The wolf river conservancy is seeking a north american wetlands conservation act (nawca) grant to build on the past success of our organization, partners to successfully leverage nawca grants for…

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $3,403,709 North American Wetlands Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.623) grant to the Wolf River Conservancy, Inc. on May 28, 2024. The project will leverage partnerships to acquire and protect 1,545 acres of wetlands and upland buffers along the Wolf River in North Mississippi and West Tennessee. This will expand existing conserved areas, provide public access, and protect critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife species. Key activities include strategic land acquisitions, conservation easements, and habitat restoration to create a resilient, connected landscape that safeguards drinking water supply and recreational opportunities near the city of Memphis.

The wolf river conservancy is seeking a north american wetlands conservation act (nawca) grant to build on the past success of our organization, partners to successfully leverage nawca grants for protection and restoration in wolf river watershed. This wolf river wetlands: source to confluence II proposal focuses on strategic land acquisitions and easements along the main stem of the wolf river in north mississippi and west tennessee to fortify a resilient and connected landscape of wetlands and upland buffers adjoining existing conserved lands. With over 51,000 acres of protected lands within the watershed, there are ample opportunities to connect and enlarge conserved areas along the river, but few funds. Tracts in this proposal will expand and connect existing protected areas and increase permanently protected wetlands and streams critical to recharge the memphis sand aquifer, the sole drinking water source for over one million people in the city of memphis region. Suburbanization of the watershed from the memphis sprawl plus new regional industrial growth stemming from amazon and the mega campus of blue oval city under construction by ford motor company are causing development pressure and increasing land values. Thus, the ability to protect wildlife habitat and drinking water supply, and to provide recreational lands within the watershed have become more difficult with rapid development and prohibitive cost of land. By leveraging the contributions of 10 public and private partners, this proposal addresses the urgency by protecting 12 tracts totaling 1,545 acres of which 81% are wetlands. These wetlands and upland buffers will forever protect quality habitat for 10 priority waterfowl species, 20 other nawca priority wetland birds, 5 federally listed species and at least 10 state species of greatest conservation need. This proposal focuses on land protection in north mississippi to conserve sensitive wetlands upstream of the wolf river wildlife management area, a large, protected area in west tennessee assembled over decades from multiple funding sources including nawca. To date, few conservation projects have been accomplished in mississippi along the wolf river due to funding constraints and lack of partners. In this proposal the state of mississippi and several landowners have offered match to address the urgent need, and a new public land area will be created and managed by mississippi department of wildlife, fisheries and parks alongside recent conservation easements in benton county, providing anglers, hunters, paddlers, and others with a mississippi destination to enjoy. Also, acquisition of new public lands within the city of memphis will include bottomland hardwoods and emergent wetlands just 10 minutes from downtown memphis and within a 30-minute drive for hundreds of thousands of people. The area will open to the public and managed by tennessee wildlife resources agency. Eight of the 12 tracts in this proposal will be open to the public. This second phase of the project is a vital step in the long-term wolf river conservation initiative as IT will protect 1,545 acres of migratory bird habitat in an urban area close to the mississippi river, add 846 acres available for public access across two states, and link existing conserved lands along the growing riparian corridor threatened by sprawl and industrial mega sites around the city of memphis.