6:00 a.m. May 13, 2013 from the westward to -90 degrees 50 minutes 30 Closed at official sunset Dec. 18, 2013 in the eastern shore of Bayou Lafourche westward to seconds west longitude following waters: the western shore of Vermilion Bay and South- Closed at 6:00 a.m. July 6, 2013 from the Atch- That portion of state outside waters- ex west Pass at Marsh Island afalaya River westward to the western shore tending a distance of 3 nautical miles Opened at 6:00 a.m. May 20, 2013 from the of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh seaward of the inside/outside shrimp line eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi Island from the Atchafalaya River westward to River westward to the eastern shore of Bayou Closed at 6:00 a.m. July 18 in the remaining Freshwater Bayou Canal at -92 degrees 18 Lafourche portion of the Terrebonne Basin minutes 33 seconds west longitude. Closed at 6:00 a.m. July 4, 2013 from the eastern shore of Bayou Lafourche to the Atchafalya 2013 – Fall Inshore Shrimp Season Closed at official sunset Jan. 13, 2014 in the fol- River except for the following waters: Opened at 6:00 a.m. Aug. 12, 2012 from the lowing waters: That portion of state inside waters within Athchafalaya River westward to the western That portion of state outside waters- ex the Terrebonne Basin bounded by the fol- shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at tending a distance of 3 nautical miles lowing coordinates: south of 29 degrees Marsh Island. seaward of the inside/outside shrimp line 15 minutes 00 seconds north latitude Opened at 6:00 p.m. Aug. 12, 2013 from South from the northwest shore of Caillou Boca from -90 degrees 18 minutes 00 seconds Pass of the Mississippi River westward to the at -90 degrees 50 minutes 27 seconds west longitude westward to -90 degrees Atchafalaya River west longitude westward to the Atchafa- laya River. 92 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Opened at 6:00 a.m. April 29, 2014 in the fol- and documented as bycatch in sampling events State laws mandate that LDWF open the oys- lowing waters: conducted coastwide, including two diamond- ter season on Louisiana public seed grounds That portion of state outside waters, back terrapins; one each in the Terrebonne on the first Wednesday following Labor Day of south of the inside/outside shrimp line and Vermilion/Teche River basins. In compari- each year and close these areas no later than from the northwest shore of Caillou Boca son of total blue crab catch (9,576) with total April 30 of each year. However, the LWFC is at -90 degrees 50 minutes 27 seconds bycatch (902), an average of 10.6 crabs was authorized to extend the season beyond April west longitude westward to the Atchafa- captured with each bycatch individual. The 30, provided sufficient stocks are available for laya River. Pontchartrain Basin accounted for the highest harvest. The Secretary of LDWF may close sea- crab catch among basins, and the Terrebonne sons on an emergency basis if oyster mortality Opened at 6:00 a.m. May 26, 2014 in the fol- Basin led all in blue crab catch rate, averaging occurs. The Secretary can also delay the season lowing waters: 1.32 crabs per trap soak hour. The Terrebonne or close certain areas where significant spat That portion of state outside waters- ex Basin accounted for highest bycatch number; catch has occurred with good probability of tending a distance of 3 nautical miles however, the percentage of bycatch to blue survival, or if an excess amount of shell in oys- seaward of the inside/outside shrimp line crab catch (12.1 percent) ranked lower than ter loads occurs. Management practices often from the Atchafalaya River westward to the level documented in the Barataria Basin use rotational openings of the four oyster seed Freshwater Bayou Canal at -92 degrees 18 (13 percent), third lowest among basins and reservations in alternating years. A law change minutes 33 seconds west longitude. was lower than the coastwide average of 9.5 during the 2008 Louisiana Legislative Ses- percent. The Sabine River Basin had the lowest sion requires that the public grounds only be Blue Crab Management bycatch number as well as the lowest percent- opened to the taking of seed oysters between Management of the blue crab fishery strives age of bycatch to blue crab catch (4.5 percent) the first Wednesday following Labor Day and for the maintenance of the stock while provid- among all basins. the second Monday in October, as well as for ing for long-term benefits to the fishery. Key harvesting seed oysters. objectives of management include: Oyster Management Conservation, restoration and enhance- Oysters provide both important economic and In FY 2013-2014, the oyster season on most of ment of habitat essential to blue crabs. ecological benefits to Louisiana. They act as the public grounds opened on Oct. 15, 2013 Reductions in juvenile blue crab inciden- barometers for the overall health of the eco- (Table 3). The season again produced low tal mortality, wasteful harvesting practic- system, providing forage and shelter habitat amounts of harvest as oyster availability was es within the fishery, and conflicts among for a variety of fish and invertebrate species. generally low statewide. Based on harvest esti- crab fishermen and other user groups. Oysters improve water quality through filter- mates from fishermen interviews on the water, Enhancement of social and economic feeding activities, affect estuarine current -pat the public oyster areas produced approximate- benefits derived from resource use. terns, and may provide shoreline stabilization. ly 133,000 barrels of oysters (seed and mar- The assessment of biological, social and Due to their economical and ecological impor- ket-size oysters combined) during the season economic impacts of existing and pro- tance, wise management of the public oyster (one barrel = two sacks). Sister Lake, however, posed fisheries management regulations resource is critically important to ensure that showed strong harvest levels with approxi- affecting the fishery. this valuable species continues to thrive in mately 86,000 sacks of market-size oysters har- Louisiana’s coastal areas. These objectives are met via licensing, record keeping and reporting requirements, minimum The Office of Fisheries Mollusc Table 3. 2013-2014 Oyster Season Dates size limit, time, gear and area restrictions. Program is responsible for the Season Season Public Oyster Area oyster resource on nearly 1.7 Opening Closure million acres of public oyster Crab Bycatch Study Primary Public Oyster Seed Louisiana’s annual commercial blue crab land- seed reservations, public seed Grounds east of the Mississippi Oct. 15, 2013 April 30, 2014 ings typically exceed 40 million pounds and av- grounds and public oyster areas. River, including Lake Borgne eraged 44.5 million pounds from 2000-2013. Hackberry Bay Public Oyster Seed grounds are designated Oct. 15, 2013 Oct. 20, 2013 However, there have been notable decreases Seed Reservation including reductions related to hurricanes Ka- by the LWFC and include a large Barataria Bay & Little Lake trina and Rita in 2005 and in the years since the continuous area east of the Mis- Sept. 4, 2013 April 30, 2014 Public Oyster Seed Grounds 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Average an- sissippi River as well a portion Deep Lake and Lake Tambour nual blue crab landings since 2010 have fallen of the Vermilion/Cote Blanche/ Sept. 4, 2013 April 30, 2014 below the 2000-2013 average by 13 percent. Atchafalaya Bay system. Seed Public Oyster Seed Grounds reservations and the public oys- Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Oct. 15, 2013 Oct. 25, 2013 Work has continued with a survey designed to ter areas of Calcasieu and Sabine Reservation collect and analyze data on incidental bycatch lakes are designated by the legis- Vermilion/East and West Cote in the Louisiana crab trap fishery with special lature. LDWF manages four seed Blanche/Atchafalaya Bay Public Sept. 4, 2013 April 30, 2014 emphasis on diamond back terrapins (Malacle- reservations, including one east Oyster Seed Grounds mys terrapin) and to collect and analyze blue of the Mississippi River (Bay Gar- West Cove portion of Lake Nov. 1, 2013 April 30, 2014 crab sex, stage and size frequency distribution. dene), one in the Barataria Bay Calcasieu From December 2012 through May 2014, a system (Hackberry Bay), and two Bay Gardene, Bay Junop, Lake total of 4,944 trap sets were made. Thirty spe- in Terrebonne Parish (Sister Lake Chien, Lake Felicity, East side of Season Remained Closed cies of finfish and invertebrates were captured and Bay Junop). Calcasieu Lake, and Sabine Lake Office of Fisheries 93

vested, accounting for over 65 percent of the tool. Public comments on the Notice of Louisiana opened the weekend-only state total public ground harvest of market oysters. Intent were accepted until Sept. 5, 2013. water only season for the recreational Calcasieu Lake in southwestern Louisiana also The LWFC adopted a Notice of Intent at harvest of red snapper on Feb. 21, 2014 produced a large share of the total harvest, as its August meeting to establish regula- with a two-fish bag and possession limit. fishermen took approximately 36,000 sacks of tions for the recreational and commercial market-size oysters. harvest of tripletail. Proposed regulations April 2014 would enact an 18 inch total length rec- Louisiana waters closed to the recreation- Marine Finfish reational and commercial minimum size al and commercial harvest of all sharks Management limit, establish a 100 pound commercial on April 1, 2014, consistent with a state The primary objective of the finfish program trip limit, and establish a five-fish recre- closed season. Louisiana modified the state water only is to make rational recommendations for the ational bag and possession limit. Public recreational red snapper season to be comments on the Notice of Intent were management of coastal finfish stocks based open every day until further notice on on a database of scientific information. The in- accepted until Sept. 5, 2013. April 10, 2014. formation in the database is collected through fishery-independent and fishery-dependent October 2013 May 2014 sampling. Louisiana opened the season for the rec- Louisiana closed the season for the recre- reational harvest of red snapper on Oct. ational harvest of gray triggerfish on May The following management recommenda- 1, 2013, consistent with a federal season. 1, 2014 consistent with a closure in fed- tions were made to the Secretary of LDWF and Louisiana closed the season for the recre- eral waters. LWFC and implemented during FY 2013-2014: ational harvest of red snapper on Oct. 14, 2013, consistent with a closure in federal June 2014 waters. July 2013 Louisiana closed the season for the com- Louisiana closed the season for the recre- Commercial king mackerel season opened mercial harvest of large coastal sharks on ational harvest of gray triggerfish on Oct. on July 1 at 12:01 a.m., concurrent with a June 30, 2014. federal opening. 15, 2013, consistent with a closure in fed- Commercial fisheries for small coastal eral waters. sharks and large coastal sharks re-opened Commercial fishery for the harvest of Freshwater Finfish July 1 following an annual seasonal clo- striped mullet with a strike net opened on Management Revisions were made to regulations for several sure from April 1 - June 30. Oct. 22, 2013. freshwater species including the following: Commercial fishery for large coastal Black bass size and creel limits changed sharks closed on July 19 at 11:30 p.m. November 2013 on Black Bayou Reservoir (Bossier), Chi- Louisiana reopened the commercial sea- cot Lake, Cross Lake, Lake Rodemacher son for the harvest of king mackerel from August 2013 (CLECO), and Vernon Lake. from eight fish Nov. 1-2, 2013 consistent with a reopen- The LWFC adopted a Notice of Intent at daily, 14-17 inch protected slot limit, to 10 ing in federal waters. its August meeting to modify regulations fish daily, no minimum length. requiring a free Offshore Recreational On Spanish Lake (Iberia Parish) the black Landings Permit to remove reporting re- December 2013 bass regulations changed from eight fish quirements for yellowfin tuna. Further Commercial fishery for the harvest of daily, 16-21 inch protected slot limit, to 10 modifications also exempted persons on spotted seatrout closed on Dec. 31, 2013. fish daily, no minimum length. a charter for-hire vessel from being re- In the coastal zone of Louisiana, the pos- quired to obtain a Recreational Offshore January 2014 session limit for black bass was changed Landing Permit if the captain of the ves- Commercial fishery for small coastal from 20 fish per person to 30 fish per per- sel is in possession of the permit. Public sharks opened at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, son, subject to provisions. comments on the Notice of Intent were 2014. Changes were made to catfish regulations accepted until Sept. 5, 2013. Commercial fishery for non-sandbar large on boundary waters with Texas, Caddo The LWFC adopted a Notice of Intent at its coastal sharks opened at 12:01 a.m. on Lake, Sabine River and Toledo Bend Res- August meeting to modify harvest regula- Jan. 1, 2014. ervoir. On blue and channel catfish, the tions for reef fish. Modifications Include All Louisiana waters closed to the com- regulations changed from 50 fish daily in a closed season for the commercial and mercial harvest of striped mullet with a the aggregate, with no more than five fish recreational harvest of gray triggerfish mullet strike net on Jan. 20, 2014. greater than 20 inches total length, to 50 from June 1 - July 31 of each year, adjust- 2013-2014 commercial king mackerel fish daily in the aggregate, with no more ment of the shallow water grouper closed season was set consistent with federal than five fish greater than 30 inches total season to be only in waters seaward of season. length. 20 fathoms, establish a two fish limit on Commercial fishery for spotted seatrout Gear regulations changed on three - Mis gray triggerfish, establish a 10 fish limit opened on Jan. 2, 2014. sissippi River oxbows: False River, Lake on vermilion snapper, establish a 12 fish Bruin and Lake Providence. A special re- commercial gray triggerfish limit, estab- February 2014 curring gill net season was extended to lish a 2,000 pound trip limit for commer- The annual stock assessment for striped include the month of October to further cially harvested greater amberjack, and mullet was presented to the LWFC for benefit these waterbodies by potentially remove requirements for use of a venting transmittal to the Louisiana Legislature. removing excess rough fish that are causing water quality Issues. 94 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Grand Isle Fisheries Research Lab

