L.D.W.F. to hold Alligator Lottery Hunts

In order to increase alligator harvest opportunities, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will initiate new alligator lottery hunts on eight Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) for the 2008 alligator harvest season.

These areas include: Atchafalaya Delta WMA, St. Mary Parish; Elm Hall WMA, Assumption Parish; Joyce WMA, Tangipahoa Parish; Pass A Loutre WMA, Plaquemines Parish; Pearl River WMA, St. Tammany Parish; Pointe-Aux-Chenes WMA, Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes; Salvador WMA, St. Charles Parish; and Sherburne WMA and Sherburne U.S. Army Corps of Engineer lands, Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry parishes.

Interested participants may either request an application by calling 337-373-0032 or from the LDWF’s Web site at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/experience/lawildlife/nongame/alligators.cfm.  Applications must be submitted by Aug. 13, 2008.

The lottery harvest will be conducted between Aug. 27 and Sept. 12.  Exact harvest dates will vary by WMA and will be specified at the time selected hunters are notified.

Applicants must be a legal Louisiana resident and 16 years of age or older.  Any applicant born on or after Sept. 1, 1969 must also provide a valid hunter safety certification number.  A $5 application fee is required.

All applicants meeting the application requirements will be entered into a randomized computer drawing, which will take place on Aug. 15, 2008.  Selected hunters will be notified by mail.

L.D.W.F. ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT NOW AVAILABLE

The latest report on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ (LDWF) economic impact on the state economy is available online via the agency’s Web site and in print.

The report reveals that hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife watching and other outdoor activities generated $4.61 billion in 2006, the most recent data collection time frame. The total economic effect of those expenditures reached $6.75 billion, supporting 76,700 jobs and generating an estimated $446.2 million in state and local government tax revenues.

“The wide reach of this agency’s responsibilities, additional to recreational hunting and fishing licensing and regulation enforcement, is seen in the value of all facets of the fish and game management oversight,” said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham.

Commercial fisheries produced retail sales of $1.8 billion while providing nearly 27,000 jobs in 2006.  Wildlife-based commercial activities, such as alligator trapping, fur harvesting, and reptile and amphibian collecting, generated $62 million in retail sales and supported nearly 800 jobs.

Recreational activity also had a considerable economic impact on Louisiana’s economy. Hunting, recreational fishing, wildlife watching, feeding and photography combined to generate approximately $2 billion in retail sales, supporting over 37,000 jobs.  Retail sales for recreational boating, over $980 million in 2006, supported nearly 15,000 jobs.

Presented to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in June, the report compiled data collected from sources including LDWF, the American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The report, The Economic Benefits of Fisheries, Wildlife and Boating Resources in the State of Louisiana, 2006, was completed by Southwick and Associates, Inc., a firm with wide experience in the economic analysis of wildlife and fisheries activities around the country.  This is the third time that Southwick and Associates have prepared a report on wildlife and fisheries activities in Louisiana.

Copies may be obtained by calling the LDWF Socioeconomic Research and Development Section at 225-765-2864 or by visiting the LDWF Web site at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/pdfs/education/Southwick_2006_final_final_report_5-27-08.pdf.