Louisiana
Louisiana considers creating hunting season for once-endangered black bears
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A resurgence in Louisiana’s black bear population has sparked discussion among state officials about a hunting season for the animal, which was taken off the endangered species list in 2015.
“We can certainly have a conservative harvest in limited areas,” John Hanks, manager of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries large carnivore program, said at a public hearing Thursday. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission will likely hold a vote in November to create a bear hunting season, The Shreveport Times reported.
A Louisiana black bear hunt in 1902 inspired the iconic Teddy bear toy, when President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that was tied to a tree by members of his hunting party. That refusal, when publicized, led to the creation of the teddy bear.
Black bears had all but disappeared from the state by the 1950s and 1960s, but wildlife experts say they’ve counted at least 1,212 bears in just the Mississippi Delta and the Atchafalaya Basin.
However, Hanks said the current estimate is probably 80% to 90% of the bear population, and the animals can be found across the state with the largest population in the Tensas National Wildlife Refuge.
The species’ recovery in Louisiana has been celebrated, but conservation groups filed a lawsuit in 2018 to get the bears back on the endangered list.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used “false assumptions and shoddy science” to make its decision to delist the bears, according to the lawsuit by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Atchafalaya Basinkeeper.
The suit also contends the bears still need federal protection, saying recovery corridors don’t connect true native populations — a requirement for delisting — and that the estimated population is inflated.
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We write about solar microgrids all the time, but we seldom feature specific projects and how they are helping real, live humans. The video below does a great job of highlighting a small project in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“What do solar panels and battery-powered microgrids have to do with protecting the unique culture of New Orleans? Meet the local organization turning restaurants into disaster recovery centers using community solar microgrids — and charting a way forward for a just energy transition in the American South,” On the Brink writes.
“Feed the Second Line’s Get Lit Stay Lit program is protecting the soul and fabric of the city with community solar microgrids,” Nexus Media adds.
About the broader series, On the Brink writes, “‘Facing Down the Fossils’ is a series about the people who are dealing with generational consequences of the pollution and economic damage caused by the fossil fuel industry and who now face the prospect of even more fossil fuel projects in the United States. In response, these communities are not only standing up to wrongdoing but also leading the effort to advance clean energy production. The project takes viewers to these communities to hear from the people who have dedicated themselves to fighting injustice in opposition to governments and multinational organizations. In the process, the episodes reveal what has been lost, what can be saved, and what might be gained in these vibrant neighborhoods, communities, and ecosystems. ”
Well, nothing replaces watching the video, so just go do that.
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Few states take college athletics more seriously than Louisiana—and the Pelican State is reportedly proving that with a crusade designed to reduce teen vaping.
Per a Wednesday morning report from Piper Hutchinson of the Louisiana Illuminator citing public records, Louisiana’s government is using money from a settlement with Juul to do a series of anti-vaping NIL deals with college athletes in the state.
“According to public records, the state so far has agreed to spend $281,000 on NIL deals with athletes, with $225,000 going to LSU athletes over three years,” Hutchinson wrote.
In addition to the Tigers, Louisiana is said to be engaging athletes at Grambling, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Northwestern State, and Southeastern Louisiana.
The $10 million settlement “can be used for research, education, and vaping cessation programs, among other things,” per Hutchinson.
Given the sheer visibility of college sports and college athletes in Louisiana, the state government will have a powerful ally.
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