--- Piney Woods Journal Submission 2016
So much of nature and wildlife preservation begins with deeply committed, dedicated folks who help establish these wonderful resources for us all. Ken Burns' six-part production for PBS on the history of our US national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges described many Americans who worked hard and convinced others to set aside and protect our public lands. Visionaries like John Muir, business leaders like Stephen Mather, government leaders like Theodore Roosevelt, and many others played key roles in establishing the network of natural resources that we can all visit and enjoy.
One of the more beautiful jewels in the necklace of public lands in Louisiana is Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is just a few miles north of the city of Monroe and right off US Hwy 165. It would probably take several typical PWJ articles to describe most of the educational, recreational, and environmental attributes of this refuge. Although I'm sorely tempted to do this, I'll direct attention instead toward some of the many people and the public-spirited efforts that helped establish this particular refuge starting just two decade or so ago. One of these public leaders, Ann Blosom Smith, took considerable time to describe for me how BBLNWR has evolved.
A plaque at entrance of BBLNWR commemorates the founding role played by George Mouk of Monroe. He communicated, lobbied, and negotiated for almost a decade trying to open Black Bayou Lake to the public. It had been privately owned as a members-only hunting and fishing club. Mouk tried mightily, but unsuccessfully, with local civic groups and state politicians to make the area a state park. When the city of Monroe bought the area as a back-up water resource, Mouk recognized the opportunity for the federal government to become involved. His involvement continued, even after the national wildlife refuge was established in 1997, as a member of the Friends of Black Bayou until his death in 2010.
The refuge, with a 1700-acre lake owned by the city of Monroe, is managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service under a 99-year lease. The founding refuge manager was Kelby Ouchley, who envisioned the eventual visitor center, pier, trails, environmental educational program, and other attractions. Ouchley also inaugurated the Friends of Black Bayou (FoBB) as a means to support the many plans for the refuge. Ouchley’s radio program “Bayou Diversity” aired on KEDM public radio, and he called for a meeting of interested community members at the Monroe News Star office. About 50 folks attended that initial meeting and a later meeting at the old 1880s planter’s home, on the adjacent Richland Plantation, that had been offered to Ouchley as a potential visitors center for the refuge. Although the plantation owners and partners who farm the land offered the house to the refuge, it needed to be moved. For this to be accomplished, the support group formed and registered as a 501(c)(3) organization and the recipient of the old house. The support group next tackled the project of renovating the old house, which was in bad shape, through lots of fundraising and four years of manual labor.
The Friends of Black Bayou started with ULM economics professor, Dr. Robert (Bob) Eisenstadt as its first president. He continued as president for about six years. It incorporated and eventually received non-profit designation so it could accept donations. One of its first big project was the building of the original 400-foot pier over the lake, using funds from FWS and International Paper. For its initial four years, Eisenstadt and Mouk concentrated on fund raising, while Ann Blosom Smith, as vice-president, focused on publicity work. They and others also did physical labor on renovating the old planter’s home as the refuge’s visitors center -- all under the direction of Dave Tyler, a retired Air Force officer who acted as the volunteer contractor. Tyler worked full-time for no pay, patiently instructing all who were willing, if many were quite inexperienced. Others at FoBBs took on diverse assignments, such as an early and big fundraising project of a "Friends Quilt" that was made of $50 squares bought by community members.
As Eisenstadt’s tenure as president of FoBB was ending, the group realized that the beautiful visitor center was not sufficient as an educational center due to the growing interest of many school groups and visitors. As Smith took over as FoBB president, fundraising for a Conservation Learning Center began. It was divided into two sides -- a "wetlab" classroom and a display area for live animal exhibits. With financial help from the FWS, the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau, International Paper Foundation, Scott Foundation, and many other organizations and private citizens, a local builder began constructing the building. It was designed pro bono by a local architectural firm, Architecture +. In October 2005, the ribbon was cut for the Conservation Learning Center, turning over the key to the FWS.
Along the way, FoBB was named the nationwide Friends Group of the Year (2004) and the Louisiana Wildlife Federation's Governor's Conservation Award winner (2003). Several members of the group also received awards as volunteers and educators. Following Smith as FoBB president, Wallace Hardy served for five years, succeeded by Allen Dunn. Eisenstadt took the job again to finish the third year of Allen's term and continues as president until the end of 2016. Ouchley was the refuge manager until his retirement about five years ago when Brett Hortman took the position. Maury Bedford, the project leader over the five refuges in north Louisiana,Red River, D'Arbonne, Upper Ouachita, Handy Brake, and Black Bayou Lake, is temporarily serving now as the BBL refuge manager. Gay Brantley was the original educational specialist until she retired a couple of years ago and was followed by Nova Clarke. There were many others in FoBB who contributed to the development of the refuge, such as the late Jim Moore, the late Nell Odom, Dr Fred Groves and Amy Ouchley of ULM, Miriam Norris Schrock, Carol Mouk, Leslie Calhoun, and Gloria Dedmon.
Other volunteers at BBLNWR, elsewhere in Louisiana, and across the country also deserve praise and deep appreciation for helping make our beautiful national and state parks, forests, and refuges what they are today.
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