A commercial fishery was implemented can utilize, as well as other entities engaged in record light level, internal and external tem- on Spanish Lake (Iberia Parish) to remove fisheries research, management, enforcement, perature and depth data. The key distinction is an excess of rough fish that are causing coastal restoration and marine education. that these tags are surgically implanted inside water quality problems in the lake. the abdomen of the fish, therefore requiring a Pelagic Research Program recapture for data acquisition, and battery life The LDWF Pelagic Research Program made can be anywhere between five to 10 years. Fisheries Research substantial advancements in FY 2013-2014 and continues to move forward with sampling Yellowfin tuna for this study were captured us- Grand Isle Laboratory and electronic tracking technology to study the ing rod and reel on LDWF vessels in the waters The Fisheries Research Lab is located in Grand ecology, movements, distribution and habitat adjacent to the Mississippi River Delta. After Isle on the shore of Barataria Bay, one the rich- preferences of several key species in order to being carefully netted with a large landing net, est estuarine complexes in the Gulf of Mexico. improve the data available to fisheries manag- tuna were placed on a V-shaped cradle. A hose While fisheries research is conducted through- ers in the region. was placed in the mouth of the fish in order to out the state, the Fisheries Research Lab is the irrigate the gills and a chamois was used to cov- heart and primary location of research for the Electronic Tagging Program er the eyes and mouth. Curved fork length was Office of Fisheries. This ideal location allows for measured. PSAT tags (Microwave Telemetry X- the research and monitoring of many of Louisi- Yellowfin Tuna tag) were attached at the base of the second ana’s key recreational and commercial marine Pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT) and inter- fin. For IA tag implantation, a 2.5-cm incision species including offshore species that are just nal archival tags (IA) are being used to study was made through the skin and the muscle on a short boat ride away. The Fisheries Research the movements and habitat preference of the ventral side of the fish. A piercing needle Lab also provides fisheries biologists with the yellowfin tuna. PSATs record light-level, water was used to make a secondary hole, 1.5 cm ability to develop and conduct additional re- temperature and depth data. At a pre-pro- distal from the incision and to guide the fiber- search projects, collecting vital information grammed time the tag pops off the animal, optic light stalk from the tag out of the sec- for the management of Louisiana’s aquatic re- floats to the surface, and transmits the stored ondary hole. The body of the tag was placed sources. Along with being a home-base for fish- data through the Argos tracking system. De- into the abdominal cavity, and the wound was eries research projects, the lab also serves as ployments for PSAT tags are typically limited to closed with two stitches. A conventional green a place that public, state and federal partners 12 months due to battery capabilities. IA tags and white streamer tag was placed at the base of the second dorsal fin denoting a ‘high dol- lar reward’ for return of the internal tag. Tuna were released back into the water in less than three minutes.

PSAT tag deployments began in 2012, and during FY 2013-2014, 15 yellowfin tuna were successfully tagged with PSATs. In order to increase tag retention, PSATs are only attached to tuna over 120cm curved fork length, and a new attachment method has been implemented. This new attachment methodology utilizes a hollow needle to thread a 15 cm section of 300 lb. monofilament through the pterygi- ophores at the base of the second dorsal fin; the monofilament is crimped with a stainless steel sleeve into a yoke so that the PSAT tag Pop-off satellite archival tag (PSAT) attached to a yellowfin tuna using a monofilament ‘yoke’ attachment methodology. Office of Fisheries 95

remains above the midline of the body just behind the second dorsal fin, resulting in a strong attachment in better hydrodynamic position. IA deployments began in July of 2013, and 106 IA tags have been deployed to date. Because of the size of these tags, they can be implanted in much smaller tuna, allowing the inclusion of two whole age classes into the electronic tagging study. Any legal sized yellowfin tuna (27-inch FL) can be fitted with an IA tag. The average size to date for yellowfin tuna tagged with PSATs is 135.9cm curved fork length (range 120-151cm) and 102.9cm curved fork length for IA tags (range 66-132cm). Of the 15 PSATs deployed, 12 communicated successfully after popping off and six have been physically recovered, allowing for removal of the archived data set and reuse of the tag. Eleven IA tags have been recovered and return to date, with deployment Figure 8. Net displacement of yellowfin tuna tagged with electronic tags during FY times ranging from five to 388 days at large, for 2013-2014. Note the difference in the fisheries-independent PSAT ‘pop-offs’ versus the a total of 1,863 deployment days and an average fishery dependent internal archival (IA) tag recaptures. time at large of 169.4 days. While this is just the second full year of the program, the improvements in PSAT attachment and the success of the IA tag program have made the LDWF yellowfin tuna tagging program the most successful to date in the entire Atlantic BasinFigure ( 8).

Coastal and Pelagic Sharks In cooperation with several regional partners, LDWF studys the movements and habitat use of several species of coastal and pelagic sharks in the northern Gulf of Mexico. During FY 2013-2014, significant progress was made with respect to projects on three species: whale, scalloped hammerhead and blacktip sharks.

Whale sharks are being studied in the northern Gulf of Mexico by LDWF biologists and partners at the University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and NOAA-Pascagoula. When whale sharks are encountered, biologists attach electronic tags, take tissue samples for DNA analysis, record unique spot pattern which can be used as natural tags, and collect sightings Figure 9. Dispersal of whale sharks from the 2013 Ewing Bank aggregation from both aerial surveys and volunteer report- ings. In the summer months, large aggregations documented with towable SPOT tags and PSATs. (10 to 100+) of whale sharks occur at Ewing Bank (approximately 120 miles southwest of the Mis- sissippi River Delta) and have been documented feeding on the eggs of recently spawned bonita or “little tunny.” During the June 2013 aggregation, five pop-up satellite archival tags and five satellite position only tags (SPOT) were deployed, -result ing in tracks ranging from six to 183 days and a total distance traveled of 42 to 6,109 km (Figure 9). Maximum depth from archival data was over 1,900 meters. Additionally, 13 submissions to the photo identification library resulted in the- addi tion of four newly identified individuals and two mark-recaptures. Aerial support estimated 24

A Scalloped Hammerhead being fitted with a satellite tag 96 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

ductive, and that this research should continue in order to examine connectivity among regional tarpon stocks and explore decline in the historical recreational fishery.

Research Species Sampling The Pelagic Research Program is responsible for collecting biological samples from four species designated in LA Creel as “Group 3” or “Re- search Species.” These species are yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, wahoo, and tripletail. They were selected based on scientific interest and regional data deficiency.

The yellowfin tuna sampling project was initi- A large female blacktip shark is released with a Desert Star SeaTag attached as part of a ated by LDWF in 2012 and entails LDWF biolo- research project to estimate post catch and release survival in the recreational fishery. gists collecting samples from recreational ports in Venice. Curved fork length is measured, and FY 2013-2014 have resulted in a total sam- gonads, stomachs, muscle tissue and fin clips ple size of 19 scalloped hammerhead sharks are collected. During FY 2013-2014, 358 yel- tagged through directed efforts by the LDWF lowfin tuna were sampled. Most samples were field team as well as LDWF and NOAA South- collected from all fish; however, at times during east Area Monitoring and Assessment Program cleaning the target sample is ruined or mutilat- (SEAMAP) bottom longline surveys. Because of ed and cannot be used. Fin clips for DNA were the high resolution of SPOT tag location esti- only taken from reproductively mature fish dur- mates, location data is being compared with ing the spawning season. Since the samples oceanographic observations to develop refined were opportunistically collected from the rec- descriptions of scalloped hammerhead habitat reational fishing community, all fish were above use that will be critical for future management the minimum size limit of 27 inches. The sam- efforts for this over-fished species. ples are delivered to the University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Blacktip sharks were also fitted with electronic where investigations into feeding ecology, ge- tags in FY 2013-2014. Fifteen blacktip sharks netic population structure and reproductive were fitted with Desert Star SeaTags to deter- biology are being conducted. Otoliths are being mine post catch and release survival. Blacktip housed at LDWF’s Age and Growth Lab in Baton sharks were tagged off the coasts of Texas, Rouge where preliminary attempts to age tropi- An Atlantic tarpon makes one final jump as Louisiana and Mississippi by field teams from cal tunas are being conducted. the LDWF tagging boat approaches to attach Texas A&M University at Galveston, LDWF and a satellite tag to the fish. the University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf In addition, young-of-the-year tunas were tar- Coast Research Laboratory. Though data analy- geted by LDWF vessels during routine fieldwork. These young-of-the-year tuna (yellowfin, total sharks in the area of the encounter. On sis is still in progress, preliminary results were blackfin and skipjack tunas) were collected July 10, 2014, aerial support identified a region used to submit a much larger regional research as part of the Atlantic-wide sourcing project adjacent to Ewing Bank with an estimated total proposal to the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Pro- conducted at Texas A&M - Galveston and abundance of 62 whale sharks. LDWF biolo- gram. funded by LDWF. LDWF is responsible for col- gists were able to deploy 14 satellite tags (11 lecting these young-of-the-year tuna from the PSAT, three SPOT) and submit 36 spot pattern Atlantic Tarpon north-central Gulf of Mexico, while Texas A&M photographs. Of the photo-ID submissions, 10 In coordination with the Louisiana Saltwater - Galveston coordinates collection of young were newly marked individuals and three were Series sponsored 2013 tarpon tournament, tunas from other sites throughout the Atlan- mark-recaptures. Tag data analysis is still pend- LDWF biologists worked with tarpon anglers tic basin including Africa, Brazil, Panama, U.S. ing as six PSAT are scheduled to report data on to conduct a pilot study on the electronic tag- and British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic July 10, 2015. ging of adult tarpon in Louisiana waters. Even though the tournament was cancelled and re- and Venezuela. Otoliths were removed from young-of-the-year tuna for trace element and The scalloped hammerhead shark is a species scheduled several times, five boats participat- stable isotope microchemistry to establish na- of global conservation concern given its recent ed in the event, resulting in the tagging of four tal signatures from which stock discriminations listing as “Endangered” by the International tarpon with both towable SPOT and PSAT tags. may be based in future years. Union for the Conservation of Nature and Nat- Tracks and preliminary data were presented ural Resources Red List of Threatened Species. to the Louisiana Tarpon Club at their annual Dock sampling of wahoo, blackfin tuna and LDWF has attached fin-mounted SPOT tags to meeting. Preliminary results also indicated that tripletail was initiated in January 2014. Age has scalloped hammerhead sharks adjacent to the tarpon were good candidates for PSAT tagging, been determined for 47 of the 70 wahoo, and Louisiana coast since 2012. Tagging efforts in collaboration with local fishing clubs was pro- Office of Fisheries 97

stocks that are managed by either state or federal governments. Louisiana takes part in four components of the SEAMAP program: shrimp/ groundfish, icthyoplankton, bottom longline, and vertical line. The surveys are conducted by teams of five to nine Fisheries biologists who collect, process and enter data. In addition, all surveys collect environmental parameters including a water column profile, primarily using a conductivity/temperature/depth rosette at each station along with the collection ofwa- ter samples from bottom, middle and surface A young-of-the-year yellowfin tuna collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Otoliths depths for chlorophyll measurements. from these young-of-the-year tuna are being used to develop “natural tags” that may allow for Atlantic-wide stock discriminations. SEAMAP Shrimp/Groundfish Survey The SEAMAP Shrimp/Groundfish Survey col- the dorsal spines collected with the otoliths the skewed 4:1 male to female sex ratio, and lects information to characterize shrimp and will be sectioned as a secondary aging struc- female reproductive histology samples -indi groundfish assemblages west of the Mississip- ture for possible age validation. Tuna otolith cate more concrete evidence of spawning than pi River using a SEAMAP standardized 42-foot daily growth marks are being identified, and males. Future collection methods have been trawl in nearshore waters along the Louisiana vertebral samples are being taken as an alter- adjusted to better obtain reproductive samples coast. Louisiana’s seven historic icthyoplankton nate aging structure. A workshop on ageing for wahoo and blackfin tuna in the summer stations are also sampled during this survey to tropical tunas is planned for February 2015 and spawning months. provide information on the occurrence, abun- will greatly accelerate this work. Tripletail age dance and geographical distribution of eggs, and growth will also be investigated during FY Southeast Area Monitoring and larvae and juvenile fishes and invertebrates, with 60-cm bongo nets and 1x2m neuston 2014-2015. Assessment Program nets. Icthyoplankton samples are field pro- The Southeast Area Monitoring and Assess- cessed and transferred to the NMFS Pascagou- Female reproductive samples for blackfin tuna ment Program (SEAMAP) is a cooperative la Laboratory for transshipment to the Polish and wahoo were collected primarily in winter state, federal and university program designed Sorting and Identification Center. and early spring months and were processed for the collection, management and dissemi- histologically in the Fisheries Research Lab. A nation of fishery-independent biological and Shrimp/Groundfish surveys are conducted dur- blackfin tuna ovary collected in June was the environmental data of the coastal waters (state ing the summer and fall, and stations are se- only spawning-capable ovary obtained dur- and EEZ) off the southeastern United States, lected from the SEAMAP randomized sampling ing this fiscal year. Blackfin tuna ovaries were Caribbean the and northern Gulf of Mexico. grid. At least 24 trawl stations are selected collected in particularly small numbers due to Since 1981, SEAMAP has collected data on fish

TOP: Groundfish surveys allow fisheries biologists to Figure 10. Stations sampled in 2014 during each of Louisiana’s four SEAMAP surveys: monitor the biodiversity of waters off the Louisiana Shrimp/Groundfish, Plankton, Bottom Longline, Vertical Line. Coast. BOTTOM: LDWF Biologists collect samples from the groundfish trawl to be sorted and identified. 98 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

once per season (spring, summer, fall) during the months of April through September. All species are recorded, counted, measured for length(s), weighed, and sexed (sharks). Sharks are tagged with dart, T-bar, and/or satellite tags prior to their release to collect biological and life history information. Otoliths and female ovaries of selected reef species are removed and processed. In 2014, 51 bottom longline stations were sampled, landing 1,166 individuals (84.8 percent elasmobranchs). A total of 377 sharks were tagged and released.

