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Committee approves framework for conservation-incentive grants to private landowners
Summary
House Bill 564, reported favorably May 14, 2025, would authorize the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to establish a conservation incentive program to leverage federal NRCS/USDA funds and distribute grants to private landowners for habitat projects, feral hog control, prescribed burning and other conservation activities.
On May 14, 2025, the Committee on Natural Resources reported House Bill 564 favorably. Representative Landry said the bill would authorize the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to create a conservation incentive program and seek federal matching funds, including opportunities through NRCS/USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grants.
Cole Garrett, general counsel for LDWF, told the committee the program is designed to deliver federal dollars and matching funds to private landowners—who own roughly 85–90% of the state's land—to support forest-stand improvements, managed winter water for waterfowl, prescribed burning, and feral hog control. Garrett said the bill creates the statutory framework but does not itself appropriate state funds; any state supplemental funding would be used to leverage federal grant awards.
Committee members asked about rulemaking and oversight; Garrett said program details would be set through agency rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act and would return to the committee as part of regular rule review. Representative Landry and others cited Arkansas as an example of a similar program that informed the bill’s design.
Senator Kleinpier moved to report HB 564 favorably; the committee recorded no objections and reported the bill favorably.
