The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced more than $2.6 million in grants to restore, enhance and protect the sensitive forest, wetland and aquatic habitats in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. This is the third slate of grants awarded through this program, and the grants will generate $2.3 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $4.9 million.
The eight 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 and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with private funding from International Paper’s Forestland Stewards Partnership and the Walton Family Foundation.
Consisting of more than 24 million acres of forested wetlands with fertile alluvial soils, the Mississippi Alluvial Valley is rich with biological diversity. In addition, the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley provides an important migratory stopover and wintering habitat for more than 40 percent of North America's waterfowl.
It is also home to more than 100 fish species and 107 breeding land birds. However, widespread loss of forests, combined with flood control and drainage efforts, has led to critical habitat loss for wildlife, damaged water quality, and reduced floodwater retention. The LMAV Fund is an effort to restore these habitats for the benefit of wildlife and the working lands that people depend on.
Launched in 2017, the LMAV Fund is a competitive grant program that supports restoration, enhancement and management of bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands, and promotes aquatic connectivity on private and public lands. The fund’s work benefits local communities by improving forest health, enhancing wildlife habitat and increasing water quality, and supporting 35 jobs associated with these projects within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.