Bongo nets are dropped through the water column to collect plankton samples. SEAMAP Vertical Line Survey The SEAMAP Vertical Line Survey is conducted monthly from May to October to collect infor- by LDWF for each survey. Additional stations Icthyoplankton sampling is conducted in con- mation on the spatial and temporal distribution are added as feasible. Species are identified, junction with the NMFS SEAMAP Spring and of commercial and recreational reef species off counted, measured, weighed and recorded; Fall Icthyoplankton Surveys, and stations are the Louisiana coast using commercial vertical these data are submitted to the SEAMAP data selected from the NMFS icthyoplankton grids. line (bandit) gear. The sampling universe is di- management system, and near-real time data Sampling is conducted using 60-cm bongo nets vided into three equidistant longitudinal zones are transmitted to NMFS as required. and 1x2m neuston nets. Ichthyoplankton sam- (Eastern zone: 89.00°– 89.39°, Central zone: ples are field processed, preserved and trans- 89.40°– 90.19°, and Western zone: 90.20°– In 2014, LDWF did not participate in the sum- ferred to the NMFS Pascagoula Laboratory for 91.00°) and each is sampled three times dur- mer survey due to vessel unavailability. LDWF transshipment to the Polish Sorting and Iden- ing the sampling season. Sampling stations are did participate in the fall survey and completed tification Center. All station information is sent drawn from a pre-established station universe 26 shrimp/groundfish stations, ranging from to the SEAMAP Data Manager. During 2014, 25 with predetermined depth ranges and struc- latitude 28°42’ to 29° 39’ and longitude -89° stations were sampled during the spring and ture types, ranging in depth from 60 to 360 40’ and -93° 51’. The depths sampled ranged fall surveys (between the latitudes 28°29 and feet. The stations roughly consist of 23 percent from 4-39 meters. All seven historic plankton 29°32, longitudes 88°30 and 93°59). artificial reefs, 3 percent natural bottom, and stations were sampled during this survey, with 74 percent petroleum production platforms. locations ranging from latitude 28°29’ to 29° SEAMAP Bottom Longline Survey 00’ and longitude -89° 29’ to -91° 30’. The SEAMAP Bottom Longline Survey collects The data collected for each fish includes the information on the abundance and distribution size of the hook on which it was caught, total SEAMAP Icthyoplankton Survey of elasmobranchs and bottom feeding species length, total weight and sex. Otoliths and fe- SEAMAP Icthyoplankton Surveys are con- with standard 1 nautical mile longline sets. male ovaries are removed and processed in the ducted biannually to provide information on Stations are generated in coordination with lab for age and growth. In 2014, 101 vertical the occurrence, abundance and geographical the NMFS, in which bottom longline stations line stations were sampled, landing 824 fish, of distribution of the eggs and larvae of spring are proportionally allocated by longitude and which 757 were red snapper (92 percent). spawning fish, particularly Atlantic bluefin depth based on the width of the continental tuna, and of fall spawning fish, particularly king shelf. The annual stations are divided with the and Spanish mackerel, lutjanids and sciaenids. intent of sampling the entire Louisiana coast

LEFT: A tiger shark is immobilized in a sling to be measured, tagged, and eventually released. CENTER: Like tree rings, otoliths, or the earbones of fish, can be used to determine the age of individual fish. RIGHT: LDWF biologist drops line for Vertical Line Survey. Office of Fisheries 99

Figure 12. Proper application of the dart-tipped anchor tag (above) and T-bar anchor tag (below)

Figure 11. The two types of tags and applicators used in the tag retention study - dart-tip anchor tag (left top) and T-bar anchor tag (left bottom).

Tag Evaluation Study Assessment of Fish Assemblages on pleted with a total of 100 species documented The Office of Fisheries is currently involved in Artificial Structures in the Northern Gulf via roving diver surveys with supporting photo a long-term cooperative marine fish tagging of Mexico and video data. program. This study compares the effective- This study assesses fish assemblages and en- ness of tag types for popular species in Louisi- crusting communities on artificial substrates Tarpon DNA Tagging ana. This particular study builds on a six-month found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Objec- The Tarpon DNA Tagging Project calculates the experiment undertaken in a controlled recir- tives are to characterize assemblages on and geographic range of the Atlantic tarpon using culation system at the Fisheries Research Lab around these structures, map vertical and hor- DNA fingerprinting techniques. The project in FY 2012-2013, which compared the survival izontal distributions, estimate relative- abun also yields valuable information relating to and retention rates of sub-legal (less than 12 dance, and document species diversity at the recapture rates and migratory paths and al- inches) and legal-sized (more than 12 inches) selected sites. Data is collected at three repli- lows biologists to analyze the movement and spotted seatrout tagged with either a T-bar or cate standing structures. Platforms with similar survival rates in what is primarily a catch-and- dart-tipped external anchor tag. Results found design, relative isolation from other man-made release fishery. Survival rates are determined that survival was high (93 percent), with an or naturally occurring structural influences, by tracking tarpon using a DNA fingerprint overall tag retention rate of 77 percent, and no and located within 50 miles of the Fisheries Re- and recapture data obtained from sampling significant differences by tag type or size class. search Laboratory were selected. Observations tarpon DNA. The project also tracks move- were conducted quarterly, weather permitting, ment of tarpon using DNA tagging instead of The tag evaluation study is now being expand- using scientific divers to survey each structure standard internal dart tagging practices. LDWF ed into a field trial to obtain results on report- in 15-foot depth increments, from the surface provides kits and instruction information to ed recapture rates for the two tag types. In FY to a depth of 105 feet. Video footage and still volunteer recreational anglers. Once collected, 2013-2014, supplies were obtained to assem- photographs are used to both support and the samples are sent to the Fisheries Research ble experimental tagging kits, and staff began supplement diver observations. This study Lab where the data is recorded, and the sam- recruiting anglers to participate in the tag eval- provides a better understanding of the fish as- ples are then sent to a contact at the Florida uation study. Working together with our elite semblages associated with artificial structures, Wildlife Research Institute for DNA analysis. A taggers (those that tag over 100 fish per year facilitating further research into individual spe- total of six tagging kits were distributed during through the cooperative tagging program), bi- cies’ relationships with artificial reefs and the FY 2013-2014 with 56 DNA samples returned. ologists will tag large numbers of red drum and suitability of these structures as habitat for Since 2011, 173 kits have been distributed. spotted seatrout. The goal is to evaluate if the stock enhancement for target species. During T-bar tag results in more reported recaptures FY 2013-2014, one member of the dive survey Characterizing the Use of Green-Stick than the traditional dart-tip tag for smaller fish team obtained Advanced Open Water Certifi- Fishing Gear in the Northern Gulf of (8-16 inch red drum and/or spotted seatrout), cation, increasing our ability to survey deeper Mexico and to determine if our cooperating volunteer depth increments. Scientific divers completed The primary objective of this study is to char- anglers have a preference for one applicator/ 31 dives during eight days of sampling. Project acterize the catch and bycatch of green-stick tag over another. site surveys for Quarters 1 and 2 were com- fishing gear when used to target Atlantic tunas, 100 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

LEFT & CENTER: Video footage and still photographs are used to both support and supplement diver observations of fish assemblages on artificial structures. RIGHT: Tarpon DNA tagging. particularly yellowfin tuna, in the northern Gulf Catch condition and release condition data are Fisheries biologists continue to report results of Mexico. The pelagic longline is the primary also collected to help evaluate the gear’s abil- to the Highly Migratory Species Division at gear type used to target commercially valuable ity to target commercial species and provide NOAA in St. Petersburg, Fla. Additional sam- tuna species in the northern Gulf of Mexico. lower incidental bycatch mortality. pling trips are planned for the spring of 2015. This gear is known to have a high bycatch to catch ratio, which includes the taking of sea During FY 2013-2014, three separate sam- Multispecies ND A Sampling Project turtles, marine mammals, sharks and billfish. pling trips were conducted in open waters, This ongoing study assesses the presence of Greenstick gear was developed in order to re- over deep water canyons and around oil and multiple spawning stocks separated by reduce the taking of non-target species, but the gas production platforms. Three species of stricted gene flow of cobia, greater amberjack, efficiency of the gear has not been empirically commercially valuable tuna have been cap- red drum and red snapper in the northern Gulf tested in the northern Gulf of Mexico, where a tured using the green-stick including yellowfin of Mexico via DNA extracted from fin clips. A large commercial yellowfin tuna fishery exists. (seven individuals), blackfin (three individuals), minimum of 20 samples was needed for each The data collected thus far will help state and and bigeye tuna (one individual), over a total species from eight sites (Figure 14). Red drum federal fishery managers gain a better under- of 14 active fishing hours. Other commercially were split into sub-adult inshore (less than standing of the gear’s ability to reduce bycatch valuable species captured include mahi mahi 600mm total length) and adult offshore (more while maintaining economically viable target (one individual). All fish captured were hooked than 600mm total length), because juveniles catch rates. in the jaw. With the excpetion of two individu- inhabit estuaries and move offshore as adults, als, all undersized and non-target species were returning to estuaries only to spawn. Data collection focuses on reporting the fea- released alive and in good condition. Non- tures that contribute to the gear’s success (or target species include little tunny, skipjack and Samples were collected from October 2013 to lack thereof) at catching target tuna species. almaco jack. October 2014 from recreational, commercial and charter fisherman, as well as fisheries- independent sampling trips, and through collaboration with other Gulf states fisheries departments and universities. Species, location, standard length and collection method were recorded for each sample, and a pectoral fin clip was taken and stored in 95 percent etha- nol. All but seven of the 40 site-species sampling units were completed.

Juvenile Drum Population Assessment Study Fisheries Research Lab biologists are currently involved with a population assessment study targeting juvenile red drum and black drum in the Barataria and Terrebonne Bay basins. This project is run in conjunction with assessment studies being performed by Coastal Study Area scientists. This project’s goal is to determine if any improvements in sampling gear are need- Figure 13. Description of a typical ‘green-stick’ rig. (illustration courtesy of Dave Shepherd, Sportfishing Magazine) Office of Fisheries 101

ed. Biologists will determine the viability of current Coastal Study Area sampling sites in regards to overall catch and number of target species captured in comparison to sites selected by Fisheries Research Lab biologists. They will also determine the capture effectiveness of current Coastal Study Area sampling gear in comparison to experimental sampling gear developed and tested by Fisheries Research Lab biologists. Gear effectiveness will be determined by the quantity of 1-to-3-year-old red and black drum captured in each gear type. Figure 14. The eight study sites for the Multispecies DNA Sampling Project. Sampling began in the winter of 2013-14 and Table 4. The final sample tallies for all sites and species in the Multispecies DNA Sampling is currently in progress. Since the inception of Project. this project, 148 juvenile drum have been cap- Greater Red Drum Red Drum Red tured (97 red drum and 51 black drum). The Site Cobia Total Amberjack (inshore) (offshore) Snapper sampling season runs from November to April, TX-1 20 23 44 0 50 137 with sampling conducted weekly (weather permitting). Lengths and weights of all captured TX-2 34 49 33 51 49 216 species are recorded and archived. CSA-7 21 21 22 25 50 139 CSA-6 34 28 68 20 46 196 Publications CSA-3 48 50 92 30 50 270 Falterman, B and J McKinney. (2014). Electron- CSA-1 57 22 93 39 50 261 ic tagging yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico- some preliminary observations. MTI Tracker FL-2 57 45 0 0 50 152 News, 15(2). FL-1 0 0 74 5 0 79 Total 271 238 426 170 345 1,450 Fenton J, Ellis JE, Falterman B, Kerstetter D. (2014a) Habitat utilization of blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus, in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 97(12).DOI: 10.1007/s10641-014-0347-3

Hoffmayer, E. R., Franks, J. S., Driggers III, W. B., McKinney, J. A., Hendon, J. M., & Quattro, J. M. (2014). Habitat, movements and environmental preferences of dusky sharks, Carcharhinus obscurus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Ma- rine Biology, 1-14. DOI: 10.1007/s00227-014- 2391-0.

