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T W E N T Y T W E L V E A N N U A L R E P O R T © Nancy Webb LOUISIANA STEWARDSHIP

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t w e n t y t w e l v e A n n u A l R e p o R t

© nancy webb

Lou i s iana st e war dsh i p

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

where we work

Science & conSeRvAtion pRogRAmS

Freshwater Restoration Resilience and planning (statewide)

Floodplain Restoration

coastal Restoration , Resilience and planning

Artificial oyster Reefs

longleaf pine Restoration

carbon Sequestration

conservation Areas

pReSeRveS

1. Abita creek Flatwoods

2. Bayou Dorcheat

3. caddo Black Bayou

4. cc Road Savanna

5. copenhagen Hills

6. cypress island

7. Fort polk Buffer

8. lafitte woods

9. lake Ramsay

10. mary Ann Brown

11. persimmon gully

12. Summerfield Springs

13. talisheek pine wetlands

1 The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

BoeufRiver

Red River

SHRevepoRt

Kisatchie national Forestcaney District

ouachitaHills

caddo lakecomplex

mollicy FarmsOuachita R

iver

Sabine River

Kisatchie national Forestvernon District

thompson creek

Pearl River

new oRleAnS

BAton Rouge

7

2 123

5

4

116

10

1913

moneyHill

cypressisland

cc RoadSavannas

persimmongully

Atchafalaya R

iver

AtchafalayaBasin

Miss

issip

pi R

iver

BaratariaBay

8

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

staff

BAton Rouge oFFiceKeith ouchleyLouisiana State Director

Jim BerganDirector of Freshwater & Wetland Conservation

Seth BlitchDirector of Coastal & Marine Conservation

Jennifer BrowningPhilanthropy Assistant

Don mcDowellDirector of Philanthropy

Karen gautreauxDirector of Government Relations

Steve HaaseSenior Biohydrologist

David HarlanGIS Manager

cheryl Ann KingDirector of Finance

nicole loveDecision Support Tool Project Manager

Richard martinDirector of Forest Protection & Management

tracie martinDirector of Operations

Brian piazzaDirector of Freshwater & Marine Science

Harriett poolerDonor Relations Manager

Richelle RichardsOperations Administrator

BReAux BRiDge oFFiceKacy KingCypress Island Preserve Manager

matt pardueLand Steward

gRAnD iSle oFFiceJean landryGrand Isle Program Manager

mollicy FARmS pRoJect oFFicechris RiceNortheast Project Assistant

new oRleAnS oFFiceAmy Kyle SmithCoastal Conservation Project Manager

noRtHeASt louiSiAnA oFFiceRonnie ulmerNortheastern Louisiana Program Director

noRtHSHoRe oFFice Alex entrupStewardship Technician

tom lydonCGC Stewardship-Fire Team Tech

nelwyn mcinnisMitigation Program Manager, MS/LA

John ponderRestoration Coordinator

Bill RiversStewardship/Fire Team Leader

latimore SmithRestoration Ecologist

noRtHweSt louiSiAnA oFFiceDan weberNorthwest Louisiana Program Director

SoutHweSt louiSiAnA oFFiceRick JacobDirector of Conservation Forestry

matt BauerPineywoods Forest Technician

Louisiana Field Office

Board of trustees

Donald “Boysie” BollingerA. Harris BrownRon cambretommy colemanDoug Howard

william Jenkinschris KinseyJohn Kottsmarjorie A. mcKeithenBill mohl

virginia nolandHarvey perryelaine petrusDorothy prowellKevin Reilly

oliver g. “Rick” RichardRobert StroudDavid H. welch

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana 2

John e. Koerner, iii, Board Chair Drew Ranier, Vice Chair tommy Barham, Secretary Hermann “Buck” moyse, iii, Treasurer

