SUBPART H.  DEVELOPMENT OF ATCHAFALAYA RIVER BASIN

§795.  Purchase of portions of Atchafalaya River Basin; nature, recreation and wildlife management area

A.(1)  The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is hereby authorized to purchase land from willing sellers in the Atchafalaya River Basin south of U.S. Highway 190, between the East and West Atchafalaya Protection Levees, and north of Morgan City, for the comprehensive development of a nature and recreation area out of funds appropriated for that purpose, subject to approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.  

(2)  The department is further authorized to purchase land from willing sellers in Madison, Tensas, and Franklin Parishes containing fifty thousand acres, more or less, being a portion of a tract of land known as the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company tract, subject to approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.  

(3)  The department is further authorized to purchase land from willing sellers in Concordia, Catahoula, Franklin and Tensas Parishes containing fifty-seven thousand acres, more or less, being a tract of land known as the Fisher Lumber Company tract; and if the land is conveyed to the state, the seller may retain mineral rights in all or part of said land as agreed upon between purchaser and seller.  

(4)  The department is further authorized to sell any or all portions of the lands purchased under the authorization of this Subsection, provided that the sale price is not less than the price paid by the department.  

B.  It is hereby recommended and requested that the United States Army Corps of Engineers shall, as partial mitigation for recreation losses and damages to fish and wildlife habitat and resources within the Atchafalaya River Basin due to their flood control projects, provide a tract of land within the Atchafalaya River Basin consisting of not less than 50,000 acres or two tracts of not less than 25,000 acres each, for wildlife management areas to be managed and administered by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission shall enter into negotiation and take steps to achieve the purposes of this Subsection.  

C.  One-half of all revenues derived from the sale of timber from wildlife management areas located within the Atchafalaya River Basin shall be placed in a special fund and shall be used for no other purposes than the maintenance and development of such areas.  The remaining one-half of all revenues derived from the sale of timber from such areas shall be placed to the credit of the General Fund.  

Acts 1968, No. 612, §§1-3.  Amended by Acts 1982, No. 743, §1.