Hoolihan JP, Wells RJD, Luo J, Falterman B, Prince ED, Rooker JR (2014b) Verti- cal and Horizontal Movements of Yellow- fin Tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science, 6:1, 211-222, DOI: 10.1080/19425120.2014.935900

Figure 15. Catch Rates for juvenile Red Drum utilizing experimental gear during 2013-2014 sampling season.

LEFT: LDWF biologists pull up trammel net for red drum sampling. CENTER: Juvenile red drum being measured after capture in trammel nets.RIG HT: LDWF biologists with red drum. 102 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Presentations Other Research Louisiana Cooperative Brown-Peterson, N.B., J.S. Franks, D.M. Gib- Marine Sport Fish Tagging son, C. Marshall. Aspects of the reproductive Acoustic Telemetry Program biology of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, Tagging The Louisiana Cooperative Marine Sport Fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico. 67th Gulf and LDWF is involved in a collaborative research Tagging Program is a collaborative initiative Caribbean Fisheries Institute Conference, No- project using acoustic receivers and transmit- between the Office of Fisheries, the Coastal vember 2014, Barbados. (Presentation and ters to study movement patterns of important Conservation Association (CCA) of Louisiana, extended abstract in Conference Proceedings). species In Lake Pontchartrain. Ninety acoustic universities and non-profit organizations. receivers are deployed throughout various Falterman, B and J McKinney. Electronic tag- habitats in Lake Pontchartrain, and data is re- One of the main goals of the program is to ging yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. NASA corded from passing tagged fish. The receiver maintain a volunteer marine fish tagging pro- NOAA HMS Climate Workshop, December array is used to cooperatively track spotted gram. Participating in the Tagging Program -of 2014, Miami, FL. seatrout tagged by LSU, red drum and bull fers anglers a unique opportunity to act as citi- sharks tagged by UNO, and sturgeon tagged by zen scientists, working alongside biologists for Falterman, B. Electronic tagging of Atlantic USFWS and USACE. A total of 211 spotted seat- a common goal - to improve our understanding tarpon in Louisiana coastal waters. University rout were implanted with acoustic transmitters of marine fish movements, patterns of habitat of New Orleans Invitational Tarpon Workshop, and released, including 132 during FY 2013- use, and estimates of population size. The pro- January 2014, New Orleans LA. 2014 (71 in fall 2013; 61 in spring 2014). Data gram’s success can be attributed to a dedicated are downloaded regularly from all receivers base of volunteer anglers who serve as citizen Franks, J.S., N.B. Peterson, D.M. Gibson, E Sail- and will be analyzed to determine the move- scientists by tagging fish and providing- valu lant, L. Antonio, C. Marshall. Gulf of Mexico ments, residency and habitat preferences of able data that can be difficult and expensive to yellowfin tuna project: University of Southern these important species. obtain by other means. Fish tagging is an excit- Mississippi Research Components. Reproduc- ing and rewarding way for anglers to give back tive biology, feeding ecology and conservation to the resource they treasure. Information ob- genetics. NASA NOAA HMS Climate Workshop, tained through fish tagging is useful for fisher- December 2014, Miami, FL. ies management and conservation.

Lang E, G Fitzhugh, S Theberge. (2014) Fecun- dity pattern of gray triggerfish, Balistes capris- cus. Southern Division of the American Fisher- ies Society Spring Meeting, Charleston, South Surgery Carolina. Release

McKinney J, Hoffmayer ER, Holmberg J, Gra- ham R, de la Parra R et al. (2013). Regional connectivity of whale sharks demonstrated using photo-identification – Western Atlantic, 1999 - 2013. PeerJ PrePrints 1:e98v1 http://dx.doi. org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.98v1. Third Inter- national Whale Shark Conference. Atlanta, GA, October 6-9.

McKinney JA, Hoffmayer ER, Franks JS, Hen- don JM, Driggers WB. (2013). Seasonal habitat use of whale sharks in the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA 2003 - 2013. PeerJ PrePrints 1:e93v1. http://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj. preprints.93v1. Third International Whale Shark Conference. Atlanta, GA, October 6-9.

E.R. Hoffmayer, J.A. McKinney, J.S. Franks, J.M. Hendon, and W.B. Driggers. (2013). Whale Shark aggregations in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, USA 2003 – 2013. Peerj. DOI:10.7287/ peerj.preprints.85v1 Third International Whale Shark Conference. Atlanta, GA, October 6-9.

Figure 16. Surgical procedure for implanting acoustic transmitter in spotted seatrout. Office of Fisheries 103

Dedicated volunteer anglers are essential to the success of any tagging study. In FY 2013-2014, the tagging program was promoted at CCA and LDWF events across coastal Louisiana. Anglers interested in participating in the tagging program can submit an application by phone, mail, email, Facebook message or in person. CCA or LDWF personnel will collect this information and assign the angler a unique ID number, tagging kit and 10 starter tags. A marked increase in angler participation occurred during FY 2013-2014, partially due to program promotion using the social media outlet Facebook. The “Tag Louisiana” Facebook page, which has over 800 friends, provides a quick and easy means of communication between anglers and program administrators. Volunteer anglers can share the program’s Facebook page with their friends and post pictures of their fish tag- Figure 17. CCA of Louisiana and LDWF Tagging Program’s history ging efforts. Continued maintenance of the program’s Facebook since the inception of the program in 1988 to 2014. Active anglers are page has fostered a sense of camaraderie between volunteer anglers those that have tagged at least 10 fish per year. and researchers, while also increasing interest and awareness for the tagging program. TABLE 5. Red drum and spotted seatrout time-at-large (number of days Tagging Program Statistics from tagging date to recapture date) for fish recaptured during Year 10. The Tagging Program experienced a significant increase in participa- Tagged in Recaptured in tion from Year 9 (FY 2012-2013) to Year 10 (FY 2013-2014). Six hun- Species Year 10 Year 10 dred twenty two anglers tagged at least one fish. Active participants (tagged at least 10 fish per year) in the Tagging Program more than Red Drum 10,450 778 doubled from 128 to 258, and there was a 75.1 percent increase Spotted Seatrout 5,781 175 in total number of fish tagged from 10,252 to 17,955 Figure( 17). Yellow Tuna 93 2 Program totals since the program’s inception by CCA of Louisiana in Non-target Species 1,631 72 1988 are 175,285 fish tagged, of which 157,792 were target species (red drum, spotted seatrout or yellowfin tuna). Reported recaptures Total 17,955 1,027 reached over 5,000, and 6,460 total anglers have participated by tagging a fish or reporting a recapture. 0.5%

Of the 17,955 fish tagged during Year 10, 10,450 were red drum, 5,781 were spotted seatrout, 93 were yellowfin tuna, and 1,631 Red Drum were non-target species (Table 5). Fish were tagged and recaptured 58.2% throughout the Gulf of Mexico, in every Gulf state from Texas to Flor- 9.1% Spotted Seatrout ida, with the majority occurring in Louisiana (Figure 18). During Year 10, 1,027 fish were reported as recaptured. This includes fish that Non-target Species were tagged in Year 10 as well as fish that were tagged prior to Year 10. Of the 1,027 reported recaptures, 778 were red drum, 175 were Yellowfun Tuna spotted seatrout, two were yellowfin tuna, and 72 were non-target species (Table 5, Figure 19). While red drum and spotted seatrout were captured and recaptured throughout coastal Louisiana, the 32.2% central region of the state, between Lake Calcasieu and Terrebonne Bay, shows less participation in the Tagging ProgramFigures ( 20 & 21). Whether this is due to lack of information about the program, or Figure 18. Percentages of red drum, spotted seatrout, yellowfin lower regional population, is unclear. Yellowfin tuna were only caught tuna and non-target species tagged by biologists and volunteer anglers during Year 10.

Figure 19. Year 10 captures (red) and recaptures (green) of all species throughout the Gulf of Mexico. 104 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report A in the eastern region of the state, surrounding the mouth of the Mississippi River (Figure 20). Tagging Program efforts for Year 11 are to increase knowledge and program participation across the state for all target species.

Recapture rates for red drum tagged during Year 10 were twice as high as recapture rates for spotted seatrout Fig( - ure 22). The Louisiana Saltwater Series (LASS) is attributed with increased red drum recapture rates. The Tagging Pro- gram’s overall red drum recapture rate before the LASS B series began was 2.9 percent, and since the tournament’s inception, it has increased to 5.7 percent.

Efforts are being made by LDWF to increase the spotted seatrout recapture rate as well. In looking at recapture rates from 2004 to present (the period that LDWF has been involved with the Tagging Program), a majority of the trout recaptured are of the same size class as they were originally tagged (Figure 23), which leads one to conclude that tagging may be affecting growth or mortality, or the C tags are not staying in place over time. Ongoing studies continue to investigate growth, mortality and tag retention rates in spotted seatrout when using dart tags (currently used by the Tagging Program) compared to an alternative t-bar tag, which the manufacturer claims are better suited for small fish, sized 16 inches or less. Laboratory studies have observed promising results, and the Tagging Program is entering the field portion of these trials beginning in Year 11.

Of the 1,027 reported recaptures during Year 10, 776 fish contained GPS information for both capture and recapture Figure 20. Year 10 captures (red) and recaptures (green) of red drum (A), locations (570 red drum, 149 spotted seatrout and two spotted seatrout (B) and yellowfin tuna(C) in Louisiana. yellowfin tuna). Decreased costs in GPS devices, as well as the use of the tagging website and mobile app, have allowed anglers to provide the Tagging Program with improved location data. When anglers enter data using the mobile app while fishing, their location is automatically logged, or if they enter their data after a fishing trip (using either the website or the app), they can select their fishing location on a map and GPS coordinates will autofill. This allows LDWF to gather information about fish movement over time and habitat usage.

Red drum and spotted seatrout recaptured during Year 10, for the most part, did not travel far from their original tagging location. Over 32.8 percent of red drum and 29.5 Figure 21. Captures per Louisiana coastal basin for red drum and spotted percent spotted seatrout were recaptured less than 0.25 seatrout during Year 10. Basins are listed from west to east. mile from their capture location; 55.6 percent of red drum and 47.7 percent of spotted seatrout were recaptured less than 1 mile from their capture location; and 87.5 percent red drum 85.9 percent spotted seatrout were recaptured within 5 miles of their capture location Figure( 24). There was no significant correlation between distance traveled and time. Days-at-large for red drum ranged from 0to 1,260 days, with a mean of 112 ± 6 days. The longest at- large red drum for Year 10 was originally tagged in Novem- ber of 2010 and recaptured in April 2014, only 4.4 miles away from its original location. Days-at-large for spotted seatrout ranged from one to 363 days, with a mean of 58 ±

Figure 22. Recapture rates for red drum, spotted seatrout, yellowfin tuna and non-target species tagged in Year 10. Office of Fisheries 105

5 days (Table 6). Of these recaptured fish, only 32.3 percent of red drum and 16.1 percent of spotted seatrout were re-released back into the water with the tag still intact. The Tagging Program is working to improve this aspect of the project by increasing angler knowledge of the benefits of data received from the Tagging Program and offering incentives for reporting and releasing tagged fish.

Only two yellowfin tuna were recaptured during Year 10. One traveled 15 miles in 156 days, and the other 50.5 miles in 16 days. Neither tuna was released.

Figure 23. Capture and recapture size classes of spotted seatrout tagged from 2004 to present, the time period which LDWF has been involved with the Tagging Program.

Figure 24. Distance traveled in miles by red drum (A) and spotted seatrout (B) recaptured during Year 10.

TABLE 6. Red drum and spotted seatrout time-at-large (number of days from tagging date to recapture date) for fish recaptured during Year 10.

