This is the Twenty-fourth diary in my Expanding the National Parks series. Links to the prior diaries in the series will be found at the bottom of the diary.
This time I'm in Mississippi. Mississippi has 7.3% of its land under federal protection, good for 21st in the country. Mississippi currently has six national forests, 15 wildlife refuges, and seven historic sites and other NPS units. This diary will propose giving Mississippi its first national monuments.
Mississippi
Total Area 48 432 sq miles
Land Area 46 923 sq miles
Water Area 1 509 sq miles
Coastline 44 miles
Additional monuments-3
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS-3
* Mississippi Coastal- Would Protect the coastal waters out to 20 miles from shore and open spaces 10 miles inland. Estimated area 563200 acres- 880 miles-half the size of Rhode Island
* Gulf Islands
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Horn Island, part of the Mississippi portion of the seashore, is shown above
would upgrade the existing Gulf Islands NS to a monument and would include areas stretching from Florida to Louisiana. Estimated area 200000 acres - roughly 300 miles(including areas in AL, FL, LA and MS)
* De Soto
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Part of the existing Forest in Stone County is shown above
Would set aside half the existing forest as a national monument, protecting the most sensitive areas as wilderness Estimated area 260000 acres- about 400 square miles.
EXISTING AREAS
NATIONAL FORESTS-6
*Bienville Established 1936 Covers 178 541 acres
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An Entrance sign to the national Forest is shown above
named after Jean Baptiste Le Monye, Sieur de Bienville, who founded the cities of Biloxi and Mobile, as well as New Orleans while serving as governor of the French colony of Louisiana. the Forest honoring him was established in 1934, ad is the third-largest forest in area, behind De Soto and Homochitto.
* Delta Established 1961 Covers 60898 acres
http://www.fs.usda.gov/...
a map of the 6 NFs in the state is shown above. Delta is the area marked as 2
The smallest and youngest of the states NFs, Delta protects the largest remaining area of bottomland hardwood in the state. managed from Jackson (as are all NFs in Mississippi) , Delta is contained in the Sunflower Wildlife Management area (WMA), one of 14 in the state.
* De Soto Established 1936 Covers 518587 acres
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the Wiggins district office is shown above
the largest NF in Mississippi, De Soto was established in 1936 to protect pine Savannas, longleaf Pine and pine flatwoods forests. The Savanna supports rare species like gopher frogs and tortoises. the forest contains 2 wildernesses- Black Creek (5000 acres ) And Leaf River(1000 acres) and much of Black Creek river the only Wild and Scenic River in the state.
* Holly Springs Established 1936 Covers 155 661 acres
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Puskus Lake, located in the forest, is shown above
Officially covering more than 680000 acres, Holly Springs owes its existence to the CCC, which reforested the area after the land was abandoned by its former landowners and left in poor condition. the CCC addressed the serious problem of erosion by planting loblolly pine and shortleaf pine, as well as hardwoods. the forest was nearly sold to private landowners in President Reagans tenure in 1983, but the plan was defeated. the forest is split into two section, a larger northern section, and a small southern section containing 20000 acres.
* Homochitto Established 1936 Covers 191 839 acres
http://www.fs.usda.gov/...
A sign at the entrance to Homocitto NF is shown above
The Second-largest national forest in the state at just under 200000 acres, Homocitto was established alongside Bienville , De Soto and Holly Springs NFs as the collective Mississippi National Forests. like other NFs in the state, Homochitto was reforested by the CCC in the 30s. the forest got its name from the river named Homochitto (an Indian word meaning " Big Red River) which flows through it.
* Tombigbee Established 1959 Covers 67005 acres
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Choctaw Lake, part of the forest, is shown above
the second-youngest and -smallest of Mississippi's forests, the forest is named after the nearby Tombigbee River, and is split into a northern and southern section, about 60% lies in the southern area. the northern section contains the Owl Creek Mounds, a complex of ceremonial mounds built between 800 and 900 years ago.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-15
* Bogue Chitto Established 1980 Covers 40000 acres (in LA and MS)
http://www.fws.gov/...
a forest in the refuge is shown above (photo courtesy of Tom Carlisle)
Located mostly in Louisiana, the refuges stretches into Pearl River County in Mississippi. Congress approved an expansion of the refuge to nearly 50000 acres and land is still being purchased within the approved boundary. bogue Chitto is hope to hundreds of bird species as well as bald eagles and alligators. most of the refuges regularly floods in the spring. 43000 people visit the refuge each year.