Opposite, top photo, back row: Keith ouchley, John Koerner (Bot), Dan weber, Jean landry, Jim Bergan, David Harlan, cheryl Ann King, lisa creasman, Richard martin, Richelle Richardson, nicole love, Bryan piazza, Alex entrup, tom lydon, John ponder; Front row: Karen gautreaux, Seth Blitch, nelwyn mcinnis, Jill Andrew, Harriett pooler, Jennifer Browning, Don mcDowell, Kacy King, Amy Smith-Kyle, latimore Smith, matt Bauer, chris Rice, matt pardue

eAcH yeAR tHe goAl oF ouR AnnuAl RepoRt iS to pRoviDe you witH inFoRmAtion tHAt giveS you An iDeA oF tHe mAny wAyS we ARe

actively engaged in protecting critical habitat in louisiana, habitat which all life on earth depends. For most of our history, the conservancy has been known

as a land based, land protection conservation organization. this photo of our staff was taken at our Abita creek Flatwoods preserve in St. tammany parish,

a longleaf pine habitat which we have been restoring and managing for about 15 years. whether it is longleaf pine, bottomland hardwood, short leaf pine,

or prairies and marshes, we continue to identify those important landscapes for protection and restoration.

land will always remain a vital part of what we do, but recently

we’ve expanded our work and expertise to include freshwater

and coastal conservation. At almost 1,000,000 acres, the

Atchafalaya River Basin is a national treasure where we

continue to expand our work. two years ago we launched

a state wide freshwater assessment which will provide

louisiana’s residents, leaders and policy makers vital

information regarding the current status of our freshwater

resources. this year, texas A&m press will publish our own

Dr. Bryan piazza’s book, the Atchafalaya River Basin: History

and ecology of an American wetland, which will serve to guide further

conservation activities in the Atchafalaya River Basin. Additionally, a

project in morehouse parish in northeast louisiana that began in 2009 is

still underway—we continue to evaluate the impact of the largest floodplain

restoration project in the mississippi River valley at mollicy Farms.

working with many partners, the conservancy will continue to

invest in protecting louisiana’s freshwater resources.

while many around the country only discovered the louisiana

coast following recent hurricanes and the Horizon disaster,

the conservancy has been active along the louisiana coast

for many years and will continue to work to protect the vital

interface between the land and the gulf of mexico, a body of

water critical to the nation’s wellbeing. with oyster restoration

projects, protection of critical coastal forest, and the development of the

gulf of mexico Decision Support tool, our work has expanded to include

marine habitat. it goes without saying that those who support our work are

part of our team. on behalf of all of us at the nature conservancy chapter

of louisiana, we tHAnK you!

3 The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

from the staff

Photos are property of The Nature Conservancy unless otherwise noted.

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana 4© charles BushByron Jorjorian

wHAt Do you Do? my job title is State land Steward. i coordinate the stewardship activities of 10 preserves totaling nearly 14,000 acres of tnc owned land west of the Atchafalaya River. in addition to the tnc owned land, we also hold easements on several properties throughout the state that require yearly monitoring.

wHAt iS StewARDSHip? Stewardship basically means management of resources. in our case, the resource is ‘land’. ‘land’ is a loose term because we manage aquatic resources as well on our preserves.

DeScRiBe Some oF tHeSe pReSeRveS?louisiana has a diverse landscape and our preserves really showcase this diversity. the smallest preserve is Schoolhouse Springs which is 30 acres located in the hilly lands of Jackson parish. our largest preserve is cypress island preserve in St. martin parish which is nearly 9,000 acres. the cypress island preserve includes bottomland hardwoods, live oak cheniers, bald cypress/water tupelo swamp and also includes a portion of lake martin. we have preserves in north louisiana that showcase everything from shortleaf pine/oak/hickory forest in claiborne parish to calcareous prairies in caldwell parish.

wHAt DoeS pReSeRve mAnAgement involve? First, we have to think about what these areas are ‘supposed’ to look like. there is very little louisiana landscape that has not been altered due to land clearing for agriculture, tree farming, and development. much of our

management deals with restoring the properties to its historical landscape. prescribed fire, herbicides, offsite timber removal, and planting are all tools used in the restoration process.

Restoration is never really complete. it just goes into the maintenance phase. the restoration process does not know a time-scale. we look to manage these properties long-term and realize it may take many, many

years to accomplish what we have set out to do.

How Do you Know wHAt tHe HiStoRicAl lAnDScApe looKeD liKe?

