Delta Waterfowl Applauds Louisiana Governor and Legislature for Investing in Conservation

Measures will restore and create critical wintering waterfowl habitat to attract and hold more ducks and geese

BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — Waterfowl and waterfowl hunters will benefit greatly from recent conservation measures supported by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and the state Legislature.

During the recently completed 2025 legislative session, $29 million was secured to fund levee restoration at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area in Vermilion Parish. Also, on separate unanimous votes, the legislature established the Conservation Incentive Program to enhance the amount of winter water on the landscape and made a beneficial change to the state’s Duck Stamp Program.

“The recently completed legislative session was a huge victory for waterfowl conservation, featuring a number of big wins,” said Jeffrey Wardlaw, Delta Waterfowl senior manager of government affairs for the southern Mississippi Flyway. “We applaud Gov. Landry and the legislature for making a strong investment in conservation. This is definitely the best session in years for Louisiana duck hunters.”

Through the leadership of Gov. Landry, $29 million has been secured through the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Master Plan to restore a key levee at White Lake, a 71,905-acre wetland in Southwest Louisiana that has historically provided wintering waterfowl habitat and important access for duck hunters. An additional $5 million has been allocated to help construct rip rap along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to stabilize the banks, keep saltwater out, and prevent erosion.

The Legislature passed and Gov. Landry signed House Bill 564, a measure to create a Conservation Incentive Program in Louisiana. CIP will be established as a grant program to increase the amount of water on agricultural lands to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl, as well as to manage private wetlands for waterfowl.

“CIP could add an immense amount of food for wintering waterfowl by keeping water on rice fields,” Wardlaw said. “It also encourages producers to continue to grow rice in Louisiana. That’s good for ducks and duck hunters.”

House Bill 204 removes Louisiana’s State Duck Stamp as a regulatory license requirement to hunt waterfowl and eliminates a fixed price for a duck stamp. The new law allows the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to sell state duck stamps and related artwork to generate additional revenue for waterfowl conservation.

“It’s a small change that should result in more money for duck production and wetland habitat,” Wardlaw said.

Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.

For more information, contact Jeffrey Wardlaw at jwardlaw@deltawaterfowl.org.