In partnership with Trust for Public Land, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will be esbtablishing a new 426-acre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Allen Parish. The Flatwoods Savanna WMA will become LDWF’s 52nd WMA and will be located in southwest Allen Parish between the towns of Reeves and LeBlanc, Louisiana.
Flatwoods Savanna WMA was created in part due to funding from the Louisiana Outdoor Forever Fund, a program established during the 2022 legislative session to provide funding for outdoor conservation projects in the State of Louisiana.
”We are proud to add this property to our WMA program while also highlighting the Louisiana Outdoors Forever program and our conservation partners,” said LDWF Acting Secretary, Tyler Bosworth. “This new WMA fulfills LDWF’s strategic plan by providing additional WMA recreational opportunities while also conserving one of Louisiana’s most unique habitats.”
"The establishment of this new Wildlife Management Area in Allen Parish marks a major accomplishment in protecting Louisiana’s natural landscapes and expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation," said Stacey Shankle, Mid-South Program Director for Trust for Public Land. “It is exciting to see the recently created Louisiana Outdoors Forever fund enabling creation of spaces like this for current and future generations of Louisianans to enjoy– we’re proud to work together with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to preserve the places that make Louisiana so special."
This WMA includes old-growth longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savanna and sections suitable for longleaf pine reforestation. This is the only known site of mature longleaf in Southwest Louisiana and the only known site in the state with both mature longleaf pine flatwoods and natural, unmodified flatwood ponds. Longleaf pine savannas provide habitat for many rare and globally significant species. This WMA will be unique from others in that it will support working lands, restoration, preservation, as well as consumptive and non-consumptive outdoor activities.
LDWF anticipates that this site will be open to the public on July 1, 2025. Once open, the public will be able to enjoy hunting, hiking, wildlife/botanical viewing and photography, and many outdoor education opportunities.
We would like to thank project partners for their support: Atira Conservation, EJK Foundation, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation/Restore the Earth Foundation, Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation, and The AES Corporation.
About the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is responsible for managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, including over 39,000 acres in Louisiana, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.