Sometimes we are able to go back and look at historical photos to get an idea of what the landscape looked like if the photos were taken before the land was manipulated. there are also old maps that were drawn by surveyors in the mid- to late-1800s when performing the surveys for locating section/township/

range boundaries. the surveyors would traverse the landscape often taking notes along the way describing

the landscape. they would use trees for indicating the boundary for that particular section. they would tell the

species and diameter of the tree located at that boundary.

wHAt ARe Some oF tHe tHReAtS tHAt eFFect mAnAgement oF tHeSe pRopeRtieS?one of the main threats is invasive species, both plants and animals. chinese tallow tree is the fifth most common tree in louisiana. tallow trees and many other plants are taking over our landscape replacing our native species. we try to keep this from happening but it can be overwhelming. Aquatic

Interview with The Nature Conservancy’s Land Steward

matt pardue

5 The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana 6

invasives such as salvinia and water hyacinth are taking a toll on louisiana’s waterways and decreasing recreational activities.

wHAt iS tHe moSt enJoyABle pARt oF youR JoB?my family thinks i just go ‘play in the woods’! i am fortunate in that i do have a job i enjoy, but for every day in the woods, i have to spend a day writing reports inside. i enjoy getting to see different parts of the state and learning about historical louisiana. Some of these areas are pretty remote and i also get to meet plenty of local people who know the history of the property and tell their stories. i love talking about conservation to people and try to get them to look at things in a different perspective. many landowners have certain goals in mind whether it be growing big pine trees or growing big deer, but sometimes even a small conversation can lead to a change in the way they look at land management. oftentimes, instead of trying to benefit just one species, many species can benefit without changing the end goals of their land management. we all need to be better stewards of the land in order to ensure there are still great places left for our kids and their kids to enjoy.

uS Fish and wildlife

7 The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

CoastaL region

Grand Isle

gRAnD iSle iS louiSiAnA’S only inHABiteD coAStAl iSlAnD, AnD An

excellent example of where tnc’s conservation efforts are evident on the land,

in the water and in the classroom. At one time, the interior of the island was a

dense forest of majestic live oaks and hackberries. today, the remains of that forest are

almost completely managed by the conservancy. these large trees on the face of the gulf of

mexico provide vital resting and feeding grounds for migrating songbirds making their way

north or south along the mississippi Flyway. in an effort to expand this important forest, tnc

has teamed up with a number of partners to plant hundreds of trees which will be become

a future stop-over site for migrants. Students at the grand isle School grew many of these

trees from seedlings in a nursery on their campus. the conservancy promotes this nature

program and hope it imparts a sense of stewardship in the conservation of their island.

in an effort to address both land loss and recover oyster habitat, the conservancy has

placed roughly one mile of artificial oyster reef habitat on the bay side of grand isle. these

reefs are meant to provide habitat for fish, shrimp and crabs, lessen the wave energy

reaching the shoreline and help sediment accumulate along the shoreline to slow the rate

of erosion, and of course, grow oysters. the reef has also become a popular spot with

recreational fishermen as a number of redfish and sheepshead frequent the structures.

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

Louisiana haBitats

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana 8Dennis Demcheck

9 The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

forest region

Northshore Preserves

St. tAmmAny pARiSH iS HiStoRicAlly Known FoR itS tAll pineS, bountiful springs, and clean air where new orleans’ city dwellers kept their summer homes. today this beauty and natural charm has made it one of the fastest growing

areas in louisiana. Realizing it could be overly “loved” to its detriment without wise planning, leaders and citizens have done many things to help guide future development.

the nature conservancy has been active in this region since the 1980’s and is doing its part to protect some of the valued green space in this community by focusing on the money Hill conservation Area. this 12,000 acre area is named for the legendary money Hill plantation, a former campground and water park, is now a golf course and environmentally sensitive community that sits at the heart of the conservation area near Abita Springs.

longleaf pine savannas are important centers of biological diversity that support a wide variety of plants, such as the carnivorous pitcher plant and a large number of orchids. Rare species like the gopher tortoise, Henslow’s sparrow, red-cockaded woodpecker and louisiana Quillwort also require well-managed longleaf pine habitats. in the money Hill conservation Area, we have used creative partnerships with private landowners, a timber company, an equity investment group and federal and state natural resource agencies to get the job done, largely through the use of wetland mitigation, which supports wetland protection and restoration concomitant with growth and development. our Abita Springs and talisheek pine wetland preserves provide significant demonstration platforms to test and exhibit our restoration activities.

