WHEREAS, some marshlands that provide important fish and wildlife habitat have submerged aquatic vegetation, soft or fluid bottoms, floating and emergent aquatic vegetation and other characteristics that make them unique and productive habitats, but cause them to be vulnerable to damage from the operation of mud-boats and watercraft driven by devices that propel the craft by surface drives, and
WHEREAS, with the rate of marshland loss currently occurring in Louisiana, every reasonable precaution should be taken to avoid gratuitous or incidental marshland damage and loss due to boating, hunting, fishing and other pursuits of outdoor recreation, and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has proposed limitations on the operation of certain types of watercraft on public wildlife areas to avoid habitat damage and to preserve the quality of the marshlands and waters that provide habitat for fish and other wildlife on those areas.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) supports reasonable restrictions on the use of mud-boats and surface drive motors on public Wildlife Management Areas and Refuges as needed to protect fish and wildlife habitat from degradation and loss.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LWF encourages governing agencies to develop objective public marshland criteria that denotes where surface drives and mud-boats should be prohibited for public marshland use.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LWF encourages the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, in conjunction with other state and federal agencies, to study the impact of surface drives and mud-boats on public marshlands.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in Convention Assembled, March 20, 2011 in Alexandria, Louisiana