Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries personnel won’t be caged as closely now. Yesterday marked the official opening of the department’s new office at 1025 Tom Watson Road in Lake Charles.

The former location on N. Lake Shore Drive was built almost 70 years ago and offered 6,000 square feet. The new Southwest Louisiana LDWF headquarters has 10,000 square feet, according to LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet.

  “Staff was crammed in the office, giving everything they had every day, often working four people in a small office. That was pretty tough,” Montoucet said.

LDWF Biologist Manager Sean Kinney has been with the department for over 20 years. He said about 40 employees will work from this location and this is the first time the department has ever had a conference room. Boater safety and other education classes can now be held on site, and the new lab accommodates the study of fish, wildlife and disease specimens.

The Secretary claimed the building design was five years in the making, and the final location would have been impossible to “land” without Chennault International, the City of Lake Charles, legislators such as Mark Abraham and Governor Edwards. The $3 million construction was funded by the state.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said in his role as mayor he has learned the difference between trying to make something happen in the government versus the private sector, but in this case, “the puzzle pieces came together.”

“The city, for many years, has wanted to have a better utilization and development of our lakefront,” Hunter said. “LDWF for many years has wanted a building that’s more accommodating and up to date. Chennault is always wanting to increase the amount of activity on their property out here.”

Chennault International Executive Director Kevin Melton committed to the kind of teamwork that would ensure the LDWF’s success in its new spot, part of ongoing plans to create a sustainable community “not just for next year or five years down the road, but for the next 10, 20, 50 years down the road.”

The new location will provide a first responders staging facility for Acadia Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, Evangeline and Vermillion parishes and state of the art technology to provide continuous communications with all local, state and federal agencies. It is in a centralized location close to the Louisiana State Police, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and the National Guard facility currently under construction at Chennault.