LWF urges support for Proposition No. 4

Dear Editor:

When Louisiana citizens vote Tuesday, they will have the opportunity to direct state revenue to water quality improvement, habitat enhancement, conservation and public recreation projects in the iconic symbol of the Sportsman’s Paradise – the great Atchafalaya Basin in south central Louisiana.

Proposition No. 4 proposes to share a greater portion of state revenue from the severance of oil and gas resources with the parishes where the minerals are produced and direct up to $10 million annually in state revenue from the severance of oil/gas produced from state lands and waterbottoms within the Atchafalaya Basin to the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund.

Coupled with recent legislation revising and upgrading the project selection and implementation processes of the Department of Natural Resources’ Atchafalaya Basin Program, the new funding will enable the accomplishment of the public access, conservation easement, water management and public recreation goals of the State Master Plan for the Atchafalaya Basin, which was widely endorsed by conservation groups and adopted by the Legislature almost 10 years ago.

The concept of investing the wealth generated from the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources in the restoration, enhancement, conservation and management of renewable natural resources like the fish, wildlife, land and water resources of the Atchafalaya Basin is a fundamental concept of wise resource stewardship.

Accordingly, the Louisiana Wildlife Federation supports Proposition No. 4 on the 2008 general election ballot and urges its adoption by the citizens of the state.

Randy P. Lanctot,

Executive Director

Louisiana Wildlife Federation