Louisiana is Now Getting $12 Million a Year to Kill Nutria

The list of creatures that call Louisiana home is unfathomably long.  Some of these animals are beneficial, while others actually present a danger to the flora and/or fauna in our state.  According to wildlife officials, the gigantic swamp rat known as the Nutria belongs in the second column.

Now, thanks to Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves from Baton Rouge and President Trump, the Sportsman's Paradise now has triple the funding to help bring the population of this destructive rodent back under control.  According to the Daily Comet, the freshly signed amendment to the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003 raises the amount of federal dollars set aside for this program in Louisiana from $4 million a year to a whopping $12 million a year.

The money will not only be used to kill the huge, marsh-eating beasts - it will reportedly allow for public and private wetlands, agricultural lands and coastal marshes to be restored to their pre-chewed on states.

This isn't the first radical step the state has taken to protect delicate ecosystems from this calamitous critter.  Late last year, Louisiana upped the bounty placed on Nutria tails from $5 to $6.  In case you were unaware, the official (that means legal) Nutria season runs from Nov. 20-March 31.  Before you go on a rat-tail spree, however, I suggest you take a look at the official rules and regulations posted on the official Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries website.