Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

Bottomland Hardwood Reforestation - Carbon Sequestration Project

                                   

 

Entergy’s Involvement:

Entergy is a proud partner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in working to expand and enhance the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Louisiana. The 67,000-acre refuge provides a habitat for more than 400 species of wildlife, including the threatened Louisiana black bear that was so cherished by President Teddy Roosevelt. The Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1980 with 9,000 acres, today encompasses approximately 67,000 acres in the upper basin of the Tensas River in northeast Louisiana (Madison Parish).

This project is one of twelve external greenhouse gas offset projects undertaken by Entergy to date through the Environmental Initiatives Fund that was established in 2001 to help Entergy achieve its voluntary greenhouse gas stabilization commitment.

The Trust for Public Lands acquired the first 2,208 acres of the Chicago Mills property with financial support provided by Entergy, and will convey the property to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The Trust for Public Land and US Fish and Wildlife Service, as a part of the transfer, reserved and assigned to Entergy all rights to carbon sequestration credits created by the reforestation activity.  Environmental Synergy, Inc. planted bottomland hardwood trees on the property and is responsible for monitoring, verification of carbon sequestration benefits to Entergy.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will protect and manage the property as part of the Tensas River Wildlife Refuge.

 Expansion of the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge is part of an effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and corporate partners to restore large forested blocks and re-link fragmented forests for the benefit of the threatened Louisiana black bear, neo-tropical migratory birds and other wildlife species. 

 

The project involves the acquisition of 1,500 acres of land that is adjacent to the Tensas River Wildlife Refuge and the planting of trees for carbon sequestration. Trees will remove 600,000 tons of CO₂ as they mature over a 70 year span of time. The refuge is home to one of the largest continuous blocks of bottomland hardwoods remaining in the United States and to one of the last concentrations of the threatened Louisiana black bear.  This project is not only a benefit to the natural wildlife in that region, but also affords the opportunity to re-link together two large parcels of refuge territory through a corridor, which most importantly benefits the Louisiana black bear.

 

The refuge also abounds in opportunities for public recreational enjoyment, including hunting, fishing, wildlife photography, hiking, bird watching, canoeing and educational outreach at the refuge visitor center.

Disposition of Credits:

The permanent reductions will be registered with Environmental Resource Trust and will be retired to offset power plant emissions, consistent with the Entergy’s CO₂ stabilization commitment.

Tensas River Wildlife Refuge is in Madison Parish, La., west of Vicksburg, Miss. and south of Tallulah, La.