Sustainable Forests of
South-Central Arkansas Project

ACR 1016

17.1K

Acres Conserved

1.6M

Credits

Pending Verification

Location

South Central Arkansas

Method

IFM 2.1

Standard

American Carbon Registry

A Land Shaped by Rivers and Known for Fertile Soil

From the rich alluvial soils of the Mississippi River Delta to the rolling uplands and flat blackland prairie, the Sustainable Forests of South-Central Arkansas Project conserves 17.1K carbon offset-producing acres. Shaped by its rivers and rich soils, the forests in this region enhance water quality, serve as home to a wide variety of wildlife, and provide recreational opportunities for landowners and communities.

Mississippi River Delta

Large rivers, including the Mississippi, Arkansas, White, and St. Francis rivers, and other smaller rivers and streams have played an important role in forming the character of the Mississippi River Delta. Impressive stands of bottomland hardwoods found in the “bottoms” of the Cache River and lower White River area represent the largest continuous expanse of bottomland hardwoods in the Lower Mississippi Valley.

The wetlands of the Delta offer an internationally important winter habitat for migratory waterfowl. Their large numbers account for one-third of the total found in Arkansas and 10 percent of the Mississippi Flyway total.

The Mississippi Alluvial Plain is also one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world. Deep layers of soil, gravel, and clay transported from slopes as far away as the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Appalachians to the east created terrain and soil suitable for large-scale farming.

However, aggressive practices compromise the region’s biodiversity. Clearing bottomland hardwoods for agriculture and other activities has resulted in the loss of more than 70 percent of the original wetlands.

Protecting biodiversity and communities within this unique region relies on the conservation of remaining wetlands and bottomland forests. The Sustainable Forests of South-Central Arkansas Project actively engages in these vital conservation efforts while also providing significant climate benefits through carbon sequestration.

Bottomlands and Prairies

Unlike the Mississippi River Delta region, the nearly flat Red River Bottomlands ecoregion contains floodplains, low terraces, oxbow lakes, meander scars, backswamps, natural levees, and the meandering Red River. Beyond the bottomlands lies the unique Blackland Prairie, named for its rich, dark soils.

Sections of the Sustainable Forests of South-Central Arkansas Project exist within this area that was once a mosaic of woodland, savanna, and prairies, containing species that were found nowhere else in Arkansas. This region harbors than 600 types of plants, including 21 globally imperiled plant communities. Some 315 animal species are found at blackland sites, including rare birds like Bachman’s sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, painted bunting, and Harlan’s hawk. (Nature Conservancy).

Much like the Mississippi River Delta, fertile soil and climate in the bottomlands and prairie also provide enticing conditions for booming agriculture and timber industries. Higher financial returns and more aggressive harvest practices in this region have resulted in clear-cuts followed by natural regeneration, conversion to plantation-style forest management, and pastureland. These practices pose long-term threats to the region’s rich biodiversity and water quality.

Today, the blackwood prairies are dominated by hayland and pastureland. Only a few prairie remnants still occur and are mostly limited to the thin, droughty soils of cuesta scarps. Cropland dominates the drained bottomlands of the Red River. Extensive commercial harvesting of loblolly pine, shortleaf pine plantations, and livestock grazing make up the primary land uses.

Conserving a Unique Region’s Biodiversity

Although they could earn significant profits from the region’s predominant agricultural and timber practices, the landowners in the Sustainable Forests of South-Central Arkansas Project have chosen a different future for their forestland. Their commitment to work with NativState to maintain forest CO2 stocks above the regional baseline level will help protect wetlands, bottomlands, and blackland sites by preserving the mature sections for forestland.