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State Mineral and Energy Board Holds March Meeting

Mineral Lease Sale Brings Approximately $11.5 Million

BATON ROUGE – The State Mineral and Energy Board conducted its monthly meeting and lease sale Wednesday in the LaBelle Room of the LaSalle Office Building in Baton Rouge.

The Board collected more than $11.5 million in bonuses in the March sale, bringing the total collected for FY 10-11 to more than $35.9 million.  For the calendar year, the total is more than $14.3 million. 

At this month’s lease sale, the Board awarded 32 leases covering more than 15,000 acres, out of 155 nominated tracts covering more than 232,000 acres.

The Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Loggy Bayou Wildlife Management Area owned by LDWF, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana State Land Office garnered over $9.4 million in the March lease sale.

“In Louisiana’s sportsman’s paradise, it makes good sense to dedicate a portion of the income from nonrenewable resources to manage our renewable resources such as fish and wildlife,” said DNR Secretary Scott Angelle.

“In a tight budget year, the mineral revenues generated in the March sale will help us maintain Louisiana’s incredible natural and wildlife resources, both at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and in other statewide projects,” said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham.  “Now, more than ever, it is important to continue to invest in our natural resources and the rich fish and wildlife populations across our state.  These mineral lease sales allow us to continue to be the premier destination for America’s sportsmen and women without placing a burden on the state’s taxpayers. 

Funds from the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge will be deposited to the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge Trust Fund and Protection Fund.  Funds from the Loggy Bayou Wildlife Management Area will be deposited to the LDWF Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund is LDWF’s primary operating fund; it does not utilize State General Funds.

The Board sold leases in Acadia, Avoyelles, Bossier, Cameron, DeSoto, East Feliciana, Plaquemines, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, Terrebonne and Vermilion parishes.  Of the 32 tracts awarded, two were in north Louisiana and 30 were located in the southern parishes.

March Mineral Lease Sale Data