En t e rgy's River BendStation, with assistanceprovided by the Louisiana

Natural Heritage Program(LNHP), within the LouisianaDepartment of Wildlife andFisheries (LDWF), has designat-ed 550 acres of unique wilder-ness for preservation as a regis-tered natural area.

The River Bend Natural Area,located within the Tunica Hillsin West Feliciana Parish, is partof Louisiana's Natural A r e a sRegistry program, a state pro-gram designed to recognizelandowners who are activelyprotecting their natural areas.

Entergy's Forest Manager JimMonk, working with LNHPCommunity Ecologist PattiFaulkner and LNHP BotanistChris Reid, developed a management plan in 2004 to per-manently protect and enhance the property. The new nat-ural area, located in an ecoregion confined to We s tFeliciana Parish, contains deeply dissected hills with richhardwood forests dominated by Southern magnolia,American beech and American holly.

The unusual topography of the River Bend Natural Areadeveloped on deep, fertile, wind-blown silt called loessialdeposits that formed east of the Mississippi River betweenperiods of glaciation from 40,000 to 12,000 years ago. Theloessial deposits have eroded over thousands of years toform a characteristic highly-dissected landscape of high,narrow ridges, steep slopes, deep ravines and intermittentto permanent streams. Thickness of loessial deposits canvary from two to 30 feet deep and are thickest on the west-ern edge of the bluffs adjacent to the Mississippi River

Feb. 17, 2005 Volume 9, number 2

Wildlife & Fisheries CommissionWayne Sagrera, Chairman

Terry D. DenmonEarl P. King, Jr.Frederic Miller

Division AdministratorsBennie Fontenot, Inland Fisheries

Karen Foote, Marine FisheriesDavid Moreland, Wildlife

Phil Bowman, Fur & RefugeCol. Winton Vidrine, Enforcement

Henry MoutonRobert Samanie, IIIPatrick C. Morrow

LDWF AdministrationDwight Landreneau, SecretaryJanice Lansing, Undersecretary

John Roussel, Assistant SecretaryW. Parke Moore III, Assistant Secretary

L.D.W.F. AND ENTERGY'S RIVER BEND STATION TEAM UP TOPRESERVE RIVER BEND NATURAL AREA

floodplain. These dissected hillshave sustained localized popula-tions of some A p p a l a c h i a nspecies, primarily herbaceous,thought to have originallymigrated south ahead of advanc-ing glaciers in the past ice age.

Relic populations of numerousspecies more common in theAppalachian Mountains, Ozarksand areas northward still occurtoday in the Tunica Hills. Theregion is considered to be one ofthe most species-rich uplandhardwood forests in the entirecontinental United States.Currently, there are 20 rare stateplant species that have the poten-tial to occur within the RiverBend Natural Area, including theonly known Louisiana locationsof wild ginseng and Canada wildg i n g e r. A d d i t i o n a l l y, 14 rarestate animals are known to occur

here such as the rare Webster's salamander, the Easternchipmunk and the timber rattlesnake.

The Louisiana Natural Areas Registry was created by theLegislature in 1987 and it is maintained by the Natural

continued on page 2

Tunica Hills’ Wilderness

Feb. 17, 2005 page 2

RIVER BEND NATURAL AREA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Heritage Program (LNHP), foundedin 1984 through a partnership with thestate of Louisiana and The NatureC o n s e r v a n c y. The Natural A r e a sRegistry enables LDWF to recognizecontributions made by Louisiana citi-zens in protecting our state's naturallegacy. The registry program relieson citizen-based conservation and thewillingness of landowners to safe-guard the best that remains of our nat-ural world. Today, there are morethan 36,000 acres registered by pri-vate, industrial and governmentlandowners.

L N H P is also a part of theNatureServe Network. This networkwas designed to gather, organize anddistribute standardized, detailed infor-mation on the biological diversityacross all 50 U.S. states, Canada, andparts of Latin America.

To find information on the NaturalAreas Registry, go to the LDWF web-site at www. w l f . l o u i s i a n a . g o v.A d d i t i o n a l l y, for information onNatureServe go to their Web page atwww.natureserve.org. To learn moreabout Entergy's environmental com-

mitments and actions, go tow w w. e n t e rg y. c o m / o u r _ c o m m u n i t y / e nvironment.aspx.

For more information on the NaturalA reas Registry Program, contact:Judy Jones, Natural Areas RegistryProgram at 225-765-2822 or natu -ralareas@wlf.louisiana.gov, or PattiFaulkner, Natural Heritage Program,LA Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, at2 2 5 - 7 6 5 - 2 9 7 5 ,p f a u l k n e r @ w l f . l o u i s i a n a . g o v. Sitephotos are available upon request.

