Fisheries Disaster Assistance

Fisheries are susceptible to various factors that may result in abrupt and unforeseen losses, for which support may be available to the affected fishing industry. Hurricanes, oil spills, floods, algal blooms, drought, and other environmental causes have produced fishery failures.

The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides funds appropriated by Congress for events declared as fishery disasters. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) plays a key role in determining whether an event should be deemed a fishery disaster and allocating federal funding to affected fishing communities.

Boating and Fishing Access Grants

LDWF administers two grant programs that provide funding for approved applicants to improve boating and fishing access opportunities. The Boating and Fishing Access Program and the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program are funded through the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program

State and Tribal Wildlife Grants

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program (SWG) provides federal funding to the states for conservation of nongame species and their habitat. The goal of the program is to prevent these species from being listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This important program supports the conservation of species that are not hunted or fished, many of which had no previous source of conservation funding

Target Range Grant Program

The Target Range Grant Program supports the development of safe, public, and accessible shooting facilities in Louisiana to provide and promote:

• Additional recreational shooting and archery opportunities to the citizens of Louisiana
• Safe and responsible firearms ownership and use
• Shooting sports participation
• Locations for recreational shooters, hunters, and archers to practice their skills within reasonable proximity to their homes.

Boat Sewage Disposal/Clean Vessel Act Grants

Clean water is important to all of us. One way to improve water quality is to stop discharging sewage overboard. Sewage discharges are unsightly and contain disease-causing microorganisms which can contaminate shellfish beds and areas used for swimming, skiing, and fishing. Decaying sewage can also degrade aquatic habitats by reducing oxygen levels. 

Louisiana Outdoors Forever 

The purpose of this program is to provide funding for outdoor conservation projects in the State of Louisiana. The fund for the Louisiana Outdoors Forever Program is established within the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.