§ 36:602 — Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; creation; domicile; composition; purposes and functions

A. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is created and shall be a body corporate with the power to sue and be sued. The domicile of the department shall be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. However, the Seafood Division, within the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, shall remain located in the city of New Orleans.
B. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries through its offices and officers, shall control and supervise all wildlife of the state, including fish and all other aquatic life, and shall execute the laws enacted for the control and supervision of programs relating to the management, protection, conservation, and replenishment of wildlife, fish, and aquatic life in the state, and the regulation of the shipping of wildlife, fish, furs, and skins.
The department shall also be responsible for the conservation and management of all renewable resources on all wildlife management areas, wildlife refuges, scenic rivers, and wildlife preserves that it may own or lease. The department shall also exercise such powers and perform such functions as required with regard to all other duties delegated by law.
Leasing of nonrenewable state owned resources will be carried out on such wildlife management areas, refuges, preserves and scenic rivers only with the concurrence of the department and only after appropriate rules and regulations have been adopted to minimize damages to fish and wildlife habitat.
C.(1) The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall be composed of the executive office of the secretary, the office of management and finance, the office of wildlife, the office of fisheries, and such other offices as shall be created by law.
(2) Whenever the secretary determines that the administration of the functions of the department may be more efficiently performed by eliminating, merging, or consolidating existing offices or establishing new offices, he shall present a plan therefor to the legislature for its approval by statute.
{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1987, NO. 736, §3.}}
{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1988, NO. 784, §3.}}

Legislative History

Acts 1976, No. 513, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 83, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1979, No. 449, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1980. Acts 1984, No. 179, §2; Acts 1987, No. 736, §1; Acts 1988, No. 784, §2.