Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division

Louisiana's first wildlife conservation law was passed in 1857. The agency started out in 1872[1] as an Oyster Fishing Regulatory Board, with many more oyster regulations following in the 1880s. In 1909 a more formal body was created and given the task of overseeing wildlife and fisheries conservation in Louisiana. It was at that time called the Louisiana Board of Commissioners for the Protection of Birds, Game and Fish. In 1910, the Louisiana Oyster Commission (which had been created in 1902) merged with the Board of Commissioners to create the Louisiana Department of Conservation. In 1912, the Conservation Commission of Louisiana was formed as a department of State government, with the mission of providing for the protection of birds, fish, shellfish, wild quadrupeds, forestry and mineral resources of the state. In 1918 the name of the agency changed back to the Department of Conservation, and directed that it be controlled by an officer known as the Commissioner of Conservation, who would be appointed by the Governor, by and with the consent of the Senate, for a term of four years. In 1944, the Louisiana Department of Wild Life and Fisheries was officially created. In 1952, the agency's name was changed to the name Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission. The current Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries was created in 1975.[2] The Enforcement Division eventually took over regulation of all hunting, fishing, and boating in the state of Louisiana. The agency employs over 200 Wildlife Agents.[3] In 2005, the Enforcement Division was involved in extensive search and rescue missions in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina. One of the Department's Agents, Sgt. Rachel Zechenelly, was named as one of Glamour Magazine's "2005 Women of the Year" for her role in rescue efforts[4]

The department is divided up into eight regions, with its headquarters in Baton Rouge. Each Region is divided into two or more districts. The Regions are divided as follows:

• Region 1 (Minden): covers the following Parishes (Counties): Bossier, Caddo, Desoto, Bienville, Clairborne, Red River, Webster
• Region 2 (Monroe): covers the Parishes of: Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita, Union, Morehouse, East Carroll, West Carroll, Richland, Caldwell, Franklin, Madison, Tensas
• Region 3 (Pineville): covers the Parishes of Winn, Grant, Rapides, Avoyelles, Natchitoches, Sabine, Vernon, Lasalle, Concordia, Catahoula.
• Region 4 (Opelousas): covers the Parishes of St. Landry, Pointe Coupee, Lafayette, West Baton Rouge, St. Martin (upper half), Iberville, and Iberia. This was the old Region 6.
• Region 5 (Lake Charles): covers the Parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Evangeline, Calcasieu, Cameron, Acadia, Jefferson Davis, Vermillion
• Region 6 (Thibodaux): covers the Parishes of Assumption, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary, St. Martin (lower half), and Lafourche, Terrebonne, Jefferson (Grand Isle area). This was the old Region 9.
• Region 7 (Baton Rouge): covers the Parishes of East Feliciana, West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany and Washington.
• Region 8 (New Orleans): covers the Parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, St. Charles, Plaquemines and St. Bernard

In 2010, the old Region 4 office located in Ferriday was disbanded. The parishes under its control were divided between Region 2 and Region 3, and redistributed as shown above. The Region offices numbers were also redistributed, mainly affecting the redesignation of the Opelousas and Thibodaux offices. The old Region 4 covered the following parishes: Lasalle, Concordia, Catahoula, Caldwell, Franklin, Madison, and Tensas.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Enforcement Division rank structure is as listed:

