The Land Trust for Louisiana is working in partnership with The Conservation Fund and rice farmers at Live Oak Farm in Vermilion Parish to secure permanent protection of a 5,800 rice farm through conservation easements. Live Oak, like many farms in southwest Louisiana, provides important habitat for waterfowl and other water-dependent birds along our coast. Rice production on these privately-held lands are an important driver of Louisiana’s economy and a part of our cultural heritage.

To date, The Conservation Fund has been awarded funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) program to secure a conservation easement on a portion of the farm, with matching funds provided by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). NFWF has also funded the Land Trust for Louisiana’s efforts to document bird usage on the farm working with Audubon and other volunteers in the birding community. The Land Trust for Louisiana will hold the easements on Live Oak Farm and monitor these easements in perpetuity.