The cooperative endangered species conservation fund (section 6 of the endangered species act) provides funding to states and territories for the implementation of conservation projects on listed,…

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has been awarded a $123,800.61 Project Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.615). The funding will support conservation efforts for two threatened and endangered species in Louisiana - the Louisiana pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni) and the Louisiana quillwort (Isoetes louisianensis). For the Louisiana pinesnake, LDWF will conduct population monitoring using box-trap-arrays and camera-trap-arrays to inform the species' status. For the Louisiana quillwort, LDWF will perform traditional surveys to collect data on population size, health, and potential threats, and will also pilot the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to improve survey efficacy. This information will be used to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 5-year review of the endangered quillwort species. The grant has a performance period from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.

The cooperative endangered species conservation fund (section 6 of the endangered species act) provides funding to states and territories for the implementation of conservation projects on listed, candidate, and at-risk species and rare habitats occurring on non-federal lands. The louisiana department of wildlife and fisheries (ldwf) seeks 2024-2025 traditional section 6 funding to (1) administer, plan, and implement conservation on endangered, threatened, and at-risk flora and fauna of the state of louisiana (2) coordinate with USFWS, seafwa, and other conservation partners and (3) participate in USFWS species status assessments. The funding will support monitoring efforts for one federally threatened species the louisiana pinesnake (pituophis ruthveni) and one federally endangered species - the louisiana quillwort (isoetes louisianensis). Louisiana pinesnake data will be collected using box-trap-arrays and cameratrap-arrays, and this information will be used to inform the status of the species. Louisiana quillwort will be surveyed using traditional survey methods, and data including population size, health, and potential threats will be collected and analyzed. This information will be used to inform the USFWS 5-year review of the species. Water samples will also be collected and filtered to collect environmental DNA (edna), using established edna protocols developed by USFWS. This part of the project is a pilot study that is an effort to develop new survey techniques that can maximize efficacy of quillwort surveys.