The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comments on a proposal to increase hunting opportunities on three national wildlife refuges in Louisiana: Bayou Cocodrie, Tensas River and Upper Ouachita.

The proposal includes a new turkey hunting opportunity at Upper Ouachita.

Hunting opportunities on these three Louisiana refuges would be increased because land has been added to them.

•At Tensas River, approximately 8,500 acres of newly acquired lands would be opened to hunting. Regulations for this new acreage will be the same as the general hunting regulations on that refuge.

•At Bayou Cocodrie, 1,500 acres of newly acquired lands would be opened for hunting.

•Upper Ouachita would open an additional 4,762 acres to hunting on the east side of the Ouachita River. Upper Ouachita also proposes opening about 2,500 acres on the refuge for a one-day youth turkey hunt every year in March.

The service also opened a 30-day public comment period on a proposal to add one national wildlife refuge to the list of areas open for hunting during the 2008-09 season and increase hunting opportunities at three other refuges.

Initially proposed in July 2006, the hunt program changes were withdrawn because of a lawsuit and subsequent court decision requiring some refuges to revise Environmental Assessments to incorporate cumulative impact analyses. Refuges named in the proposed rule changes have completed the revised assessments.

For more information on how to comment, visit www.fws.gov.