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Some private conservation organizations work with landowners
to develop conservation easements or other financial or
technical assistance to restore or enhance wildlife habitat
on their property. Each private organization has its own
mission, goals and objectives that determine the type lands
or habitats where they focus their easements or other
assistance. An example of a private conservation
organization program is the Black Bear Conservation
Committee’s Landowner Assistance Program.
 The BBCC’s Landowner Assistance Program is an attempt
to encourage private landowner involvement in conservation
programs. The BBCC program consists of workshops discussing
various assistance programs, black bear ecology, current
bear restoration efforts, and ways to avoid nuisance bear
behavior. After each workshop, the BBCC provides follow-up
consultations with individual landowners to identify
programs that best suit their needs and qualifications and
to assist in finalizing conservation agreements.
Through grant awards, the BBCC’s conservation program
has helped private landowners restore and enhance habitat
for the Louisiana black bear. In cooperation in private
landowners, the BBCC has planted bottomland hardwood forests
on marginal cropland in 7 parishes in Louisiana. Enhancement
projects include the removal of Chinese tallow trees, an
invasive exotic species that
 quickly dominates the early
stages of forest succession and inhibits native forest
restoration. The BBCC also sets up control programs for
feral hog populations to decrease the habitat damage where
this species overlaps with bear range. The BBCC covers up to
90% of the costs to restore and enhance bear habitat in
exchange for agreement with landowners to leave the trees
and other improvements in place for a minimum of 25 years.
The BBCC’s program is just one of many choices
available to interested private landowners. Several of the
private conservation organizations active in this region are
listed below. Private landowners are encouraged to contact
the private conservation organizations to find out about
opportunities for financial and technical assistance for
conserving their property for wildlife.
Black Bear Conservation Committee
P.O. Box 80442
Baton Rouge, LA 70898
(225) 763-5425
http://www.bbcc.org
Conservation Force
3900 N. Causeway Blvd. Suite 1045
Metarie, LA 70002-1746
(504) 837-1233
http://www.conservationforce.org
Delta Land Trust
P.O. Box 1638
Madison, MS 39130
(601) 981-3865
http://www.deltalandtrust.org
Ducks Unlimited
Louisiana Chapter
4974 Central Avenue, Suite A
Monroe, LA 71203-6106
(318) 340-1020
http://www.ducks.org/conservation/Projects/Southern/ArkansasConservation/Programs.asp
Arkansas Chapter
4511 East 43rd
North Little Rock, AR 72117
(501) 955-9264
http://www.ducks.org/conservation/Projects/Southern/LAConservation/Programs.asp
Mississippi Chapter
193 Business Park Dr.,
Ridgeland, MS 39157
(601) 206-5446 (832) 595-0663
http://www.msducks.org/
Texas Chapter
Suite E P.O. Box 1873
Crosby, TX 77532
http://www.texasducks.org/
The Nature Conservancy
Louisiana Field Office
P.O. Box 4125
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
(225) 338-1040
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/louisiana/
Arkansas Field Office
601 North University Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 663-6699
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/arkansas/
Mississippi Field Office
964 N. Jefferson Street
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 713-3355
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/mississippi/
Texas Field Office
P.O. Box 1440
San Antonio, TX 78295-1440
(210) 224-8774
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/texas/ |
