West-Central Louisiana Ecosystem Partnership

The West-Central Louisiana Ecosystem Partnership is a multi-agency, industry, and private landowner partnership formed to provide technical assistance in restoring and managing longleaf pine and other native ecosystems in West-Central Louisiana. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), historically was the predominant forest type in much of the southeastern U.S., having once covered 92 million acres.

The Kisatchie National Forest, one of the largest natural landscapes in Louisiana with approximately 604,000 acres of public land, is one critical focus for WLEP. The Kisatchie has approximately 120,885 acres of existing longleaf and a long-term objective of 263,000 acres of longleaf. This equates to a restoration goal of 143,367 acres to achieve multiple objectives, such as providing Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Louisiana pine snake habitat, fuel reduction, ecosystem resilience, and watershed improvements.

History of Longleaf Pine in the South

Longleaf pine occurred on an estimated 90 million acres at its peak, dominating an estimated 60 million acres across the Southeastern U.S., probably the largest area on the continent dominated by a single tree species. By the mid-1900s, over half of that forest was gone. By 1995, only approximately 3 million acres remained, most of it in poor condition.

Fortunately, the importance of the longleaf ecosystem was realized before it was completely lost. Due to its value as a forest product and as an important wildlife habitat, efforts were started to re-establish longleaf across the Southeastern US including west-central Louisiana. Since 1995, restoration efforts have expanded longleaf pine to approximately 4 million acres.

With loss of longleaf pine and fire suppression, many of the bird species dependent upon this habitat have markedly declined. Therefore, conservation of open pine habitat is a high priority action for the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture partnership, and we celebrate recent longleaf restoration successes while continuing to work toward an even brighter future.

The WLEP Technical Assistance Team was established to:

• Provide technical assistance including recommendations for site preparation, planting, burning and maintaining your longleaf forest

• Inform landowners/users about various cost share programs available

• Assist in maintaining longleaf habitat by providing follow-up technical assistance for completed projects

Fire and Longleaf Pine

Fire is essential to promote a functioning longleaf forest and provides many benefits for the longleaf pine ecosystem and the landowner.

• Inexpensive tool for managing southern pine forest

• Promotes wildflower and plant diversity

• Improves future wood quality by “thermal” pruning

• Controls insects and disease

• Creates and maintains optimal wildlife habitat

• Removes woody competition

• Reduces risk from wildfire damage

Our partners will provide technical assistance and direct you to programs that can help with the cost of burning your property.

For WLEP Inquiries, contact the WLEP Coordinator/staff

Dan Weber Phone: 318-560-5725; Shreveport, LA; Email: dweber@tnc.org

CC Richmond Phone: 337-491-2575; Email: crichmond@wlf.la.gov

David Breithaupt Phone: 318-473-7761; Email: dbreithaupt@wlf.la.gov

Chris Rice Phone: 318-237-5569; Email: crice@tnc.org

Brittany Perry, Phone: 318.578.2007; Email: bperry@nwtf.net

Longleaf Conservation Planning in Louisiana

Economic/Forest Industry Values

• Enhances wildlife lease values

• Produces heavier logs and a higher percentage of more valuable saw logs and poles than any other pine

• Produces longer length and longer lasting needles preferred for pine straw sales

• Provides silvopasture opportunities for optimal livestock, forage, and timber production

• Can be managed for economic and ecological benefits simultaneously

• Can be managed in even-aged or uneven-aged systems

• Risk-averse, tolerating fire throughout its life and minimizing catastrophic loss to insects, disease, ice and wind; strongest and most durable of all pine species

Also, learn more about the other longleaf partnership in our geography, the Texas Longleaf Team.