WHEREAS, the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Streams Program was established to protect outstanding natural resource waters and their riparian habitats, and
WHEREAS, it has become the practice by some users on some scenic streams to drive vehicles along the banks and on the beds for recreation, and
WHEREAS, operating vehicles on the banks and beds of scenic streams encourages erosion of the banks, bottoms and sandbars of the streams, contributing to stream turbidity, degradation of habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species of plants and animals, and impairment of the scenic quality of the stream, all contrary to the purposes of the Louisiana Scenic Streams Act, and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), as administrator of the Louisiana Scenic Streams Program, has the authority to prohibit or limit uses of scenic streams that are inconsistent with the purposes of the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Streams Act, and
WHEREAS, in cooperation with the private riparian owners, it is appropriate to limit the use of vehicles on the banks and bottoms of scenic streams and prohibit such use as necessary to protect the habitat and scenic quality of scenic streams, and
WHEREAS, in November of 2010, the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation adopted a position in support of regulating the use of vehicles on the banks and bottoms of scenic streams in anticipation of rulemaking by the LDWF.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation supports restricting the use of vehicles on the banks and beds of designated scenic streams, in cooperation with the private riparian landowners, and prohibiting such uses when necessary to preserve the habitat and scenic qualities of Louisiana’s Scenic Streams.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in Convention Assembled, March 20, 2011 in Alexandria, Louisiana