Species Minimum Maximum Mean (±SE) Red Drum 0 1,260 112 ± 6 Spotted Seatrout 1 363 58 ± 5 106 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

Fishing Access and Opportunity

Louisiana is nationally recognized by anglers concrete ramps, vinyl sheet piling, and a approved LDWF Waterbody Management Plan and fisheries professionals as a premier sport 27-foot wide access road with 20 addi- to provide a lake description, basic informa- fishing destination. The Office of Fisheries tional parking spots. tion, a listing of lake authorities, historical veg- strives to create, enhance and restore our New Iberia City Park Enhancement - etation control information, current aquatic state’s inventory of public boating and fishing Project includes upgrading parking, boat plant status, and recommendations for con- access sites. Access sites, including marinas, ramp and dock facilities. trol. These documents are used as a guide for boat launches and fishing piers, serve as door- West End-Breakwater Drive Boat Launch aquatic plant control, and as a source of rec- ways to our state’s natural resources. - Project includes renovating the existing ommendations and information to provide to two lane boat ramp and parking area. the lake authorities and the public. In FY 2013- 2014, the Aquatic Plant Control Program com- Access Fishing Access Facilities pleted 70 Vegetation Management Plans for In a cooperative effort, LDWF assists local Planned or Under Louisiana public waterbodies. government entities requesting financial- as sistance in the development and construction Construction St. Tammany Fishing Pier Phase II - Proj- In FY 2013-2014, herbicides were applied to of boating and fishing access facilities. This ect includes constructing amenities and 79,795 acres of nuisance aquatic vegetation program covers both freshwater and saltwater additional wooden crossovers to connect to provide boating and fishing access in lakes projects, and may include the construction of the existing Phase I Twin Span fishing pier. and waterbodies throughout the state. The boat ramps, parking areas, docks, bulk heading majority of these efforts included control of and fishing piers. One boating access project Nuisance Aquatic 39,925 acres of water hyacinth, 25,574 acres was completed in FY 2013-2014. An additional of giant salvinia, 4,804 acres of alligator weed, seven projects are in the planning or construc- Vegetation Control of nuisance plant species is also neces- and 2,890 acres of common salvinia. In addition stage. One fishing access project is in the sary to provide access to many public water- tion, approximately 594,800 adult giant- sal planning or construction stage. ways. Aquatic vegetation management efforts vinia weevils and 28,400 adult common sal- are designed to ensure that the natural envi- vinia weevils were stocked into water bodies Boating Access Projects ronment and human interests are mutually throughout Louisiana. Completed protected. Boggy Bayou Boat Launch - The proposed Another method used for control of aquatic project includes installation of a 30-foot Our natural resources are constantly under at- vegetation includes water level fluctuations. gangway and a new 60-foot floating dock tack from invasive species posing a threat to Natural water systems benefit from high on either side of the existing boat ramp, healthy habitats and access opportunities for springtime water levels and lower water levels parking area improvements, additional the public. The flagship of these initiatives is our in the fall. Benefits include aquatic vegetation lighting, and a picnic area. Aquatic Plant Control Program, which strives to control and a healthier fish population. For im- provide the public with safe and usable fishing pounded waters, partial dewaterings (typically Boating Access Facilities and boating access. Left unchecked, invasive called drawdowns) are often conducted to in- Planned or Under plants have the potential to completely inun- duce similar benefits. These drawdowns also Construction date the state’s abundant freshwater lakes, provide the opportunity for improvements to Bonnabel Boat Launch - Project plans making them inaccessible and threatening the shoreline properties. Drawdowns were con- include renovating the existing four lane natural habitat of our valuable aquatic resourc- ducted on eight inland reservoirs in FY 2013- boat ramp. es. Aggressive treatment of affected waters 2014 (Table 7). Forsythe Point Public Boat Ramp - Proj- continued in FY 2013-2014 in an ongoing effort ect plans include installing a floating dock to restore and improve the aquatic habitat and In recent years, aquatic plant control biolo- with walkway, two fish cleaning stations the natural balance of plants and fish. gists have shifted efforts towards identifying and improving the existing parking area and utilizing all effective plant control meth- and lighting. The Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan for- ods available. Integrated pest management Port O’Bistineau Landing - Project plans mat was created for lakes that do not have an involves combining the effects of chemical, include an extension of the existing boat ramp by 60 feet to provide convenient access to Lake Bistineau during times of low Table 7. Drawdowns conducted in FY 2013-2014. water levels. Plans also include renova- tions to existing structures at the facility Lake Name Purpose of Drawdown Dates and expansion of the parking area. Bundick Lake bottom oxidation; vegetation control; property repairs Fall/Winter Slidell Municipal Marina, BIG-P, Tier II - Bussey Lake lake renovation Summer 2013 - completion Project plans include upgrading an existing facility to include accommodations for Cheniere Lake bottom oxidation; vegetation control Fall/Winter boats greater than 26 feet. Chicot Lake bottom oxidation; vegetation control Fall/Winter Leeville Public Boat Launch - Project Eunice City Lake bottom oxidation; vegetation control Fall/Winter includes constructing a 42-vehicle ag- Lake Bistineau bottom oxidation; vegetation control Summer/Fall gregate parking area, two 30-foot wide Lake Louis bottom oxidation Fall/Winter Saline Lake bottom oxidation; vegetation control Summer/Fall/Winter Office of Fisheries 107

mechanical and biological control methods to The Joe Brown Park lagoons are comprised of summer camps, and positive results were visi- manage nuisance species more effectively and approximately 6.5 acres of surface water. There ble within five days. At 14 days after treatment, efficiently. The long-term benefits and cost- ef are two main lagoons that are connected by a each section was almost completely cleared ficiency provided by the integrated pest man- narrow canal that passes under a bridge. To of the nuisance vegetation, and canoeing and agement strategy allows LDWF to effectively prevent fish kills, it was decided to treat each other aquatic recreation resumed unabated. In manage the aquatic vegetation infestations area separately, with a three week delay be- this instance, Clipper™ provided a quicker in- throughout Louisiana’s public waterbodies. tween applications. A floating plant control water treatment alternative to systemic herbi- boom was placed in the canal to prevent duck- cides such as fluridone and penoxsulam which Maintaining Community Fishing weed from moving between treated and un- can take from four to eight weeks to produce Opportunities treated areas. results. Waters available and accessible to the public for recreation and fishing are often unavailable Both applications were highly effective in the Terrebonne Marsh Water Hyacinth in big cities and urban areas. For this reason, first few days post treatment. Most duckweed Control those ponds and lakes that are available can was necrotic within a couple of days after For many years, the U.S. Army Corps of En- experience increased use during the summer treatment and coontail lost buoyancy and be- gineers (USACE) Removal of Aquatic Growth months. At Joe Brown Park in New Orleans, came necrotic within five days after treatment. Program was responsible for water hyacinth summer camps rely on the lagoon system in At 10 days after treatment, the majority of the control in the freshwater marshes located in the park for fishing and canoeing. In June 2014, plant material was eliminated and only a small the Terrebonne Basin. In 2010, the Removal of park personnel reached out to the LDWF for quantity of decaying duckweed was visible on Aquatic Growth Program lost its funding, and help with the excessive vegetation growing in the water surface (Figure 25). At 14 days after its plant control efforts had completely ceased the lagoons. Upon investigation, LDWF biolo- treatment, very little plant material was ob- by the end of the year. Since that time, LDWF gists discovered that the pond was almost 100 served, and it was estimated that the efforts has assumed the responsibility of maintaining percent covered with coontail (Ceratophyllum resulted in at least a 95 percent reduction of boating access in this area. This vast coastal demersum) and duckweed (Lemna spp.). Since the duckweed and coontail. freshwater area fills with water hyacinths the lagoons were utilized on a daily basis, it each year, and main bayous can be completely was necessary to choose control methods that The subsurface Clipper™ application was ideal blocked by the vegetation if it is left untreated. would work quickly and have few water use re- for this situation. The applications required These plants inevitably get deposited into the strictions. After much discussion, it was decid- less than three hours to complete and were public bayous and canals by tidal action and ed that this would be a good opportunity to use concluded by mid-morning each day. With no changes in wind direction. When large rafts of the contact herbicide Clipper™ (active ingredi- recreational use restrictions following the ap- water hyacinths form blockages in the canals, ent flumioxazin) as a subsurface treatment. plication, the ponds were never off limits to the it impedes both recreational and commercial

First Treatment Pre-treatment 5 Days After Treatment 10 Days After Treatment

Figure 25. Pre-treatment, five days after treatment, and 10 days after treatment results of a 250 ppb subsurface Clipper™ application in the first area treated at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans, La. 108 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

and Environment, and the Executive Director of SeaGrant, or their designees. The council is charged with providing guidance on policy, procedural matters, site selection and allocation of funds to LARP. The Office of Fisheries administers and manages LARP in accordance with the National Artificial Reef Plan, Louisiana Artificial Reef Development Plan, pertinent regulations, laws, and budget allocation.

The Louisiana Artificial Reef Plan was developed and implemented in November 1987. The plan outlines the siting, permitting and monitoring requirements of LARP. The plan Controlled, replicated experiments to compare the efficacy of different centers on nine artificial reef planning areas herbicides and herbicide mixtures on giant salvinia. These experimental and the conversion of oil and gas platforms in tanks are located at the LSU Aquaculture Research Station. permanent marine hard-bottom habitat. The program also includes Special Artificial Reef activities. In order for the Aquatic Plant Control of mixtures that show potential for more cost Sites, deepwater reefs and inshore artificial Program to maintain open canals and bayous efficient control. These efforts will continue to reefs. LARP works closely with stakeholders, in the Terrebonne marsh, herbicide applica- develop as new herbicides become available public and private conservation groups, and tions usually begin in April and continue into and could lead to more effective control of gi- appropriate regulatory agencies when devel- December. In FY 2013-2014, LDWF treated ant salvinia in the future. oping, maintaining and monitoring Louisiana’s 14,134 acres of hyacinth in the Terrebonne artificial reefs. marsh. These concentrated efforts have been successful in providing both recreational and Fishing Opportunity In FY 2013-2014, LARP enhanced 12 offshore commercial use to the public throughout the Louisiana’s fishery resources, including habitat, reefs with 12 oil and gas platforms and re- benefit all of Louisiana’s constituent groups year. ceived $3.8 million in donations from oil com- within the state and across the Gulf Coast. Habitat stewardship and resource manage- pany participation. In addition, the Laketown Evaluation of Giant Salvinia Control ment provide opportunities for the public to Pier Reef was created on Lake Pontchartrain Methods access these natural resources. from quarry limestone. LARP also began plan- Since 2006, giant salvinia has spread to wa- ning a reef to replace the “Pickets” structures, ters throughout much of Louisiana. As a re- Inland Lakes and Ponds a popular trout-fishing destination scheduled sult, identifying and implementing all efficient The Eunice City Lake Project was completed for decommissioning in 2014. and effective control methods for this inva- and included a full renovation of the lake/fa- sive aquatic weed has been a priority for the cilities. Rigs-to-Reef remains a large component of Aquatic Plant Control Program. Introduction LARP. Due to recent policy changes by the and establishment of giant salvinia weevils, a In 2000, a train accident caused significant Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforce- species-specific biological control, has been a damage to the lake’s shoreline. After subse- ment, the regulatory body responsible for off- quent litigation, funding was made available major focus of the program since that time. shore oil and gas structures, LARP is examining for improvements including: options to expand its current plan to address In recent years, LDWF has evaluated the ef- Replacement of the water control struc- fectiveness of several mechanical control ture the removal of nearshore oil and gas struc- devices including The WaterMower, bucket Grilling stations for family picnics tures and identifying incentives for increased boats, mashers, harvesters and weed cutters. Swimming area oil company participation. Unfortunately, mechanical control options typi- New boat mooring area cally are slower, more labor intensive and more Boat ramp improvements LARP has been expanding its inshore reef pro- expensive than LDWF’s current giant salvinia Boat mooring dock & fishing pier gram by incorporating appropriate materials of control approach, which includes herbicide ap- Decorative entrance gate opportunity. Recycled concrete and reclaimed plications, water level manipulation and weevil oyster shell are being pursued for inshore reef establishment. Although herbicide applications Artificial Reefs development across the state. remain a major part of the salvinia control ef- The Louisiana Artificial Reef Program (LARP) forts, the Aquatic Plant Control Program con- was created by Act 100 of the 1986 Louisiana Important Figures for FY 2013-2014 tinues to search for more effective and cost Legislature within LDWF. Act 100 also required 75 Total established offshore artificial reef sites efficient chemicals available for use in aquatic the formation of the Artificial Reef Develop- 48 planning area reefs systems. Since 2012, LDWF has worked closely ment Council, development of an Artificial 19 special artificial reef sites with USACE and LSU AgCenter weed scientists Reef Plan, and establishment of the Artificial 8 deepwater reefs to explore the effectiveness of new herbicides Reef Trust Fund. Offshore structures converted to permanent and also to test the potential of mixtures of habitat herbicides and the effects of different surfac- The Artificial Reef Development Council is 350 platform jackets tants. This research includes controlled, repli- comprised of the Secretary of LDWF, the LSU 8 drill rig legs cated experiments as well as field evaluations Executive Director of the School of the Coast 12 oil and gas structures deployed Office of Fisheries 109