our staff and vlunteers do much of the management on tnc’s preserves in the northshore. our habitat restoration efforts are focused on reintroduction of a natural fire regime, which benefits wildlife and reduces the danger of wildfire, invasive plant control and planting longleaf pine. interpretive trails have been constructed on our lake Ramsay and Abita Springs preserves to provide the public with an opportunity to experience the biological richness of this region.

forest region

Summerfield Springs

SummeRFielD SpRingS pReSeRve iS A 654-acre site named for the numerous springs that emanate from its sandy hills. water runs

crystal clear over sand streambeds flanked by mature stands of beech and holly. the shortleaf pine-oak-hickory forest that once covered most of the hill country in northern louisiana is gone due to a combination of forest conversion and fire exclusion. Summerfield Springs provides us with an example of what these biologically rich forests once looked like.

Donated by Katharine Sale, the property is completely forested, with pine-hardwood woodlands on the sandy uplands and bottomland hardwood forests in the floodplain of corney Bayou and its tributaries. corney Bayou, a louisiana State Scenic Stream, runs through the lower portions of the property which borders the corney unit of the Kisatchie national Forest. the conservancy is focusing on restoring the shortleaf pine component by removing “offsite” loblolly pine and reintroducing fire to the a landscape that once experienced natural or native American ignited fire every few years. By partnering with Kisatchie national Forest and private landowners in the region, the conservancy hopes to develop restoration strategies and build momentum for an effort to restore this once widespread forest type.

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

Louisiana haBitats

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana 10

forest region

Bayou Dorcheat

BAyou DoRcHeAt iS A BeAutiFul BAyou DiSSecting the hills of northwest louisiana and southwest Arkansas and is one of the major tributaries of the Red River. the bayou flows

through the conservancy’s 1140-acre preserve, which supports cathedral-like stands of very large, old trees in several distinct forest types including cypress swamp, bottomland hardwood forest, mixed pine-hardwood forest and shortleaf pine-hardwood uplands. the state recognized the esthetic beauty of Dorcheat by designating it a louisiana natural and Scenic River.

the conservancy hopes to use the Bayou Dorcheat preserve as a platform for our work with other landowners and stakeholders in the basin. Stewardship activities are focusing on restoration of the natural composition and structure of the shortleaf pine dominated uplands, which is a habitat type that has been nearly lost in louisiana due to conversion and elimination of fire from the landscape.

to facilitate restoration of appropriate native forest composition and structure, commercial timber harvesting will be employed to remove

“offsite” trees, which will be followed by planting shortleaf pine and an ecologically based prescribed fire program. implementation of an active forest restoration and conservation program, which includes commercial harvest of timber, prescribed burning, and invasive plant control, will enhance the conservancy’s ability to work with private landowners in the watershed. our work on Bayou Dorcheat will serve as an example of conservation forestry, which combines commercial timber management with ecosystem restoration.

patti Ardoin

11 The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

freshwater region

Cypress Island Preserve

ouR cypReSS iSlAnD pReSeRve continueS to DiStinguiSH itSelF

with the community-based management approach of over 9,000 acres of natural

bottomland hardwood forest and cypress-tupelo swamp habitat. visitors are

provided environmental education opportunities by the docents at the visitor center who

greet and share information with the public. this year we had visitors from 46 different

countries. cypress island preserve and the lake contain one of the largest colonial waterbird

rookeries in north America. many adults, children and photographers enjoy the swamp’s

alligators, nutria and migratory songbirds, such as the prothonotary warbler and summer

tanager during spring.

Since lake martin has becoming increasingly popular with kayakers, we began a new

program called paddle patrol. members of this program paddle along the rookery boundary

to provide an important presence in the water. the paddle patrol kayakers also ensure that

the rookery signage is maintained, helping to alert boaters and other kayakers as to where

the rookery ends and begins. this helps keep the nesting birds safe.

we celebrated another successful rookery in 2012. the great blue herons and neotropical

cormorants arrived early in January to start building their nests in the tops of the tallest

trees in the swamp. next the great egrets and roseate spoonbills showed up, choosing nest

sites in the lower branches. then the little blue herons started nesting in the buttonbush

along the road. Also competing for the button bush were the cattle egrets with a scattering

of snowy egrets and tricolored herons. A few anhingas, yellow-crowned night-herons and

black-crowned night herons were spotted also. Rookery surveys suggest there were around

4,225 pairs of breeding birds. Approximately 600 white ibis were found roosting among the

breeding birds.

