Document Type

Honors Thesis

Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Abstract

Wetlands are protected, managed, and restored worldwide to provide a range of ecosystem services, including (i) habitat for plants and animals, (ii) carbon storage, (iii) improving downstream water quality, and (iv) reducing flooding by river and coastal waters. When did such conservation begin, and how do early conservation efforts shape recent public policy? This thesis identifies some of the earliest recorded examples of private efforts in Louisiana and analyzes how these early efforts shaped State and Federal Government action in the realm of conservation. The earliest wetland protection efforts in Louisiana began in the 1910s to sustain continental populations of migratory birds. By 1921, over 170,000 acres were donated to the state government by wealthy Americans nationwide. The actions by several of these individuals fit the mold of what we would now classify as a policy entrepreneur. After beginning as an endeavor led by wealthy individuals, conservation efforts shifted to government-led conservation at the state and national level, with the creation of wetland management areas and state and national bureaucracies dedicated to management. Policy at the state and federal level in the 1980s, including legislation and funding, appears to have been catalyzed by a coalition of private citizens acting as policy entrepreneurs representing interests ranging from those of commercial fishers in coastal Louisiana to national organizations interested in wildlife conservation.

Awardee Name

Roan Guidry

Academic Major

Political Science & Philosophy

Project Mentor

Belinda Davis

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