32 established inshore reefs very near vicinity of host fish. The larval mus- the health and fitness of aquatic species under created Laketown Pier Reef sels (glochidia) attach to host fish gills and Investigational New Animal Drug exemptions, created Cypremort Point II Reef grow for a period of time before detaching as and 2.) contribute important drug efficacy and metamorphosed mussels (transformers) and safety data needed to support the future ap- falling to the stream bottom where they begin proval of new drugs for use in aquatic species.” Freshwater Fish to live and grow. Previous studies to determine (http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/ which species of fish were host fish were con- programPDFs/NIP%20Standards%20April%20 Hatchery Program ducted at the USFWS’ Natchitoches National 2011.pdf) The Louisiana Hatchery Program partners with Fish Hatchery but were unsuccessful. One local, state and federal agencies to produce theory of why the fish could not be infested and stock freshwater fish to start or enhance Hatchery Program with mussels at the Natchitoches National Fish statewide sport fisheries, to hasten the recov- Professional Development Hatchery was that the species may require soft ery of fisheries affected by natural or man- One or more biologists representing the LD- water for host fish attachment, and the water made disasters, and to produce threatened WF’s hatchery program attended the following at the Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery is or endangered species, if necessary. Fish are annual meetings in FY 2013-2014: relatively hard. Streams where the mussels requested annually by Inland Fisheries accord- Louisiana Chapter of the American Fisher- are found often have very soft water, similar ing to the LDWF’s “Resource Enhancement ies Society to the water supply at LDWF’s largest hatchery, through Stocking” guidelines. The program Louisiana Association of Professional Bi- Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery. As part of LDWF’s also provides support services for outreach ologists fish production Memorandum of Understand- and education activities that introduce or en- Southern Division of the American Fisher- ing with USFWS, LDWF was asked to assist with courage sport fishing. ies Society the research by providing space, water and Louisiana Wildlife Federation daily care of the animals and equipment during Fish Stocking a host study at Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery. As One or more hatchery biologists are a member This year, in partnerships with the USFWS a result of the spring 2014 study, USFWS docu- of the following aquaculture groups: Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery, the City mented six species of fish that produced meta- Southern Division of the American Fisher- of Shreveport’s Cross Lake Fish Hatchery, LD- morphosed Louisiana pearlshell mussels after ies Society Aquaculture Technical Com- WF’s Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, LDWF’s infestation, with the primary host identified as mittee Aquatic Plant Control Program, the Red River the redspot darter (Etheostoma artisiae). Table American Fisheries Society Fish Culture Waterway Commission, and the Cheniere 9 summarizes the study results. Section Brake Lake Association, LDWF hatcheries Southern Division of the American Fisher- reared and/or released over 5.6 million fish Investigational New ies Society Hatchery List Serve in 65 water bodies around the state. Table 8 provides comprehensive list of fish stocked in Animal Drug Program Hatchery presentations were given by the Louisiana’s waters during FY 2013-2014. Participation LDWF hatcheries continued to participate in hatchery biologists at the following meetings/ the USFWS National Investigational New Ani- events in FY 2013-2014: Hatchery and Fisheries mal Drug Program. This program provides “a Louisiana/Texas Border State Fisheries Outreach/Education means through which federal, state, tribal Meeting The hatchery program continued to provide and private agencies or organizations located Louisiana/Mississippi Border State Fisher- support for departmental education and out- throughout the United States are 1.) allowed to ies Meeting reach programs. Support includes providing use certain critical drugs necessary to maintain fish and/or fish transportation for community fishing and outreach events, spawning demonstrations/workshops, and hatchery presenta- TABLE 9. Fish species and LPM transformers produced during 2014 tions and tours. The hatchery program trans- Host Trials at Booker Fowler State Fish Hatchery. ported 2,500 pounds of catfish for U.S. Forest # Fish # Transformers # Transformers/ % Total Service fishing derbies and 2,800 pounds of Fish Species Inoculated Produced Fish Transformers catfish for Fort Polk fishing derbies. Hatchery biologists assisted private pond owners with Striped Shiner 79 14 0.2 9% technical advice and pond water quality testing. Redspot Darter 17 97 5.7 65% Redfin Shiner 4 5 1.3 3% Louisiana Pearlshell Blackspot Top- 20 0 0 0% Mussel Research minnow The federally endangered Louisiana pearlshell Creek Chubsucker 5 18 3.6 12% mussel is only found in Grant and Rapides parishes in pine forest streams. Since the spe- Brown Madtoms 7 0 0 0% cies is federally listed and not much is known Pirate Perch 1 0 0 0% about its life history, the USFWS is tasked with Longear Sunfish/ 20 17 0.85 11% defining its basic life cycle requirements. As Bluegill is true with many other mussel species, the TOTAL 148 100% Louisiana pearlshell mussel reproduces by releasing larval mussels into the water in the Table from “Host Study for the Louisiana Pearlshell Mussel Margaritifera hembeli 2014”, by Tony Brady (USFWS) and Angela Williamson (UNO), unpublished data. 110 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report Fish Stocking by Waterbody Table 8. 7/1/2013 - 6/30/2014 Waterbody Species Size Number Waterbody Species Size Number Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 32,035 Bluegill Fingerlings 521,987 Anacoco Lake Threadfin Shad Fingerlings 16,865 Florida Largemouth Bass 1-year-old 1,337 Eunice City Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Adults 105 Bayou D’Arbonne Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 299,413 Redear Fingerlings 235,575 Lake Threadfin Shad Fingerlings 6,144 Bayou DeSiard Triploid Grass Carp Adults 1,000 False River Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 6,006 Bayou Teche Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 14,930 Fullerton Lake Black Bayou & Black (Kisatchie National Triploid Grass Carp Adults 30 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 11,591 Forest, Vernon Parish) Bayou Reservoir Grand Bayou Florida Largemouth Bass Fry 766,200 Black Bayou Lake Triploid Grass Carp Adults 11,681 Reservoir Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 46,540 (Caddo Parish) Henderson Lake Triploid Grass Carp Adults 25,023 Black Lake & Clear Triploid Grass Carp Adults 424 Lake Indian Creek Florida Largemouth Bass Fry 29,400 Reservoir Triploid Grass Carp Adults 55 Black River Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 17,400 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 8,390 BREC Pond - Channel Catfish Fingerlings 170 Ivan Lake Threadfin Shad Adults 1,400 Black Water Threadfin Shad Fingerlings 12,692 BREC Pond - Channel Catfish Fingerlings 81 Kepler Creek Lake Triploid Grass Carp Adults 1,500 Burbank Lacassine Pool Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 140,379 BREC Pond - Doyles Channel Catfish Fingerlings 20 Lake Arthur & Paddlefish Fry 292,922 BREC Pond - Channel Catfish Fingerlings 20 Mermentau River Paddlefish Fingerlings 816 Flanacher Lake Bistineau Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 288,266 BREC Pond - Channel Catfish Fingerlings 30 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 10,101 Forest Park Lake Bruin Hybrid Striped Bass Fingerlings 10,825 BREC Pond - Channel Catfish Fingerlings 58 Oak Villa Lake Concordia Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 21,412 BREC Pond - Lake Fausse Point Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 80,304 Channel Catfish Fingerlings 20 Palomino Lake Killarny Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 10,368 BREC Pond - Perkins Channel Catfish Fingerlings 30 Lake St. John Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 43,784 BREC Pond - Channel Catfish Fingerlings 54 Martin Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 3,700 Sherwood Mermentau River Florida Largemouth Bass Fry 266,400 BREC Pond - Channel Catfish Fingerlings 58 Zachary Millers Lake Triploid Grass Carp Adults 12,000 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 15,624 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 14,504 Bundicks Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 9,350 Nantachie Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 8,936 Florida Largemouth Bass 1-year-old 810 Caddo Lake & Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 151,037 Poverty Point James Bayou Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 21,072 Reservoir Caney Lake Lower (Kisatchie National Red River Pool 1 Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 8,000 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 1,138 Forest, Webster Red River Pool 2 Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 8,000 Parish) Red River Pool 3 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 8,000 Caney Lake Upper (Kisatchie National Red River Pool 4 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 8,000 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 714 Forest, Webster Red River Pool 5 Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 8,000 Parish) Alligator Gar Fingerlings 225 Cheniere Brake Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Phase 2 Fingerlings 2,000 Rockefeller Refuge Alligator Gar 1-year-old 43 Florida Largemouth Bass Fry 224,400 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 66,773 Chicot Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 28,074 Saline Lake Triploid Grass Carp Adults 2,080 Triploid Grass Carp Adults 600 Florida Largemouth Bass Fry 575,400 Cocodrie Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 65,705 Spring Bayou Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 43,132 Triploid Grass Carp Adults 20,000 Corney Lake (Kisatchie National Toledo Bend Reservoir Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 821,948 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 15,135 Forest, Claiborne Turkey Creek Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 62,072 Parish) Vernon Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 42,032 Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 20,196 Cotile Lake Triploid Grass Carp Adults 1,000 Waddill Pond Channel Catfish Adults 137 Crooked Creek Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 2,400 Woodworth Outdoor Channel Catfish Fingerlings 68 Education Center Cross Lake Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 119,909 Zemurray Park Pond Bluegill Adults 1,150 Cypress Bayou Florida Largemouth Bass Fingerlings 42,815 Reservoir TOTAL 5,670,020 For Non- Florida Largemouth Bass: Fry < 0.25”; Fingerlings = 1- <12”; 1-Yr Old - 1 year old in age (length varies); Adult - sexually mature (length varies) Florida Largemouth Bass: Fry <0.25”; Fingerlings = 2 to 3”; Phase 2 Fingerlings = 3”+; 1-Yr Old - 1 year old in age (length varies); Adult - sexually mature (length varies) Office of Fisheries 111

Fisheries Outreach and Education Projects

Our fisheries biologists also work collaborative- Staff from the Audubon Aquarium of the Outreach ly with communications personnel to create Americas attend many of our tournaments to The Aquatic Outreach and Education Programs promotional and educational material detailing provide supplemental fish tagging, presenting are designed to inform the public about the research and fieldwork on a variety of topics the unique opportunity to release large num- programs and projects currently underway in relating to the conservation and management bers of fish at one time and location. Aquarium the Office of Fisheries. Through outreach- ef of fish, hatchery production, non-indigenous staff also provide technical support and infor- forts including boat shows, school programs, aquatic nuisance species, and other aquatic mation to the anglers regarding best fish han- community events and outdoor-related festi- resources. dling practices. vals, staff reached over 100,000 Louisiana citizens in FY 2013-2014. This fiscal year, staff utilized several educational resources including a casting inflatable, mo- The Fisheries Extension staff conducted fishing Crab Trap Removal bile touch tank, mobile aquariums and LDWF’s The removal of derelict crab traps from fishing workshops and youth events, several of which mascot, Robbie the Redfish. grounds reduces navigational risks to boat- included scout troops. These events focused ers and threats to public safety while reduc- on Sport Fish Restoration projects and providing mortality of incidental species captured ing a hands-on fishing experience. Louisiana Saltwater in traps, potentially increasing the number of crabs available for harvest by preventing crab LDWF staff also worked effortlessly to gain the Series mortalities in abandoned, out-of-use traps. interest of women who are new to the out- The Louisiana Saltwater Series (LASS) was doors and desire to learn about fishing. A part- created by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisher- In January 2014, the LWFC ratified a final rule nership between LDWF and Cabela’s afforded ies Foundation to promote the conservation authorizing a temporary crab trap closure and many women an opportunity to attend a one- of Louisiana’s saltwater sport fish resources. derelict crab trap cleanups. day Women’s Fish Tagging Workshop to provide LASS, the Office of Fisheries and the Louisi- women with the tools to be confident enough ana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation strive to A derelict crab trap clean-up was conducted to fish on their own. Upon completion of the enhance the resource while providing a com- over a 10-day period in a portion of western one-day workshop, participants were entered petitive opportunity for avid fishermen and Terrebonne Parish from February 15-24, 2014. into a lottery drawing for an opportunity to at- newcomers alike. The events are also used to Volunteers, LDWF staff, members of the com- tend a Women’s Fishing Weekend in Grand Isle. encourage participation in the Louisiana Co- mercial and charterboat fishing industry, Loui- operative Marine Sport Fish Tagging Program. siana SeaGrant and Nicholls and LSU faculty In addition, LDWF hosted four Family Fish Fests Data collected from the tournament entries and students assisted in retrieving more than throughout Louisiana. Family Fish Fests provide serves as a valuable tool for Fisheries biologists 1,000 abandoned crab traps. youth and families with exciting activities such to better understand the life history and habi- as fishing, fish tagging, fish aging, fish identifi- tat of these popular sport fish. LDWF biologists Together, over 20 boats and 100 man days of cation, casting instruction, seining, cast netting, staff each tournament. effort were logged during the cleanup effort, knot tying and more. All participants in atten- resulting in the removal of nearly 1,100 aban- dance receive applicable literature and prod- The 2014 LASS was a great success, with 1,051 doned and derelict crab traps. ucts ranging from regulations to rods and reels. redfish tagged and released from Lake Charles to Slidell (Table 10).

