Washington D.C., Aug. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $2.5 million in grants to improve, restore and expand important forest and wetland habitats in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. The grants will generate $2.9 million in matching contributions from grantees for a total conservation impact of $5.4 million.

The grants were awarded through the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Restoration Fund (LMAV Fund), a partnership between NFWF and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Paper’s Forestland Stewards Partnership and the Walton Family Foundation. This year marks the seventh year of funding through this public-private partnership supporting voluntary conservation actions in the Lower Mississippi Valley. 

“This year’s grant slate features much-needed investments in tree nursery infrastructure to help us keep pace with burgeoning bottomland hardwood restoration needs,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “It is exciting to see this partnership come together to support the significant wildlife and nature-based carbon sequestration opportunities in the Lower Mississippi Basin.”

The projects supported by the four grants announced today will enhance and restore private and public land through the installation of water management infrastructure, landowner technical assistance, tree establishment and wetland reconstruction. The grants will also increase the capacity of a bottomland hardwood nursey to supply seedlings for other projects in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and will improve habitat for species like the Louisiana black bear, swamp rabbit, alligator gar, waterfowl and numerous forest birds including the prothonotary warbler.

“This grant program is a great example of a partnership that helps support a healthy economy and healthy lands, air and water,” said Mike Oetker, Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We all benefit from local communities to our fish, wildlife, and plants. This initiative will protect and support the variety of life that call the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley home, including vulnerable species like red-cockaded woodpecker and pallid sturgeon, as well as at-risk aquatic species including many mussels and crayfish.”

“Forest and wetland ecosystems in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley play a vital role in improving water quality, mitigating climate change, providing wildlife habitat, and boosting local economies,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “Large-scale conservation efforts like this one take diverse expertise, timely investments, and strong partnerships to help improve these natural resources for producers and for local communities.”

More than 80 percent of the forests and wetlands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley are in private ownership. Therefore, these projects will promote voluntary private-lands conservation through outreach and educational activities with landowners. Collectively, the funded projects will:

• Plant more than 4.2 million bottomland hardwood seedlings, creating forest habitat for a myriad of species and increasing carbon capture and storage 
• Improve hydrology – the timing and extent of soil saturation – on 300 acres of wetlands
• Restore 3,900 acres of existing hardwood forest with wildlife-friendly forest treatments

“Working with nature to meet the challenges posed by climate change is the way of the future. Increasing forests and wetlands means we are improving water quality and wildlife habitat, storing carbon, and creating sustainable jobs,” said Moria Mcdonald, director of the Walton Family Foundation Environment Program. “Working with partners like NFWF, we are proud to support solutions that allow nature and people to thrive together.” 

The Mississippi Alluvial Valley covers 24 million acres across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee and is the largest wetland ecosystem in the United States. The region’s hardwood forests, oxbow lakes and other habitat types are home to a wide array of wildlife from the American green-winged teal to the fat pocketbook mussel. More than 60 percent of North America’s bird species use the valley as a landing pad during their migration south or call it home over the winter. 

By the 1990s, less than 25 percent of the region’s forest cover had survived the conversion to agricultural land and the alteration of wetland hydrology for flood control. These changes reduced the amount, quality and connectivity of the forests and wetland habitats and degraded water quality within the Mississippi River and tributaries, lowering the capacity of the entire ecosystem to sustain fish and wildlife species. 

The LMAV Fund supports projects that improve, restore, and expand existing bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands to improve habitats for the more than 100 breeding land birds and other forested wetland-dependent species that inhabit these ecosystems. The fund also works to improve water quality and restore aquatic habitat connectivity for aquatic species like the alligator gar, which need access to the floodplain and river for different parts of their life cycle. The fund’s work benefits local communities by improving forest health, enhancing wildlife habitat, increasing water quality and supporting jobs associated with these projects within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

A complete list of the 2024 grants made through the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Restoration Fund is available here.    

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,800 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of more than $10 billion. NFWF is an equal opportunity provider. Learn more at nfwf.org. 

About the Natural Resources Conservation Service
As the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s primary private lands conservation agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat. Through one-on-one, personalized and voluntary assistance, NRCS works with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals to ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit fws.gov.

About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world's largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what's next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America and North Africa. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion.

About Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta.

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Rob Blumenthal
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
(202) 857-0166
rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org