Public areas give opportunities

Most states have outdoor areas set aside for public use. Louisiana is no exception with over 50 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), five Kisatchie National Forest units, more than 20 national wildlife refuges, and a half dozen or so state wildlife refuges located throughout the state. Collectively, that adds up to millions of acres of outdoor areas available for public use statewide, and that’s not even including the 60 plus public lakes and other water bodies. These public outdoor recreation sites have been set aside to preserve land and water areas for outdoor recreational use and as habitat for our native plant and animal species.

Managed primarily to provide public hunting and fishing access, WMAs are also open to non-consumptive activities such as hiking, boating, canoeing, bird watching, and sightseeing. Louisiana’s WMAs are managed by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Access is open to the public, but permits are required. Information concerning our WMAs can be obtained by going to the WMAs website at wlf.la.gov/wma. Included at the site you will find downloadable maps, area descriptions, and links to hunting and fishing regulations specific to the areas.

The Kisatchie National Forest system consists of more than 600,000 acres spread across seven Louisiana parishes. It is divided into five units termed Ranger Districts. The website is located at www.fs.usda.gov/kisatchie and contains a wealth of information concerning this forest system. Downloadable maps, brochures, and forms are also available there. When visiting one of the units you may want to stop by the local Ranger District office to obtain large maps, brochures, and other helpful information from the friendly staff.

Information concerning Louisiana’s national wildlife refuges can be obtained by going to www.fws.gov/refuges and clicking on the state. This will bring up a Louisiana map depicting the names and locations of our national wildlife refuges. Click on any of these and you will be taken to the refuge’s site where you will find information including an overview of the area, recreation and education opportunities, and management activities.

Louisiana’s state wildlife refuges are managed by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Information concerning these can be found at wlf.louisiana.gov/refuges.

To learn more about the state’s sixty plus public lakes and water bodies just go to wlf.louisiana.gov/public-areas/water-bodies and find out what lake, creek, bayou, river, or reservoir may be available in your area.

Louisiana’s public lands and waters are a tremendous resource for people who want to enjoy outdoor activities but are limited in their access to private areas. I personally have visited many of these and have utilized them for hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, and canoeing. They’re great places to just “get away from it all” for a while and I encourage you to check them out.

CRAWFISH AND OIL

Crawfish and oil… no, not the ingredients to a fresh new seafood recipe, but rather, the topics of two upcoming meetings that may be of interest to area farmers and other residents.

We’re about midway into this year’s crawfish season. And with nearly four million pounds of farm raised crawfish produced annually from the tri-parish area of Assumption, Lafourche, and Terrebonne, there is always interest in maximizing the efficiency of current operations and also expanding and starting new ones. To that end, the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant produce, bi-annually, a workshop for area crawfish producers and others interested in crawfish production techniques and technologies.

Producing Crawfish 2015 will be held Tuesday, March 24 at the LSU AgCenter building located at 115 Texas Street in Raceland. This educational workshop for crawfish producers will begin at 6:00 PM and is open to all persons interested in crawfish farming. Topics to be covered will include: crawfish production & management practices, water quality & aerations systems, forages & forage management, and crawfish biology. This meeting is also a great opportunity for crawfish producers and others to network and exchange ideas. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Now for the oily part of this article. Following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, much money and research effort has been dedicated to determining the effects of the spill to the area’s natural environments. LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant researchers will be conducting a public outreach meeting for local residents to discuss oil spill toxicology, surfactants, and other relevant topics. This meeting will be held at the Houma Main Library (151 Library Drive) on Thursday, March 26, beginning at 6:00 PM. This meeting is also free and open to the public.

For more information about these programs, including flyers and agendas for the meetings, just go to bayoulog.com.

Alan Matherne is the Louisiana Sea Grant/LSU AgCenter Marine Extension Agent specializing in Coastal, Fisheries, & Wildlife Outreach for Terrebonne, Lafourch e, and Assumption parishes. He can be contacted at 985-873-6495 or amatherne@agcenter.lsu.edu. His articles and blogs are posted atbayoulog.com. You can “Friend” him on Facebook at facebook.com/alan. matherne and follow his “Tweets” on Twitter at twitter.com/amatherne.

ALAN MATHERNE

Guest Columnist

A mudbug shows off his pinchers before being tossed in a boil in Cut Off, Louisiana. Crawfish producers were given the opportunity to network and exchange ideas this past week at a free meeting that took place at the LSU AgCenter building in Raceland.

CASEY GISCLAIR | THE TIMES