Bill Would Transfer 140,000 Acres of National Forest in Louisiana

A proposed bill in Louisiana aims to transfer a large swath of federally managed public land—roughly 24 percent of the Kisatchie National Forest—to Louisiana’s Grant Parish. According to the Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF), the potential transfer has longterm implications for conservation, access, and the future of public land hunting and fishing in Louisiana.

Still in its draft form, The Grant Parish Restoration Plan would transfer roughly 140,000 acres of the 600,000-acre National Forest by amending the Internal Revenue Code. It directs Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins to forfeit all “rights, title, and interests” to all portions of the Kisatchie contained within the borders of Grant Parish, in central Louisiana. That would include “all buildings, vehicles, equipment, inventory, research, and records” maintained by USFS in the area.

“Placing a public land conveyance inside a broader tax and economic development bill risks reducing the visibility of a significant public lands policy decision,” LWF stated in a recent press release opposing the draft bill. “The proposed conveyance would remove these lands from the National Forest System. With that removal comes the loss of federal protections that currently guide how the land is managed. This includes national forest planning requirements, environmental review processes, and consistent multiple-use management standards.”

A Southeastern Public Land Gem

USFS established the Kisatchie National Forest in 1930. The federal government purchased the land under the authority of the Weeks Act. At the time, clear cutting had completely decimated the landscape. Today, the Kisatche is home to large stands of native longleaf pine and thriving wildlife populations. It’s a popular destination for turkey, whitetail, quail, and waterfowl hunting. There are also numerous campsites along with public boat ramps for fishing the Kisatchie’s rivers, lakes, and streams.

“Kisatchie National Forest supports large-scale habitat that is increasingly limited across
Louisiana,” LWF notes. “Breaking that system into smaller, locally controlled parcels introduces long-term risks, including habitat fragmentation, reduced consistency in forest management, increased pressure for development or land conversion, and loss of landscape-scale conservation benefits.”

As written, the bill would transfer the Kisatchie National Forest lands in Grant Parish to the local police jury (similar to a board of county commissioners) and the Grant Parish School Board. However, the Grant County Police Jury has since come out against the proposed legislation amidst public backlash.

According local news affiliate KARB, the draft bill originated in the office US Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA). “When you look at the percent of their land, which is controlled by the federal government, you can understand the point that, that slows their economic development,” Cassidy told KARB. “At this point, we’re still working on it, but I am committed to bringing economic development to Grant Parish.”

Read Next: Sweeping Forest Service Overhaul Puts Public Lands at Risk, Critics Warn

The proposed land transfer comes amid broader controversies broiling at USFS. Back in late March, the agency announced a contested plan to move its leadership to Salt Lake City, Utah and shutter 57 ecological research stations across the country. And the Department of Agriculture (which manages USFS) is expected to rescind the Roadless Rule sometime in the near future. F&S will continue to cover ongoing shakeups at USFS as more details emerge.

content_conservation,content_stories