Grand Cote NWR Grand Cote NWR was established in 1989 to provide valuable waterfowl habitat in the Mississippi/Red River floodplain ecosystem. Although the refuge was once part of a vast bottomland hardwood wilderness, its topography was vastly changed in the 1980's to create a rice farming plantation. When the plantation failed financially, the FWS purchased the land--mostly for its superior water control capability. Agriculture fields cover about half the refuge; other habitats include bottomland hardwood forest , bayous, willow sloughs, open marsh, and small ponds. This variety of vegetative communities supports a diversity of wildlife. Large numbers of ducks and geese winter on Grand Cote. Several hundred native species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fishes, and insects are found on the refuge. Many neotropical migratory songbirds use the refuge at various times. Endangered species numbers are few and their presence is always marked with special interest. The arctic peregrine falcon and bald eagle are occasional visitors.
Handy Brake NWR The refuge currently consists of 501 acres including a 35 acre free lease from International Paper Co. A large wetland complex provides excellent habitat for wintering waterfowl and resident wood ducks.
Jean Lafitte National Historic Park & Preserve Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve was established to preserve signifcant examples of the rich natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi Delta region. The park seeks to illustrate the influence of environment and history on the development of a unique regional culture.
The park consists of six physically separate sites and a park headquarters located in southeastern Louisiana. The sites in Lafayette, Thibodaux, and Eunice interpret the Acadian culture of the area. The Barataria Preserve (in Marrero) interprets the natural and cultural history of the uplands, swamps, and marshlands of the region. Six miles southeast of New Orleans is the Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery, site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans and the final resting place for soldiers from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam. At 419 Decatur Street in the historic French Quarter is the park's visitor center for New Orleans. This center interprets the history of New Orleans and the diverse cultures of Louisiana's Mississippi Delta region. The Park Headquarters is located in New Orleans.
Kisatchie National Forest Located in the piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern Louisiana parishes, the Kisatchie National Forest is the only national forest in the Pelican State. Kisatchie National Forest provides opportunity for many kinds of recreation activities including: camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, off-highway vehicle use, nature study, sightseeing, and road & mountain bicycle riding. The forest offers more than 40 developed recreation sites and over 100 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Saline Bayou was designated a national scenic river in the fall of 1986. A 13-mile water trail has been developed on Saline Bayou. Two national recreation trails are located on the forest, the Wild Azalea Trail and the Sugar Cane Trail.
Lacassine NWR acassine NWR, in Cameron and Evangeline Parishes in southwestern Louisiana, is nearly 35,000 acres in size. Vegetation is primarily water tolerant grasses, sedges, and shrubs. The habitat consists of 16,500 acres of natural, freshwater marsh and open water;16,000 acres of managed, freshwater marsh; 2,200 acres of rice, wheat, soybean, and natural moist soil fields; 350 acres of flooded gum and cypress trees; and 350 acres of restored tallgrass prairie. Wildlife is abundant. Several nesting colonies of wading and water birds such as ibis, roseate spoonbills, and egrets are found here. A large population of alligators and furbearers such as nutria and raccoon are also found on the refuge. Endangered species include bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and Louisiana black bears. Several hundred thousand ducks and geese use the refuge as wintering habitat while wood ducks, fulvous and black-bellied whistling ducks, and mottled ducks nest on the refuge during the breeding season. Recreational opportunities for refuge visitors abound! The refuge offers fishing, hunting, boating, wildlife observation, and hiking.
Lake Ophelia NWR Lake Ophelia NWR (named for the largest water body in the area) was established in 1988 to protect the Mississippi/Red River floodplain ecosystem. Bottomland hardwood forest, croplands, fallow fields, moist soil units, and cypress-tupelo brakes are intermixed with meandering bayous, pristine lakes, ponds, sloughs, and the Red River. This variety of vegetative communities in turn supports a diversity of wildlife. Mallards, northern pintails, and wood ducks are the most common waterfowl on the refuge, but blue- and green-winged teal, northern shovelers, gadwall, and widgeon are also common. Canada, snow, and greater white-fronted geese are present, though less common. Several hundred native species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fishes, and insects are found on the refuge. Many neotropical migratory songbirds use the refuge at various times. Endangered species numbers are few and their presence is always marked with special interest. The arctic peregrine falcon is an occasional visitor, and thanks to the refuge's three-year bald eagle reintroduction project, bald eagle sightings are common.