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

Louisiana haBitats

patti Ardoin

Bob marshall

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana 12

© charles Bush

© Douglas K. FryettByron Jorjorian

Byron Jorjorian

Corporations$100,000 and Abovechevronpearson penguin groupReiwafer creek Ranch, llc

$50,000-$99,000conocophillipsel paso

$10,000-$49,999exxonmobill and H partnershiplouisiana machinery company,

inc.Stone energy

$5,000-$9,999American electric power

annuaL supportin oRDeR to ReDuce pApeR uSe AnD poStAge coStS, we HAve not incluDeD A RetuRn envelope in tHe AnnuAl RepoRt tHiS yeAR. However, we appreciate your donations and count on your support. please consider making an online donation to the louisiana chapter by visiting our website at: https://support.nature.org/site/Donation2?idb=1664129868&df_id=4200&4200.donation=form1.

please make sure the box for louisiana is checked. you may also make a donation using a credit card. if you have any questions, please call Don mcDowell or Harriett pooler at 225-338-1040. thank you for supporting our mission…………to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

centurylinkenbridgenewtron group, inc.tidewater, inc.

$1,000-$4,999Access RadiologyBASF corporationcullen investment group, ltd.Dupuy Storage and Forwarding

llcentergy louisianamorganStanley SmithBarneyppg industriesStone pigman walther and

whitmanturner industries, ltd.David l. goodyear Fund for

conservation at moneyhill

foundations$100,000 and AboveBaton Rouge Area FoundationDorsett Brown, Joe w. and

Dorothy Foundationenvironmental Defense Fund

$50,000-$99,000walton FoundationFreeport-mcmoran copper &

gold Foundation

$10,000-$49,999Alta And John Franks FoundationBiedenharn FoundationBollinger Family FoundationBurden Foundationcharles lamar Family Foundationcommunity Foundation of

Shreveport-Bossier

coypu Foundation trustDouglas F. and marion S. Attaway

Foundationthe Frost Foundation

$5,000-$9,999central louisiana community

Foundationcommunity Foundation of

Acadianaearth Sharepugh Family Foundation

$1,000-$4,999greater new orleans FoundationJewish endowment Foundationlive oak Foundationmoyse Family Foundationparrot Head club of Baton Rougew.R. grace Foundation

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

donors and LegaCy CLuB

donors

13 The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana

wheless Foundationwilliam c. woolfe Foundation

individuaLs$100,000 and AboveDr. and mrs. Archibald BrownDr. and mrs. Johnny Armstrongmr. markham “Skipper” Dickson

$20,000-$49,999mr. and mrs. Scott v. Andersonmr. and mrs. Buddy leachmr. and mrs. Drew Raniermr. and mrs. Kevin Reilly, Jr.mr. and mrs. curtis Sorrells

$10,000-$19,999Anonymousmr. and mrs. Donald “Boysie”

Bollinger

Byron Jorjorian

mrs. louise p. Deeganmr. and mrs. christopher Kinseymr. and mrs. John e. Koerner, iiiDr. and mrs. David welch

$5,000-$9,999mr. and mrs. Ron cambremr. and mrs. christopher g.

campbellmr. and mrs. thomas B. colemanmr. and mrs. Donny Davisms. mary lavignems. marjorie mcKeithen mr. and mrs. John B. nolandmr. and mrs. Harvey perrymr. and mrs. oliver g. Richard, iiimr. and mrs. James theusmr. and mrs. newton thomasmr. John g. turner and mr. Jerry

g. Fischermr. John w. wrightDr. and mrs. terry Zellmer

$2,500-$4,999Dr. and mrs. eric l. Abrahammr. and mrs. thomas west

Barhammr. and mrs. Joe Boudreauxmr. and mrs. Robert B. Bransonmr. and mrs. william D. Brown, ivms. Josephine cangelosimr. and mrs. charles R. godchauxDr. and mrs. Steven Hightowermr. and mrs. Douglas Howard Jr.mrs. Jeroline Koehlermr. and mrs. Herman S.

