The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced nearly $5 million in grants on September 1 to restore forests and wetlands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Grantees are adding $1.8 million in matching contributions, bringing the expected conservation impact to nearly $6.8 million.
The 12 grants will support wetland management, forest treatments, tree planting and aquatic habitat restoration. The projects will work around 10 federal or state protected areas, connecting more habitat around those conservation hubs.
Together, the projects are expected to improve water flow on 3,100 acres, restore 6,800 acres of hardwood forest and plant more than 1.9 million bottomland hardwood seedlings.
The work is designed to help species including the Louisiana black bear, alligator gar, ducks and swamp rabbits. It can also improve water quality, reduce flood risks and support jobs in communities across the valley.
