Most of the original forest cover in the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) and the associated Red River watershed was removed by logging between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and forest cover decreased again in the 1960s and 70s as a result of widespread conversion of forest land for soybean production. It is estimated that less than 30% of the LMV’s original bottomland hardwood forest remains today. In recognition of the substantial opportunity to restore forest in the region and the high productivity of bottomland hardwood forests there, Entergy along with The Conservation Fund, Trust for Public Land, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) have collaborated to reforest agricultural lands. This project includes 2,941 acres across four National Wildlife Refuges, reforested in native bottomland hardwood species including American Plum, Baldcypress, Bitter Pecan, Black Oak, Black Walnut, Black gum, Bur Oak, Cherrybark Oak, Chickasaw Plum, Eastern Redbud, Green Ash, Hackberry, Honey Locust, Mayhaw, Nuttall Oak, Overcup Oak, Persimmon, Pin Oak, Red Maple, Red Oak, Shumard Oak, Silky Dogwood, Southern Red Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Sweet Pecan, Sweetgum, Water Hickory, Water Oak, Water Tupelo, White Oak, Willow Oak, and Yellow Poplar. Planting was overseen by Environmental Synergy, Inc., at a density of 302 trees per acre, and occurred from 2002 through 2009.

The project is estimated to deliver net sequestration of over 470,000 metric tons CO₂ equivalent over its 40-year term. All project lands are owned and managed in perpetuity by USFWS. Project agreements with USFWS, Trust for Public Land, and The Conservation Fund have transferred to Entergy Corporation the rights to claim and report the emission reductions from reforestation.

Reforestation in bottomland hardwood species is expected to deliver multiple environmental benefits including reduced soil erosion, improved water quality and flood storage, habitat and habitat connectivity benefits for many species including the federally endangered Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus), waterfowl, and neotropical migrant songbirds. Species composition, including the abundance of oaks, was an important consideration in the planting, and is a determinant of the habitat quality of bottomland hardwoods for waterfowl. As the forest in the project area develops in height and structural complexity over time, the quality of the habitat it provides for mature forest-dependent bird species will progressively improve, and overall avian species richness will increase. Of particular significance is the value of bottomland hardwoods in providing habitat for neotropical migrant songbirds, a group of species of increasing conservation concern, which have been observed to colonize bottomland hardwood plantings in as few as 10-15 years. Two independent studies found that forest dependent neotropical migrants including Eastern Wood-pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Northern Parula, Prothonotary Warbler, American Redstart, Hooded Warbler and Kentucky Warbler had colonized planted bottomland hardwood stands in the LMV.