Kohlmeyermr. Zachary K. lemannmr. and mrs. Hermann moyse, iiimr. and mrs. John nicholsms. Deborah F. plaegerDrs. oliver and Sissy Sartormr. Donald g. Schuelerms. Rosemary Seidler

$1,000-$2,499ms. everl Adairmr. and mrs. David BanowetzDr. and mrs. Joseph B. Barronmr. and mrs. Barry Breauxmr. and mrs. Harris Brownms. mary Brown and mr. Richard teichgraebermr. and mrs. Henry Brusermr. and mrs. Rick caballeromr. walter carroll Jr.mr. and mrs. Dudley w. coatesms. lisa A. corradinoms. laura e. courtermr. and mrs. Dick crowellmr. and mrs. Rex Daveymr. paul m. Dicksonepiscopal School of Acadianamr. Joseph l. ewingmr. and mrs. carmer B. Falgoutms. Helen e. Fantmr. and mrs. nick Frymr. and mrs. Robert g. gerdesms. mildred gloedeDr. and mrs. Stuart c. Headmr. Donald R. Hintonmr. and mrs. H.B. Howcott, Jr.ms. linda u. Jamesmr. glenn v. Kinseymr. thomas B. lemannms. Sylvia mccombms. laurie D. mcleodmr. and mrs. mark mcRaems. melba millerms. Kelly murphyms. Dorothy prowellmr. and mrs. larry R. Raymondmrs. DeeDee ReillyJudge and mrs. tom Staggms. nancy l. Staubms. mary Ann Sternbergmr. Robert Stroudmrs. Joyce thibodeauxms. megyn R. tiller

The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana 14

miss ruthtHe conSeRvAncy FiRSt met RutH

tupper, affectionately known as miss Ruth, when she contacted louisiana

State Director Keith ouchley announcing she wanted ‘to give us all her money’. miss Ruth lived in Bossier city, in the same meager home for over 40 years, located next to the Barksdale golf course. miss

Ruth lived alone but impacted the world in many ways. Full of

energy and interested in learning, she walked the environmental walk

she talked about. miss Ruth grew almost everything she consumed, recycled

long before anyone thought it was the right thing to do and collected/sold golf balls/aluminum cans. She loved the nature conservancy and over time she made gifts in excess of a quarter of a million dollars. the conservancy helped miss Ruth set up a charitable gift Annuity to increase her income which she said made it possible for her to give even more back. when miss Ruth died in november 2012, she left a legacy that will continue to support the louisiana chapter’s conservation work. miss Ruth also left wonderful memories to the conservancy staff who knew her. it’s because of people like miss Ruth and her estate plans that we are able “to keep on keepin on”, as she once said.

You, too, can leave a lasting legacy for conservation by remembering The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana in your estate planning. To find out more, contact Harriett Pooler at [email protected] or (225) 338-1040.

LegaCy CLuBDr. & mrs. Johnny Armstrongmr. xuan chenmr. Helmut Julinotmr. victor Stewart, Jr.Al and cathy troy

mr. and mrs. Bruce tothAl and cathy troymr. Robert e. truxellmr. eric w. turnbullmr. and mrs. cabell tutwilerms. Andrea vidrinemr. Joseph i. vincentDr. and mrs. wayne watkinsmrs. caroline Keller winterms. carla Seyler and mr. mark winter

garvey traCtin DecemBeR 2012, tHe nAtuRe conSeRvAncy

of louisiana accepted a land donation in washington

parish on the pearl River. the donors, brothers J. Donald

and James with spouse marla Redmann garvey of

metairie owned the property since 1976 and used it

primarily for hunting and fishing. the garveys protected

the properties’ bottomland forests and expressed interest

in assuring that the forest and wetlands be protected into

perpetuity. the louisiana chapter has long considered

the pearl River and associated habitats as a conservation

priority. the pearl River bottomland hardwood forests are

extensive, and mostly unbroken. these swamp forests

provide habitat for a myriad of area- or interior-sensitive

species such as swallow-tailed kite, resident migrant

songbirds, and the louisiana black bear. the pearl River

bottoms are also considered one of the most important

stopover areas for trans-gulf migrant songbirds. the

366 acre garvey tract will be managed by the nature

conservancy with the ultimate intention of transferring

it to become part of the Bogue chitto national wildlife

Refuge. this generous gift is a wonderful testimony to

the conservation legacy of the garvey Family and the

property will be enjoyed by generations to come.

P.O. BOX 4125Baton Rouge, LA 70821

www.tnc.org/louisiana • 225.338.1040Find us on facebook