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In partnership with Trust for Public Land, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) established a new 1,642.5-acre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Washington Parish. The Bogue Chitto WMA will become LDWF’s 53rd WMA and the only one in Washington Parish, located along the west bank of the Bogue Chitto south of the town of Franklinton and Bogue Chitto State Park.

Bogue Chitto WMA was created in part due to funding from the Louisiana Outdoor Forever Fund, a program established during the 2022 legislative session to provide funding for outdoor conservation projects in the State of Louisiana.

”We are proud to add another prime property to our WMA program while also highlighting the Louisiana Outdoors Forever program and our conservation partners,” said LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth. “We are excited to bring a new WMA to an area lacking in public opportunity for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation and hope that this new WMA will inspire a love for the outdoors in the Washington Parish community.”

“It’s great to see the recently created Louisiana Outdoors Forever fund creating another public space like the Bogue Chitto WMA, for Louisianans to access the rich wildlife and unmatched beauty found along the iconic Bogue Chitto,” said Stacey Shankle, Mid-South Program Director for Trust for Public Land. “It’s truly one of those natural treasures that makes Louisiana special, and we’re proud to work together with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to ensure everyone has access.”

This WMA includes approximately 6.5 miles of riverfront along the Bogue Chitto, with extensive bottomland forests and rugged forested hills. The Bogue Chitto and it’s riverbottoms provide habitat for many wildlife species, including popular game species like deer, wild turkey, and squirrel, as well as many non-game species. The bottomlands include a number of small lakes as well as the Bogue Chitto itself, which is popular for fishing, paddling and swimming.

LDWF anticipates that this site will be open to the public on July 1, 2025. Once open, the public will be able to enjoy hunting (available game species to be announced soon), fishing, hiking, paddling, wildlife viewing and photography.

LDWF and TPL would like to thank project partners for their support: Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation/Restore the Earth Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation-Louisiana Chapter, Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation, and The AES Corporation.