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 Coalition’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 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.  For more information, contact the BBCC.

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 these private conservation organizations to find out about opportunities for financial and technical assistance for conserving their property for wildlife.

Black Bear Conservation Coalition
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

Arkansas Chapter

4511 East 43rd
North Little Rock, AR 72117
(501) 955-9264
http://www.ducks.org

Louisiana Chapter

4974 Central Avenue, Suite A
Monroe, LA 71203-6106
(318) 340-1020
http://www.ducks.org

Mississippi Chapter

193 Business Park Dr., Suite E
Ridgeland, MS 39157
(601) 206-5446
http://www.msducks.org

Texas Chapter

P.O. Box 1873
Crosby, TX 77532
(832) 595-0663
http://www.texasducks.org

The Nature Conservancy

Arkansas Field Office
601 North University Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 663-6699
http://nature.org

Louisiana Field Office

P.O. Box 4125
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
(225) 338-1040
http://nature.org

Mississippi Field Office
964 N. Jefferson Street
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 713-3355
http://nature.org

Texas Field Office
P.O. Box 1440
San Antonio, TX 78295-1440
(210) 224-8774
http://nature.org