The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has received a $278,821 cooperative agreement for a project to protect remnants of prairie lands along Louisiana’s southwest coast. The funding comes via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Program.
Coastal prairie remnants are biologically diverse areas that provide habitat and support for many pollinator species. The Coastal Prairie Stewardship project will include prescribed fire and chemical and mechanical brush control to improve habitat quality. This work will strengthen existing partnerships with the cattle ranching community in southwestern Louisiana by expanding the awareness of and appreciation for coastal prairies, fostering a more informed view of this habitat.
Stewardship actions will include prescribed burning and targeted herbicide application to encroaching fire-proof brush. Coastal prairie stewardship will also improve habitat for native plants and wildlife, including pollinators, and species of greatest conservation need such as mottled duck, northern bobwhite, western slender glass lizard, and western chicken turtle, to name a few. The coastal prairie remnants that will receive stewardship treatments are privately owned and used for cattle grazing. This project will strengthen partnerships between LDWF and the ranching community.
“The cooperative agreement with EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program will enable LDWF to enhance habitat quality on approximately 3,000 acres of critically imperiled coastal prairie,” said Christopher Reid. “Improving coastal prairie habitat integrity will benefit water quality in adjacent water bodies and will enhance groundwater recharge.”
“EPA appreciates the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ leadership in protecting these historic resources,” said Ben Scaggs, Director, EPA-Gulf of Mexico Program.
This cooperative agreement furthers the strategic goals and objectives of Gulf of Mexico Program and lead to a healthy and prosperous ecosystem.