2006 PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE 2006-07 HUNTING SEASON

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisherieshas announced meeting dates and locations for pub-lic review and comment on the 2006-07 Hunting

Season Rules and Regulations for Resident Small Gameand Deer.

March 13 at 6:30 p.m.Alexandria, Alexandria Convention HallThe City of Alexandria Convention Hall is within the CityHall Building located on Third St.

March 14 at 6 p.m.Opelousas, Yambilee CenterDirections: Go through Opelousas on Hwy 190 west.When the two lane opens up to a four lane on Hwy. 190west, the Yambilee building will be on the left.

March 16 at 7 p.m.Winnsboro, Council on Aging Bld. The Franklin Parish Council on Aging Building is on 714Adams St., Winnsboro.

March 20 at 7 p.m.Bossier City, Bossier Civic Center, 620 Benton RoadPhone number 318-741-8900.

March 20 at 7 p.m.Ruston, Ruston Civic Center

Directions: Exit I-20 at the US 167 Exit. Go South on US167 (North Trenton Street) to the Ruston Civic Center signon the right at 401 North Trenton Street.

March 23 at 6:30 p.m.Lake Charles, LSU Agriculture CenterThe LSU Extension Service Office located at 7101 GulfHighway in Lake Charles, next to the Burton Coliseum.

March 23 at 6:30 p.m.Baton Rouge, LDWF HQ, La. RoomLDWF is located at 2000 Quail Dr. off of Perkins Road.

March 23 at 6 p.m.Houma, Houma Municipal Auditorium, 880 Verret St.Directions: Go down West Tunnel Blvd., turn left onBarrow St., go to Verret St., turn right, MunicipalAuditorium a few blocks down on the right. PhoneNumber 985-873-6543.

March 30 at 6:30 p.m.Hammond, SLU University Center, Room 133 Directions: I-55 North to Exit 32 (University Avenue) exitright (east), continue east to the second traffic light,University Center is on the left.

For more information, contact Jimmy Anthony at 225-765-2347 or janthony@wlf.louisiana.gov.

Feb. 17, 2005 page 3

PRO ANGLER PLEADS GUILTY TO CHEATING IN TOURNAMENT

ALee's Summit, Mo. man pledguilty to contest fraud on Jan.25, 2006 in Natchitoches

Parish for cheating during aBassmaster fishing tournament on theRed River in November.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife andFisheries Enforcement Divisionagents arrested Paul E. Tormanen, 39,on Nov. 11, 2005 after he weighed in ablack bass at the CITGO BassmasterCentral Open. The fish had beencaught prior to the tournament.

B.A.S.S. officials had alerted LDWFagents to the possibility of contestfraud after they were contacted by afisherman who had snagged one of thefish while practicing for the upcomingevent.

Agents secretly marked the fish andreturned it to the stump where it hadbeen found. On Nov. 10, To r m a n e nbrought the marked fish to the scalesat the Grand Ecore boat launch and

had it officially weighed in to counttoward the total weight of his catch.B.A.S.S. officials informed agents andthe investigation continued. A f t e rweighing in his next days catch,Tormanen was questioned by agents.He admitted to catching several bassbefore the tournament and tying themto stumps in order to weigh them induring the tournament.

Judge Eric Harrington from the 10thJudicial District accepted To r m a n e n ' s

guilty plea and issued a suspendedsentence of six months in the parishjail, fined him $588.50 and placed himon probation for two years. In addi-tion, Harrington ordered Tormanen toperform 120 hours of community serv-ice through an approved wildlife andfisheries organization and banned himfrom participating in any fishing tour-nament where prizes are awarded dur-ing the period of his probation.Harrington also ordered Tormanen topay restitution in the amount of $3,000to B.A.S.S., LLC.

Agents participating in the case wereLt. Richie McCarthy, Lt. Bill Ty r e e ,Sgts. Chuck Dison and Patrick Staggsand Senior Agents Eric Droddy andBilly Shoemaker. Natchitoches ParishDistrict Attorney Van Kysar prosecut-ed the case.

For more information, contact Lt. Col.Keith LaCaze atklacaze@wlf.louisiana.gov or 225-7 6 5 - 2 4 6 9 .

L.D.W.F. AGENT HONORED BY VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS The Department of Louisiana Veterans of Foreign Wa r s(VFW) honored Louisiana Department of Wildlife andFisheries Enforcement Division Sgt. Darren Bruce fromWest Carroll Parish with a “Law Enforcement Officers ofthe Year” award on Jan. 28.

Bruce was one of three enforcement officers selected fromvarious law enforcement agencies across the state for thisprestigious award.

Law Enforcement Division Administrator Col. Wi n t o nVidrine commended Bruce on his award. “Sgt. Bruce is adedicated law enforcement officer and is respected through-out his community for his professional service to the public.We are proud to have him as one of our officers.”

