Tony Fee, 49, and James Carroll, 35, both of Pitkin, Louisiana, have been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to three (3) years of probation, with mandatory and special conditions, for unlawfully removing and damaging archeological resources at Kisatchie National Forest, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. A special condition imposed by Judge Cain prohibited Fee and Carroll from entering or using the Kisatchie National Forest during their term of probation. The defendants were also ordered to pay $5,676.56 in restitution to the United States Department of Agriculture Forestry Service.

Legislation to provide relief dollars to the logging industry in Louisiana is headed to the House floor.

House Bill 642 would create the Louisiana Loggers Relief Program to issue a total of $10 million in grants for timber harvesting and timber-hauling businesses.

Forestry is the number one industry for Winn Parish, and a top industry for the state of Louisiana. Forestry-related employment accounted for 51,874 jobs in the state. Forest industries manufacturing employers in Louisiana provide about 19,969 jobs in 2017. The Louisiana Forest Festival is important to promote and stimulate the industry for not only the economic wellbeing of Winn and surrounding parishes, but also for the state.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared April 2021 as Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month (IPPDAM). The national outreach initiative enlists the public in the fight against invasive pests. These damaging invaders threaten our nation’s food crops, forests and natural resources. IPPDAM aims to raise public awareness about this threat, which can devastate agriculture, livelihoods, and food security.

Arson fires have been burning acres of the Kisatchie National Forest, and authorities are asking the public for help in finding the culprits.

During March, firefighters have responded to around 10 wildfires within different districts of the Kisatchie National Forest, which cover 600,000 acres across seven parishes. On Tuesday, Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain said five of those fires have been in his parish.

A Louisiana woman accused of setting fires told investigators she and her boyfriend were trying to get rid of snakes, the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry says.

Robert Lee Ramirez, 34, of Leesville (map), faces two counts of arson and remained at large Tuesday, department spokesman Veronica Mosgrove said in an email.

Multiple wildfires have occurred in Grant Parish this month which have caused damage to properties and even threatened some homes.

Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain said over the last 18 days, five separate wildfires have affected the parish.

Louisiana forestry’s $1.5 billion in losses from hurricanes last year was double the amount of revenue the industry generates annually, according to an LSU AgCenter forestry expert.

Michael Blazier, LSU AgCenter forestry specialist, said the damage would be more if lost revenue, infrastructure damage and lost production during the storms are considered.