LEFT: The new Robbie the Redfish mascot has made appearances at several outreach events this year, including Family Fish Fests, the New Orleans City Park Fishing Clinic, Big Bass Rodeo, and National Hunting and Fishing Day festivities.C ENTER: The mobile touch tank is eye-catching and practical, providing a centerpiece to draw in the public as well as serving as a teaching tool for fish identification of native fish and invasive species in Louisiana. RIGHT: At the Women’s Fish Tagging Workshop, put on by LDWF and Cabela’s, women participated in hands-on activities pertaining to fishing, including learning how to tag a fish and the importance of the Cooperative Marine Sportfish Tagging Program. 112 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

TABLE 10. Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) tagged and recaptured TABLE 11. Number of crab trap closures and numbers of trap during FY 2012-2013 LA Saltwater Series Tournaments. removed annually. Teams Redfish Redfish Year Area Dates Traps Date Location Registered Tagged Recaptured Upper Terrebonne Bay Feb. 28 - March 14 6,676 Delta Marine Estuary Aug. 10, 2013 48 209 11 2004 (Empire) West Vermilion Bay May 14-22 218 Venice Marina Oct. 18-19, 2013 45 140 11 Total 6,894 (Venice) Sabine Lake Feb. 18-27 4 Boudreaux’s March 8, 2014 49 49 16 (Cocodrie) Breton Sound Estuary Feb. 26 - March 13 1,941 Middle Terrebonne Bay Calcasieu Point March 5-20 2,437 April 4, 2014 Landing (Lake 34 70 12 2005 Estuary Charles) East Vermilion Bay/ May 16-22 241 The Dock West Cote Blanche Bay May 3, 2014 48 165 29 (Slidell) Total 4,623 Sweetwater Marina Southwest Terrebonne June 28, 2014 58 120 7 2006 March 4-13 2,935 (Delacroix) Bay Estuary East Lake Pontchartrain Feb. 24 - March 5 774 Upper Barataria Bay 2007 March 3-12 724 Estuary Total 1,498 Upper Terrebonne Bay 2008 Feb. 23 - March 2 1,234 Estuary 2009 Terrebonne Bay Estuary N/A 788 Upper Barataria Bay 2010 Feb. 27 - March 7 477 Estuary Western Plaquemines 2011 Feb. 26 - March 5 1,100 Parish St. Bernard/ Feb. 25 - March 5 1,961 Plaquemines Parish 2012 Terrebonne Parish March 17-26 747 Total 2,708 Plaquemines Parish Feb. 16-25 492 2013 St. Bernard Parish March 9-18 411 Total 903 Western Terrebonne 2014 Feb. 15-24 1,063 Parish 2004-2014 Overall 24,223 LDWF vessel full of abandoned crab traps.

Figure 26. Map of derelict crab trap closures and cleanups since 2004. Office of Fisheries 113

Commercial Seafood Programs

One of the main objectives of the Office of Several changes and developments to the pro- Council standards. During FY 2013-2014, LDWF Fisheries is to maintain the viability of Louisi- gram were implemented during FY 2013-2014 began development of a blue crab fishery man- ana’s fishing industries through programs that including the transition to an online applica- agement plan and preparing for its second Ma- protect native resources and provide technical tion process as well as supply chain verification rine Stewardship Council surveillance audit assistance to the industry, including recovery through invoice validation. Also introduced schedule to occur in August 2014. The audit is from natural and manmade disasters. was a product registration requirement - re- scheduled to be conducted by Intertek Fisher- tail packages possessing the program’s logo ies Certification. In addition, the Office of Fisheries is pursuing have to be registered with LDWF. Before ap- several initiatives for Louisiana’s commercial plying, applicants must also participate in a In addition to Marine Stewardship Council fishing industry including a seafood certifica- 45-minute training video available through the certification, the Office of Fisheries is also in- tion program, a seafood technology and equip- program’s website. Once permitted, partici- vestigating development of its own sustainment program, and a professionalization pro- pants are given access to a participant portal ability certification. The Office of Fisheries has gram that aims to create a more informed and where they may access program logo files and partnered with the Audubon Commission to efficient industry. Programs to collect and re- verify participation of their supply chain in the develop a sustainability certification program cycle used oyster shell and concrete to create Louisiana Wild Seafood Certification Program. specifically for the Gulf states, similar to those artificial oyster and fishing reefs are also being Additionally, program participants are eligible developed for Alaska and Iceland. LOUISIANAdeveloped WILD in SEAFOOD coordination CERTIFICATION with the Coalition PROGRAM to for grant funds through the Seafood Technol- Restore(LWSC CoastalP) OUTLINE Louisiana. & OVERVIEW ogy and Equipment Program to assist them in During FY 2013-2014 we continued our work- increasing product quality and complying with ing relationship with Audubon Nature Institute program regulations. through a three-year contract to begin leading our Gulf-wide third-party sustainable seafood As of FY 2013-2014 there were a total of 115 certification program. Pre-assessments for permitted seafood businesses participating in Louisiana blue crab and oyster and Gulf red the program with 40 applications pending. snapper according to the Food and Agricul- ture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)- The program’s first two years focused on build- based RFM certification program began during ing program interest among seafood dealers this fiscal year. and processors within Louisiana. The next phase of implementation will focus on the re- LDWF is directly engaging FAO and other inter-

tailer and consumer aspects of the program national partners in developing best manage- with an emphasis on creating demand for ment practices for small-scale, multispecies

products bearing the Louisiana Wild Seafood coastal fisheries. Partners from FAO, Australia,

Seafood Certification Certification Program logo. Brazil and Mexico have joined a Gulf of Mexico The official rules can be found in Chapter 7 of the Louisiana Department of In 2009, LDWF reprogrammed grant money Working Group. The hope and expectation is Wildlife and Fisheries rules and regulations (LAC 76:I.Chapter 7). from a NOAA grant to fund certification pro- The goal of a seafood sustainability program that these best practices will provide the basis

grams for Louisiana’s seafood industry. The is to manage Louisiana fisheries in a way that for a new FAO Technical Guidelines for Gulf of

overarching plan for a broad certification pro- provides for today’s needs without damaging Mexico fisheries and similar fisheries around gram included five key components: seafood the ability of the species to reproduce. Many the world. The first working group meeting was origin/quality certification; seafood sustain- retailers worldwide have been under increas- scheduled to take place in July 2014. ability certification; industry professionaliza- ing pressure to “prove” the seafood they are tion; electronic traceability; and seafood mar- sourcing is from sustainable fisheries. Similar We are continually vetting our program with keting. requirements are beginning to be made by seafood buyers to ensure our program will have U.S. retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target and market acceptance once developed. LDWF has The goal of the Louisiana Wild Seafood Certifi- Krogers, to name a few. engaged national retail organizations in intense cation Program is to increase1 demand for wild- dialogue concerning their sustainable seafood caught Louisiana seafood. By creating an origin LDWF is seeking mainstream certifications for needs and desires. based brand, LDWF, in cooperation with DHH major fisheries, such as those offered by the and the LDAF, has the ability to communicate Marine Stewardship Council. In March 2012, We also continued the process of developing to the consumers that the seafood they are Louisiana’s blue crab fishery became the first robust fisheries management plans for our ma- consuming is caught by a licensed Louisiana blue crab fishery in the world to receive MSC jor fisheries and began working on a FINFO site fisherman, landed in Louisiana, and processed sustainability certification. The Office of Fisher- in cooperation with GSMFC. We expect to have by a Louisiana processor through the entire ies will continue the upkeep required for cer- the blue crab management plan completed supply chain. The ability to create a national tification, including completion of a coastwide earl in FY 2014-2015, and will begin develop- brand that can be sought out by chefs, con- crab trap bycatch study that began in Janu- ing a shrimp management plan. sumers, distributors and retail chains will in- ary 2013, sponsoring a diamondback terrapin crease the demand and thereby prices for the population assessment, and meeting the an- Louisiana seafood fishery. nual conditions set by the Marine Stewardship 114 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

equipment for the vessel, all the way to the processing plant.

Phase 1 of the Seafood Technology and Equip- ment Program developed was the Oyster Re- frigeration Program, launched in October 2012. Phases 2 and 3 of this program were launched during FY 2013-2014. Phase 2, the Health Compliance Program, assists docks and processors participating in the Louisiana Wild Sea- food Certification Program with meeting their health permit requirements, a requirement to participate in the certification program. Quali- fied participants are eligible to receive grant funding for 50 percent (maximum of $20,000) of the cost upgrades and/or repairs required to obtain or maintain their DHH permit.

Phase 3 was a refrigeration program for shrimp vessels, very similar to the oyster vessel program released in Phase 1. The shrimp program reimbursed grant recipients for 50 percent of refrigeration and associated electrical -equip ment. The maximum reimbursable amount for this program was increased to $30,000.

Figure 27. Screenshot of a working draft of the FINFO website. Oyster Refrigeration Program Numbers FY 2012-2013 Total Applicants Received 428 Applications Approved for Payment 67 FINFO In January 2014, LDWF and SeaGrant entered In cooperation with GSMFC and other Gulf into a formal contract to develop educational Applications Awaiting Inspection 17 states, FINFO is a web-based portal for informa- materials including training videos, multiple Vessels Approved for Purchase 28 tion about the science and management of Gulf fact sheets, in-person training sessions (re- Total Payments Made $862,495.30 fisheries; the objective is to provide seafood ferred to as dock days), a refrigeration demon- buyers with easy to understand, science-based stration project, and an annual fisheries sum- information about the responsible manage- mit to be held beginning in April 2015. Task Forces ment of Gulf fisheries and sustainability of Gulf The Office of Fisheries has three active task seafood. The initial videos to be produced include: forces: Shrimp, Oyster and Crab. The task How to be a commercial fisherman forces memberships are currently housed un- Commercial How to be a seafood dealer and processor der LDWF, and cooperation between the task Seafood business and finance Seafood Industry forces and the Office of Fisheries is essential as How to be crab fisherman we move forward with the continued manage- Professionalization ment of Louisiana’s natural resources. The primary goal of the Industry Professional- An LDWF developed training video titled “Best ization Program is to create a better-informed Practices for Producing High Quality Seafood in and more efficient commercial fishing industry. Louisiana” premiered at LSU SeaGrant’s Sea- Shrimp Task Force The program provides ongoing education op- food Academy in April 2014. This video covers During FY 2013-2014 the Shrimp Task Force portunities for fishermen and industry partici- proper refrigeration, sanitation and chemical met on Aug. 6, 2013, Jan. 14, 2014, and April pants to receive the most relevant and up-to- use during the handling and processing of vari- 3, 2014. The Shrimp Task Force Management date information pertaining their industry. ous types of seafood. Subcommittee met on Aug. 27, 2013 and Feb. 13, 2014. Agenda items discussed included: Legislation for Serviceable Crab Trap Law The Office of Fisheries continues to work with Seafood Technology and Louisiana SeaGrant at LSU to develop a curricu- Agency protocol for setting of seasons lum for a professionalization program that cov- Equipment Program Reccomendations for Fall 2013 shrimp ers a variety of topics including fishing/boating Over the past few years the Office of Fisher- season regulations and requirements, food quality ies has been developing various forms of gear Outreach on skimmer size law and safety practices, advanced gear technol- modernization programs that have culminated Shrimp Task Force resolution opposing ogy, business planning and marketing, seafood into a broad overarching program that assists additional sediment versions or modifica- industry economics, and vessel safety. all aspects of the commercial fishing industry, tions to existing diversion projects from the acquisition of new, more advanced Office of Fisheries 115

Shrimp Refrigeration Grant program for Oyster Task Force processors and docks in Louisiana Certi- In FY 2013-2014 the Oyster Task Force met on fied Seafood Program July 30, 2013, Sept. 17, 2013, Nov. 12, 2013, Sustainability/TED legislation; repealing Jan. 7, 2013, Feb. 10, 2013, April 8, 2014, and 56:57.2 June 3, 2014. The Legislative Committee met Gulf wide seafood certification program on Feb. 4, 2014. Agenda items discussed in- Gulffishinfo.org cluded: Outreach events in Washington, D.C. Weights and measures of shell stock con- Shrimp Strategic Plan tainers in commerce Monterey Bay Aquarium’s rating of Loui- Diversion environmental impact study siana shrimp Sustainability program Funding for Seafood Promotion and Mar- Oyster stock assessment/season recom- keting Board salaries mendations Tracking oyster tag colors on trip tickets Crab Task Force Ipad application for oyster leases The Crab Task Force continued to work with Washington, D.C. marketing events the Office of Fisheries in FY 2013-2014 toward VMS improving the Louisiana crab fishery. The task Professionalism program force met on July 11, 2013, March 25, 2014, Artificial reef placement and June 5, 2014. The Crab Task Force legisla- Poaching and theft from oyster leases tive committee met on March 31, 2014. Agen- FDA harvest rules da items discussed included: Placement of artificial reef sites The Oyster Task Force also continued their mar- Increasing escape rings in traps keting efforts including the Task Force’s annual Professionalism program for crab fisher- trip to Washington, D.C., where they sponsor men the “Let the World be Your Oyster” reception Serviceable crab trap law and “Louisiana Alive,” which draws members Derelict crab trap program funding of the congressional delegation, staff and Funding for Seafood Promotion and Mar- media, and provides an excellent platform to keting Board salaries educate others on the importance of the Loui- Immature female crab harvest siana oyster industry. The Oyster Task Force MSC resolution also sponsored Oysters Jubilee in New Orleans, and members attended the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference and the National Fisher- ies Institute Conference.