The award presentation occured in conjunction with theVeterans of Foreign Wars, Mid-Winter Conference inAlexandria under the direction of V F W Commander To mKijak. Bruce had previously been honored as a MorehouseParish Officer of the year in March 2005 at the BastropV F W Post, which led him to the state competition.

Bruce is an eight-year veteran of the LDWF EnforcementDivision and received the award for his outstanding serviceand job performance. V F W Junior Vi c e - C o m m a n d e rClayton DeFreese Jr., V F W Post 2277 of Bastrop, present-ed Bruce with the award.

For more information contact Lt. Col. Keith LaCaze at kla -caze@wlf.louisiana.gov or 225-765-2469.

Feb. 17, 2005 page 4

For the latest news, maps and information, visit the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries web site: www.wlf.louisiana.gov.

LOUISIANA'S WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN RECEIVES APPROVAL

LDWF has announced that the agency's Wi l d l i f eAction Plan -- A Comprehensive Wi l d l i f eConservation Strategy, was approved by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).Future federal funding for State Wildlife Grants (SWG)

was contingent on plan approval. LDWF's strategy wasaccepted in its initial submittal following a two yearstatewide planning process that concluded in 2005.

“The federal government made the commitment to theconservation of all wildlife species with state wildlife grantfunding in 2002 and Louisiana's Wildlife Action Plan re-a ffirms the state's commitment to being a conscientioussteward of the total resource,” said Dwight Landreneau,LDWF secretary.

SWG funds are federal dollars derived from the Landand Water Conservation Fund and distributed by theUSFWS Department of Interior. The funds are distributedp r o p o r t i o n a l l y, based on each state's geographic and popu-lation size and provide for the research and program solu-tions for wildlife species that are not hunted, fished ortrapped. Annual SWG funding in recent years has averaged$900,000 for LDWF programs and research.

State-level action developed by SWG fund use can pre-vent more species from becoming listed on the threatenedor endangered species list - a designation that brings strictfederal land and water usage regulation which restricts pri-vate property use and development.

“Our successes in non-game species recovery eff o r t sprove the value of program funding in this area,” said GaryL e s t e r, Natural Heritage Program coordinator. “LDWFbiologists had significant roles in the re-population ofspecies such as the brown pelican and the Louisiana blackb e a r, and recovery research on the pallid sturg e o n . ”

The plan approved by USFWS details Louisiana's habi-tat value as a permanent or temporary home to over 900species of vertebrate animals and an unknown number ofinvertebrates. Ecosystems from the diverse coastal marsh-es to interior pine-dominated landscapes are inhabited by avariety of wildlife including 24 million migrant songbirdson a typical spring day to five million waterfowl during anaverage winter. Over 200 rookeries for wading birds andseabirds are contained within the state's borders.

LDWF broadened its constituency base in the develop-ment of the action plan. In addition to continuing its rela-tionship with hunters and fishermen, the department con-ducted outreach meetings with the Nature Conservancy,Audubon Society, Louisiana Forestry Association, and allfederal and state agencies with interest in natural resources.

More than 325 Conservation Actions or strategies weredeveloped in seven focus group meetings held across thestate with invited conservation organizations, forestry andwildlife associations, federal and state agencies, industry,universities and private citizens.

To review the Louisiana Wildlife Action Plan - AComprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, go toh t t p : / / w w w.wlf.louisiana.gov and click on the link underA B O U T L D W F.For more information, contact Gary Lester at 225-765-2823 or glester@wlf.louisiana.gov.

HUNTER ED. CARDS ON INTERNETInstead of calling or visiting LDWF to retrieve a lost huntereducation card, you can now request a temporary or dupli-cate card at LDWF's Web site at www. w l f . l o u i s i a n a . g o v.

After going to LDWF's homepage, click on the “HuntingInformation” link. Next, click the “Hunter Ed. Courses”link. Last, click the “Online” link under the “Lost Yo u rHunter Education Card” heading and fill in your first, mid-dle and last name, birth date and zip code as it appeared ontheir lost card and then hit submit.

After submitting the form, hunters can print a temporaryhunters education card and request a duplicate card, whichwould be received by mail in two weeks.

“This system allows hunters who lost their hunters ed.card after hours on a Friday to print a temporary card, whichwill let hunters legally purchase a hunting license. Wi t h o u tthis system, hunters would have to wait until Monday duringwork hours to call LDWF,” LDWF Hunter Ed. ProgramManager John Sturgis said.

LDWF does not charge for duplicate cards, and the cardscan also be requested by calling 225-765-2932. For more information, contact John Sturgis at 225-765-5448or jsturg i s @ w l f . l o u i s i a n a . g o v.