Rank	Insignia
Colonel		One individual holds the position as chief of the Enforcement Division and has the rank of colonel. The colonel wears one silver-colored eagle on each epaulet.
Lieutenant Colonel		There are two officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Lieutenant colonels wear a silver-colored oak leaf on each epaulet.
Major		Majors are responsible for a command within the Enforcement Division. Majors wear one gold-colored oak leaf on each epaulet.
Captain		The specific responsibilities of a captain vary depending upon where they are assigned within the Agency. For example, a captain may be a region commander, or hold some other responsibility if assigned to headquarters. Captains wear two gold-colored bars on each epaulet.
Lieutenant		The responsibilities of a lieutenant vary within the department. At the region level, a lieutenant is typically the commander of a district. Other lieutenants at headquarters may command a unit. Lieutenants wear gold-colored metal bars on each epaulet.
Sergeant		At the region level, sergeants are assigned to oversee a parish. At headquarters and in some specialized units they perform other functions. Sergeants wear a metal pin consisting of three gold-colored inverted chevrons on each epaulet.
Senior Agent		Agents who have served two years of satisfactory or exceptional service are promoted to the rank of senior agent. Senior agents do not wear rank insignia.
Agent		This rank is attained by cadets upon successful completion of the training academy. Agents do not wear rank insignia.
Conservation Officer		This rank was discontinued in 1999. It was created in 1997 for wildlife specialists who had transferred to the Enforcement Division from other divisions of the agency. Conservation officers wore a tab on each sleeve denoting their status.
Cadet		A cadet is a raw recruit, and is the rank held by all personnel while assigned as a student at the training academy. Cadets do not wear rank insignia.

The current standard issue firearm for wildlife enforcement agents is the SIG Sauer semi-automatic pistol in .45 ACP. Each agent is also issued a Remington 870 Police 12 gauge shotgun. Agents are also issued (since Hurricane Katrina) SIG SG 551 carbines chambered for .223 Remington. These agents also come equipped with collapsible batons and pepper spray.

Louisiana Wildlife agents patrol in a wide variety of vehicles. The main patrol vehicles are four-wheel-drive pick-up trucks made by Ford, Dodge, or General Motors. The Ford Crown Victoria "Police Interceptor." is also used in some roles. A wide variety of watercraft are employed by the agency, most notably the Boston Whaler. Several different manufacturers' 4-wheeler ATVs are also used. The Enforcement Division also utilizes several single engine fixed winged aircraft, as well as several large offshore patrol boats.

Like many other police agencies around the United States, LDWF has several sub-divisions in specialized tasks. LDWF/LED contains four specialized units with selected missions or purposes: the Special Operations Section; the Statewide Strike Force; the Maritime Special Response Team; and the Aviation Section. Agents in specialized units have developed specific skills, expertise and knowledge appropriate for their particular operational fields. Agents in specialized units operate in relatively broad geographic areas and may work alongside regional enforcement agents when appropriate.

The Special Operations Section houses covert operations in which undercover agents work to stem the illegal sale of fish and wildlife, develop information about ongoing criminal enterprises, and address major violations of state and federal law.

The Statewide Strike Force is assigned to work problem areas statewide. They devote attention to commercial fisheries operations and license fraud. Violations include smuggling, interstate commerce violations and false reporting, and under-reporting of commercial fish harvests. These agents provide regions with additional manpower on WMAs and places of high seasonal utilization, such as Grand Isle and other locations throughout the state. Strike Force agents also assist regional agents with oyster harvest enforcement, which primarily addresses harvesting oysters in closed waters, stealing from oyster leases and state grounds, and oyster size regulations.

The Maritime Special Response Team cooperative endeavor by the LDWF Enforcement Division and the Louisiana State Police SWAT team addresses maritime security threats within the state of Louisiana. The team provides a maritime tactical response capability at the state level in order to effectively provide public safety, officer safety, CBRNE prevention, and response and tactical support for LDWF's federal, state and local partners.

The Aviation Section contains two pilots and three airplanes. The Aviation Section's aircraft provide a valuable platform for detecting illegal hunting and fishing activities and frequently play a vital life-saving role in search and rescue operations. The Aviation Section also contributes its services to other divisions for biological missions, such as waterfowl counts and the monitoring of commercial fisheries.

Since its formation, 7 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents have been killed in the line of duty.[5]

• List of law enforcement agencies in Louisiana
• Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association
• Louisiana State Police
• Louisiana State Troopers Association
• Game warden

• LDWF website

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLA1umZmeck
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0JLdbRTNOU
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHzliKSxFEo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67mNWH_m60Y