AL/MS Black Belt Prairie Gets A Major Conservation Boost
The Black Belt Prairie, a region approximately 310 miles long and up to 25 miles wide stretches across eastern Mississippi and west and central sections of West Alabama. It cuts across portions of Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry and Pickens counties in West Alabama and is recognized as having diverse habitats ranging from prairie to forest.
Recently state leaders, conservation partners, and landowners gathered in Greene County to launch the Alabama Blackbelt Prairie Initiative. It is a major effort to restore the area considered to be one of Alabama’s most endangered landscapes.
"The Black Belt Prairie Landscapes Program (BBPL) offers 26 conservation practices that restore and enhance the Black Belt’s ecosystem and support biodiversity, improve soil carbon sequestration and provide economic and social benefits." according to the project's website.
The five-year restoration project is supported by a $17.5 million US Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant, along with additional funding from the Alabama Legislature.
During the project's life, Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee (ALSWCC) will work with producers and landowners to restore 8,000 acres of prairie through cost-share assistance, technical guidance, and conservation planning. The project covers 19 counties throughout the Alabama/Mississippi Black Belt region.
For more information on the initiative contact Harli Willis, Program Conservationist with ALSWCC, at (334) 832-8569.
More From Tuscaloosa Thread
