by Sarah Yarbrough
We are excited to announce our newest conservation project: the Bucksnort Mitigation Bank. Earlier in May, Freshwater Land Trust (FLT) completed a 259.6-acre conservation easement on this property bordering the Locust Fork River in Blount County.
The Locust Fork is a priority area for the conservation and management of freshwater species based on the presence of federally and state protected species and designated critical habitat. According to The Nature Conservancy’s online mapping tool, this property “ranks above average for landscape resilience, connectedness and diversity.”
The goal for this property is to restore, improve, and preserve the ecosystem of nearly 40,000 feet of streams and 11 acres of wetlands. This includes stream work, channel manipulation, and removal of invasive vegetation.
Overall, this will improve water quality and enhance native habitat in the Locust Fork watershed.
As a mitigation bank, the Bucksnort property’s streams and wetlands will be improved to compensate for unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources permitted under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Headwaters, LLC will carry out restoration activities.
We would like to extend special thanks to Headwaters, LLC for enhancing and preserving 259+ acres in a critical ecological area. With this addition, FLT now conserves over 500 acres along the Locust Fork River.
With about 90% of Alabama’s land under private ownership, let us know how we can help you conserve your land to preserve our environment.