Socioeconomic Research and Development

The Socioeconomic Research and Develop- needs, management tasks and short- and adoption by the LWFC. During FY 2013-2014, ment (SRD) Section was established in 1992 long-term objectives. Fiscal and Economic Impact Statements were and currently resides in LDWF Office of Fisher- To represent LDWF and Louisiana on vari- developed and published along with the No- ies. The duties and responsibilities of the sec- ous study groups, task forces and com- tices of Intent in the Louisiana Register. tion are: mittees established to study, manage and To recommend, conduct and coordinate improve wildlife and fisheries resources The following programs, projects and surveys economic research studies pertaining to at the local, state, regional and national were conducted in FY 2013-2014. wildlife and fisheries resources of Louisi- levels. ana and the Gulf region. To administer and implement special pro- To present research findings at appropri- grams. Surveys ate professional and scientific meetings, To perform other activities as directed by and publish results in departmental publi- LDWF’s appointing authorities. Gulf Seafood Processor cations and peer-reviewed scientific jour- and Dealer Economic nals. With assistance from the various program Surveys To provide information and support to managers within the offices of LDWF, the SRD In collaboration with the GSMFC, NOAA and other sections and divisions within LDWF, Section prepares Fiscal and Economic Impact state agencies in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi as well as agencies outside LDWF, as- Statements that accompany the Notices of In- and Texas, the SRD staff designed a seafood sisting them in accomplishing research tent for rules and regulations considered for processor survey and a dealer survey in the 116 2013 - 2014 LDWF Annual Report

spring of 2011 to collect economic information als who held recreational crab licenses: 441 in Tabarestani, Maryam, Jack Isaacs, and Alex from seafood processors and dealers operat- Alabama, 2,460 in Louisiana, and 221 in Mis- Miller. “Gulf of Mexico inshore recreational ing in the Gulf of Mexico region. The purpose sissippi. The survey yielded a response rate of shrimping survey, 2014.” Presentation at Loui- of these surveys is to provide policy-makers, 48.9 percent. Results of the survey were pub- siana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society trade associations and others involved in this lished by the GSMFC in June 2014. Meeting, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, industry with a better understanding of how LA, May 29-30, 2014. this sector works and how important the sea- SURVEY OF NATIONAL food purchasing, processing, wholesaling and Miller, Alexander, and Jack Isaacs. An Econom- distribution industry is to local and regional HUNTING AND FISHING DAY ic Survey of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Inshore economies throughout the Gulf region. An in- PARTICIPANTS Shrimp Fishery: Descriptive Results for 2012. person survey of seafood processors was ini- On Sept. 28, 2013, LDWF held a public event Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. tiated in the summer of 2011 and completed in observation of National Hunting and Fishing Ocean Springs, MS. June 2014. in 2012. A mail seafood dealer survey began Day at Waddill Wildlife Refuge in Baton Rouge. January 2012 and was completed in October. Personnel from the SRD Section collected exit Miller, Alexander, Ebenezer Ogunyinka, and As of June 2013, 161 completed surveys were surveys of 348 participants in this event. Re- Jack Isaacs. An Economic Baseline and Char- received. A follow-up survey of dealers who did sults of this survey were completed and sent acterization of U.S. Gulf of Mexico Dockside not respond to the seafood dealers survey was to the LDWF Public Information Section in Oc- Seafood Dealers. Gulf States Marine Fisheries mailed to 239 seafood dealers in May 2013. tober 2013. Commission. Ocean Springs, MS. June 2014. This effort was continued in the summer of 2013. Analysis of the seafood processor survey Survey of Louisiana Miller, Alexander, Maryam Tabarestani, and data and seafood dealers survey will be com- Jack Isaacs. A Survey of Recreational Shrimpers pleted by fall of 2013. Results will be submitted Saltwater Series Fishing in the Northern U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Gulf States to the GSMFC. Results of the survey were pub- Tournament Participants Marine Fisheries Commission. Ocean Springs, lished by the GSMFC in June 2014. LDWF organized a series of saltwater fishing MS. June 2014. tournaments in 2013 and 2014. The SRD Sec- ECONOMIC SURVEY OF THE tion assisted personnel with the design of an Miller, Alexander, and Jack Isaacs. An Econom- on-line survey of participants in the tourna- ic Baseline and Characterization of U.S. Gulf of GULF OF MEXICO INSHORE ments held on April 5, May 3, and June 28, Mexico Seafood Processors. Gulf States Marine SHRIMP FISHERY 2014. Fisheries Commission. Ocean Springs, Missis- Gulf of Mexico shrimp are harvested com- sippi. June 2014. mercially from “inshore” state waters (waters SURVEY OF LOUISIANA within the jurisdictional boundaries of the Bharadwaj, Latika, David Lavergne, and Ebene- individual states) and from “offshore” federal RECREATIONAL OFFSHORE zer Ogunyinka. “Commercial Seafood Dealers waters. This study examines the economic LANDINGS PERMIT HOLDERS in Louisiana: 2000 – 2009.” Fall, 2013. performance of active commercial shrimp har- The SRD staff conducted an on-line survey of vesters who primarily operated in inshore wa- all 13,552 individuals who held a Recreational Bharadwaj, Latika, David Lavergne, and Ebene- ters of western Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Offshore Landings Permit (ROLP) and provided zer Ogunyinka. “Louisiana Commercial Crab Louisiana and Texas throughout 2012. The data a usable e-mail address on the topic of regional Dealers: Analyzing Point of First Sales Data for collection was designed by GSMFC and LDWF management of the red snapper fishery in the the Louisiana Commercial Crab Sector: 2000 – to track the economic status and performance Gulf of Mexico. The survey registered 4,832 2009.” Fall, 2013. of vessels holding a state shrimp license for responses for a response rate of 35.7 percent. harvesting shrimp in the Gulf. Throughout the Bharadwaj, Latika, David Lavergne, and Ebene- spring of 2012, 1,557 shrimpers were randomly zer Ogunyinka. “Louisiana Commercial Fresh- selected, stratified by state from a population water Finfish Dealers: Analyzing Point of First of individuals holding a state shrimp harvesting Publications, Reports Sales Data for the Louisiana Commercial Finfish license for the Gulf. After two mailings and a and Presentations Sector: 2000 – 2009.” Fall, 2013. reminder postcard, 410 surveys were returned Isaacs, Jack C. “Economics of the Nature Based as of June 30, 2013. Results of the survey were Tourism Sector.” Coastal Eco/Agri-Tourism Bharadwaj, Latika, David Lavergne, and Ebene- published by the GSMFC in June 2014. Workshop, Lake Charles, LA. February 11, zer Ogunyinka. “Louisiana Commercial Oyster 2014. Dealers: Analyzing Point of First Sales Data for SURVEY OF RECREATIONAL the Louisiana Commercial Oyster Sector: 2000 Isaacs, Jack C. “Gulf Seafood Industry Study.” – 2009.” Fall, 2013. SHRIMPERS IN THE NORTHERN Louisiana Fisheries Summit. Houma, LA. March GULF OF MEXICO 12, 2014. Bharadwaj, Latika, David Lavergne, and Ebene- The SRD staff working with the GSMFC and zer Ogunyinka. “Louisiana Commercial Salt- other relevant state agencies designed a sur- Miller, Alexander, and Jack Isaacs. “2012 water Finfish Dealers: Analyzing Point of First vey of recreational fishermen who held licens- Economic Survey of Gulf of Mexico Inshore Sales Data for the Louisiana Commercial Finfish es granting the privilege to harvest crabs in Shrimpers.” Louisiana Chapter of the American Sector: 2000 – 2009.” Fall, 2013. Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. In January Fisheries Society Meeting, Nicholls State Uni- 2014, a survey was mailed to 3,122 individu- versity, Thibodaux, LA, May 29-30, 2014. Office of Fisheries 117

Bharadwaj, Latika, David Lavergne, and Ebene- Louisiana Shrimp Task Force zer Ogunyinka. “Louisiana Commercial Shrimp Representation Louisiana Recreational Saltwater Fishing Dealers: Analyzing Point of First Sales Data for on Task Forces, Task Force the Louisiana Commercial Shrimp Sector: 2000 Louisiana Wild Crawfish Task Force – 2009.” Fall, 2013. Study Groups and Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Human Use Trustees Technical Work Group Committees Socioeconomic Scientific and Statisti- During FY 2013-2014, SRD staff members rep- cal Committee (Socioeconomic SSC) of resented LDWF on the following task forces, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management study groups and committees: Council GSMFC Disaster Recovery Program Com- Technical Advisory Committee for the US- mittee FWS’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting GSMFC FIN Social/Economic Work Group and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Louisiana Blue Crab Task Force

Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Coun- The head of each state’s fisheries division has SEDAR pool, a panel assigned to producing the cil is responsible for the management of com- a seat on the council along with representa- council’s stock assessments. mercial, recreational and for hire fishing activi- tives from the fishing industry. Louisiana’s seat ties in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Gulf is assigned to Assistant Secretary Randy Pau- A list of the council’s Fisheries Management Plans waters from the state territorial sea out to 200 sina. His designee for council issues is Myron include: Reef Fish, Coastal Migratory Pelagic, Red miles offshore. The council prepares Fishery Fischer, who is delegated to act in his behalf. Drum, Shrimp, Lobster, Stone Crab, Coral, Aqua- Management Plans and amendments to these In addition to the council seat, Office of Fish- culture, and Essential Fish Habitat. The council plans. Methods of regulation include quotas, eries employees participate in advisory roles meets five times a year to work on amendments size limits, bag limits, seasons, trip limits and on various panels and committees: Outreach, regarding these Fisheries Management Plans. other tools that fisheries managers employ to Data Collection; Habitat Protection; and Scien- control both recreational and commercial har- tific and Statistical Committees for red drum, Louisiana is considered a leader in the council’s vests. mackerel, reef fish, shrimp, and socioeconom- fishery management process with creative and ics. In addition, LDWF biologists are part of the out-of-the-box methodologies.

Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commis- were present at meetings and discussions sion (GSMFC), a compact among the five Gulf pertaining to the various SEAMAP programs. states, is charged with promoting better utili- Louisiana moved for the creation of a SEAMAP zation of the marine fisheries including finfish, Vertical Line workgroup after much discussion shellfish and anadromous species through the about current protocol. The motion passed and development of programs for the promotion biologists are currently reviewing and making and protection of these fisheries while pre- recommendations to improve the Vertical Line venting any waste of these resources. protocol. In addition, LDWF biologists participated in the creation of fishery management Fisheries biologists and economists participate plans for Gulf menhaden and blue crab. in a number of GSMFC programs and initiatives including Aquatic Invasive Species, Inter- jurisdictional Fisheries, Fisheries Information Network, and economics programs, as well as providing their expertise in the development of management recommendations. Addition- ally, Fisheries biologists serve on a number of GSMFC Technical Coordinating Sub-Commit- tees including Data, SEAMAP, Habitat, Artificial Reef, Outreach, and species-specific committees and working groups. Fisheries’ biologists

Office of Fisheries 120