Calion Ouachita River Wilderness

ACR 900

43K

Acres Conserved

3M

Credits

Pending Verification

Location

West Gulf Coastal Plain

Method

IFM 2.0​

Standard

American Carbon Registry​

A Historical Sanctuary

Calion Lumber Company, Inc. is the largest private land conservation project in Arkansas. With over 40,000 acres of bottomland hardwoods conserved along the Ouachita River, it is truly in a league of its own. Decades of conservative sustainable forest management have created a unique area asset. Participation in the NativState forest carbon project will allow the continuation and the strengthening of that guiding philosophy.

In 1916, Calion Lumber Company, Inc. purchased 11,750 acres in Calhoun County, Arkansas. Over the next 100 years, Calion would acquire over 30,000 acres of timberland and improve its production facilities to become one of the premier purveyors of hardwood dimension lumber in the country.  Revenue generated from the NativState forest carbon program will allow Calion to harvest with a low impact approach, minimizing disturbance to the ecosystem, increasing biodiversity, accelerating carbon sequestration, and improving wildlife habitat.

Calion’s lands are located in the West Gulf Coastal Plain ecoregion of Arkansas. Prior to European settlement, this area had one of the highest levels of landscape biodiversity of any ecoregion in Arkansas. Calion’s lands extend to both sides of the Ouachita River, primarily comprised of contiguous fertile bottomlands. 
 
The Calion Ouachita River Wilderness project presents an exciting opportunity to conserve native hardwood forests. Through intensified sustainable forest management, this project will protect, maintain, and manage a key piece of Arkansas’ existing biodiversity and vulnerable ecosystems.

The Largest Unbroken Stand of Hardwood Timberland in Arkansas

It is not uncommon for hardwood stands to be replanted with pine or converted to agricultural use after harvest. Conserving these 43,000 acres of forestland through NativState’s forest carbon development program results in positive ecological outcomes for the region, but also serves as an example of how landowners can realize alternative income from their land aside from aggressive timber harvests.

 

“Awe” is a word often used to describe this property where you will find trees over four feet in diameter. The largest private land conservation project in Arkansas includes 35 miles of forest bordering the Ouachita River through three counties. This contiguous forestland establishes  a corridor for wildlife to breed, and territory for migration and  resources, which bolsters the entire ecosystem. 

 

Biodiversity

From flowers, grasses and shrubs to the towering trees hugging the riverbank, the sheer variety of plant species within the Calion Ouachita River Wilderness is astounding. A few of the tree species within the wilderness include:

 

  • Bald cypress
  • Tupelo gum
  • Overcup oak
  • Water oak 
  • Pawpaw

 

The rich biodiversity of plant life supports an equally diverse range of birds, fish, insects, and terrestrial life. Aside from elk, every game species in Arkansas can be found within the Calion Ouachita River Wilderness. Among the diverse species within the wilderness, you will find:

 

  • Black bear
  • Otter
  • Mink
  • Bald eagle
  • Prothonotary warbler
  • Downy woodpecker
  •  

Water Quality

The buffer established by the forests along the Ouachita River filters runoff and slows erosion which helps maintain water quality for mussels and fish, like the Ouachita rock pocketbook and snail-eating stargazing darter. Wildlife, waterfowl, and migratory birds also depend on the health of the Ouachita to thrive. 

 

Community Benefits

The health and vitality of the Ouachita River impacts local communities who enjoy the river for recreation fishing, and hunting species that depend on the river. The tree canopy and root systems of conserved forestland along the banks of the Ouachita River help slow rainfall which not only mitigates flooding downstream, but also allows much needed rainfall to be absorbed by the soil.

 

The Ouachita River flows into the Mississippi River Watershed, which feeds into the Gulf of Mexico, so it is also essential to the overall health and wellbeing of the greater water system.

Download Our Buyers Guide To high-Quality Carbon Credits

Complete this form to inquire about carbon credits and download our Buyers Guide to Nature-Based Credits.

Brochure cover: NativState Buyer's Guide to High Quality Carbon Credits

Additional Projects