Kennedy, Boozman, colleagues to Interior Sec. Burgum: Declining duck population hurts Louisiana hunting season, economy

WASHINGTON - Following the end of the 2025-26 duck hunting season, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and five Republican colleagues in encouraging Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to continue working to combat declines in North America's waterfowl population.

The current downturn, caused in large part by droughts in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Great Plains, has disrupted the hunting seasons and economies of Mississippi Flyway states like Louisiana.

"We are . . . increasingly concerned about continued declines in duck populations and strongly urge continued stewardship of the National Wildlife Refuge System-particularly USFWS conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region-as the foundation for long-term population recovery," the senators explained in their letter to Burgum.

"The USFWS 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report estimates 34 million breeding ducks, a figure below the long-term average and well below highs," the Republicans wrote.

"This decline can be attributed to drought conditions in the Prairie Pothole Region, where pond counts have fallen below average in three of the last four years," they continued.

"If these conditions persist, hunters could face shorter seasons and reduced limits. These outcomes would diminish hunting opportunities and harm rural economies, especially in Mississippi Flyway states such as Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi," the lawmakers added.

"For generations, hunters and conservationists have invested in the National Wildlife Refuge System to sustain waterfowl populations and preserve America's hunting heritage. As Secretary of the Interior and Chair of the MBCC, we encourage you to continue stewarding these investments-particularly Prairie Pothole Region easements-to support waterfowl, rural economies, and the future of duck hunting," the senators concluded.

Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) also signed the letter.

Kennedy has been a consistent advocate for Louisiana's hunters and wildlife enthusiasts as the state faces a declining duck population. In January 2026, Kennedy called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study the impact of unfair "legal baiting" practices that come at the expense of states including Louisiana.

View the senators' full letter here.