Louisiana Department Of Wildlife And Fisheries

Louisiana Department Of Wildlife And Fisheries, a state government agency and child entity of the State of Louisiana, operates as the prime recipient for federal grants supporting wildlife conservation, fisheries management, boating safety, and habitat restoration across Louisiana, with minimal federal contract activity. The agency holds 649 prime awards (98% of its footprint) and 11 sub-awards, predominantly in the form of federal grants rather than federal contracts.

The agency's federal award portfolio centers on conservation and natural resource management work funded through federal grant programs. The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4 dominates the customer base with 285 awards carrying $703 thousand in combined potential value, followed by the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (national office) with 242 awards and $197 thousand in potential value. The Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Coast Guard each represent smaller customer segments of 35, 20, and 20 awards respectively. These five agencies account for 91% of awards across the portfolio.

Representative grant work includes a $12 million Cooperative Agreement from NOAA under the Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Grant Competition (CFDA 11.473) to acquire and permanently protect approximately 3,330 acres of critical coastal habitat in Cameron Parish adjacent to the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge; a $24.84 million Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611) Formula Grant from USFWS Region 4 for operation and maintenance of Louisiana's Wildlife Management Areas, species management research, and technical assistance to private landowners, with sub-awards distributed to Mississippi State University, University of Georgia Research Foundation, Tennessee Technological University, and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center for specialized research; and a $2.34 million Boating Safety Financial Assistance program (CFDA 97.012) Formula Grant from the U.S. Coast Guard to support boating safety education, enforcement, facility improvements, and vessel numbering programs through September 30, 2028. The agency also receives formula grants from USFWS Region 4 under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605) for freshwater and marine fisheries monitoring and management, aquatic nuisance vegetation control, hunter education and recruitment, and public education regarding aquatic resources, with multiple individual grants ranging from $151 thousand to $3.4 million annually. The Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service funds the agency through cooperative agreements for wildlife habitat restoration and technical assistance under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (CFDA 10.931) and related conservation programs. The agency operates as pass-through entity and prime recipient across these awards, directing portions of funding to sub-recipients including universities, Ducks Unlimited, and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission for species monitoring, habitat restoration, and fisheries data collection.

Activity has declined from a peak of 41 awards in 2023 to 10 awards in 2026 year-to-date, representing a significant contraction in annual award volume. Forty-three awards carrying $497 thousand in combined potential value face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating recompete exposure across the boating safety, wildlife restoration, and State Wildlife Grants program portfolios.

The agency also maintains two small federal purchase orders from the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service for electricity cost reimbursement and facility utility costs at federal field offices in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana, totaling approximately $598 thousand, with one extending to September 30, 2028. These contracts operate on a firm fixed-price basis with no small business set-asides. In its sub-award role, the agency receives pass-through funding from the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and Homeland Security & Emergency Management for fisheries data collection, blue crab and flounder monitoring programs, and emergency protective measures related to hurricanes and COVID-19 relief.