LWF Opposes Transfer of Kisatchie National Forest Land

On May 14, the Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) released an action alert, a briefing and an official statement in response to a new proposed tax policy for Grant Parish that would affect Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana’s only national forest.

The proposed policy, named the Grant Parish Restoration Act, was discussed at the April meeting of the Grant Parish Police Jury.

According to the LWF briefing, the policy is proposed as an effort to support rural economic development in low-income areas, particularly in parishes and counties with a high percentage of federal land ownership where traditional development opportunities may be limited. However, the LWF shares that embedded in the proposal is the transferring of all of the Kisatchie National Forest holding in Grant Parish, which is about 140,000 acres and nearly 24% of the forest.

Highlights from the LWF Briefing

The following information was obtained from the May 14 LWF briefing on the Kisatchie National Forest to Grant Parish.

The Proposal

• Expansion of federal tax incentives in rural areas
• Transfer and redevelopment of federal correctional facilities
• Conveyance of National Forest System land to local governing authorities

Implications

The LWF briefing outlines the following concerns for the new proposal:

• The proposal doesn’t fully address the long-term consequences of removing land from the National Forest System.
• Many residents live, work and raise families in this area specifically because of the forest, its open space, access to public land and the quality of life that comes with it.
• With the removal comes the loss of federal protections that currently guide how the land is managed, including national forest planning requirements, environmental review processes and consistent multiple-use management standards.
• In the new policy, the Kisatchie National Forest land can be used for “public purposes,” including forestry, conservation, recreation, community development, economic development and energy generation.
  • The LWF states that this broad langauge does not prioritize conservation or place meaningful limits on development.
• There is no prevention outlined for the future sale, lease or further transfer of the lands.
• Breaking the Kisatchie National Forest system into locally controlled systems introduces risks of habitat fragmentation, reduced consistency in forest management, increased pressure for development or land conversion and loss of landscape-scale conservation benefits.
• The proposal can set a precedent for public land elsewhere.

LWF Statement on Kisatchie National Forest Land Transfer

In addition to the five-page briefing, the LWF released the following statement from the Executive Director of Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Rebecca Triche:

The Louisiana Wildlife Federation has long stood for the protection of wildlife, wildlife habitat and the responsible stewardship of our state’s natural resources. That mission has guided our work across decades of policy, management and conservation efforts. Support for public access and the people’s right to enjoy our natural resources is fundamental to the organization’s goals.

This proposal runs counter to those principles.

The economic outcomes described in support of this proposal, whether reduced taxes, increased salaries or expanded local revenue, are not guaranteed and will depend on future decisions and market conditions. What is guaranteed, however, is the permanent transfer of public land and the loss of the protections that currently govern its use.

While the stated goal of supporting Grant Parish is understandable, the mechanism proposed introduces long-term risks that outweigh its intended benefits. The transfer of National Forest System land out of federal ownership weakens established conservation safeguards, creates uncertainty around future land use and opens the door to development pressures that are not aligned with the protection of wildlife habitat.

It also fails to provide assurances that these lands will remain protected or even remain public in the future.

Many residents of Grant Parish value Kisatchie National Forest not as a commodity, but as a defining part of their community and quality of life. That perspective reflects the broader public interest these lands were intended to serve.

The Louisiana Wildlife Federation will continue to advocate for the protection of Louisiana’s wildlife resources and the public lands that sustain them. For these reasons, this proposal should be opposed. The long-term health of our forests, our wildlife  and our public trust resources depends on maintaining these lands under stable, conservation-driven management for future generations.