* Coldwater River Established 2000 Covers 2069 acres
Currently one of the smaller refuges in the state, the refuge is planned to grow to 18000 acres, making it one of the states larger refuges. managed as a sanctuary for birds and other animals, the refuge is currently closed to public access.
* Dahomey Established 1990 Covers 9691 acres
http://refuges.fws.gov/...
A hermit thrush, one of the many species of birds that call the refuge home, is shown above
Located in northwestern Mississippi, the refuge protects the largest remaining bottomland hardwood wetlands in that part of the state. before the land was bought by the Nature Conservancy and turned over to the FWS in 1990, the forest was heavily logged and clear-cut. the forest has been allowed to recover naturally.
* Grand Bay Established 1992 Covers 32000 acres (In AL and MS)
http://www.fws.gov/...
A pitcher plant, found commonly in the refuge, is shown above (photo courtesy of Tom Carlisle)
Established to conserve wet pine savanna habitat, plans call for the refuge to cover 32000 acres when at its full size. the refuge overlaps the ERR of the same name, and manages Bon Secour WR in AL and Mississippi Sandhill WR Crane in MS.
* Hillside Established 1975 covers 15572 Acres
http://refuges.fws.gov/...
a common snapping turtle , one of many species native to the refuge is shown above
One of the older refuges in the state, Hillside is home to 125000 biords and over 200 species, including the Mississippi kite American kestral, and red-tailed hawk. the refuge is located on the Mississippi Flyway. the refuge was part of land bought in the 1970s by the Corp of Engineers as part of the Yazoo Basin Headwaters project.the COE turned over the land to the FWS for conservation once the project was complete. Hillside is one of 7 refuges in the Theodore Roosevelt WR Complex.
* Holt Collier Established 2004m Covers 1400 acreshttp://www.fws.gov/...
a map of the 7 refuges in the TR WR Complex is shown above, Holt Collier is in the middle
The only refuge named after an African -American, Holt Collier was a famous hunter and explorer, who is said to have killed over 3000 bears. Collier was with Theodore Roosevelt on the famous bear hunt in 1902 near Onward Mississippi, which inspired the creation of the teddy bear toy. the refuge was one of two established in 2004, the other was Theodore Roosevelt, and the refuge is currently expanding in size- its now over 2000 acres and land acquisition is ongoing.
* Mathews Brake Established 1980 Covers 2418 acres
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part of the refuge is shown above
one of two "brakes" in the system (Morgan Brake is the other), Mathews Brake is the smaller of the two, and the third-smallest refuge in the state. a brake is a naturally wooded wetland area and it provides habitat for ducks and waterfowl, and 30000 birds winter in the refuge.
*Mississippi Sandhill Crane Established 1975 Covers 19000 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
a sandhill crane is shown in the above photo
crated to protected the sandhill crane and its habitat, the refuge covers nearly all of the remaining habitat (about 20000 acres) and the sandhill crane is classed as endangered having about 100 birds living in the wild although that is up from 30 birds in the mid-1970s. the refuge is divided into 3 units (Fontainebleau, Gautier and Ocean Springs), and most of it is closed to public to preserve the bird and its habitat.
*Morgan Brake Established 1977 Covers 7383 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
Birds gather in the refuge in the above photo
The Larger of the two "brake' refuges in the state, in addition to preserving bottomland hardwoods, the refuge preserving a length of loess bluffs which unlike most such bluffs, face north. 100000 birds winter in the refuge, and 250 species are found year round.
* Noxubee Established 1940 Covers 48000 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a map of the refugee is shown above
One of the oldest and largest refuges in the state, Noxubee was originally named after one of the rivers that flows through the refuge. the refuge is a home for the endangered red-cocahed woodpecker which is found in only 4 areas in the state, and was declared an Important Bord Area by the Audubon Society. the refuge was renamed in 2012 to honor Sam D Hamilton , a former director of the FWS. The refuge gets 150000 visitors a year.
* Panther Swamp Established 1978 Covers 38697 acres
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A view of the refuge is shown above
the largest refuge in the Theodore Roosevelt Complex, Panther Swamp contains the largest area of bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the Mississippi Delta floodplain. the refuge is home to thousands of birds, alligators and white tailed deer.
* St Catherine Creek Established 1990 Covers 34256 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
Birds gather inside the refuge in the above picture
one of the larger Mississippi refuges, St Catherine Creek preserves portions of Lower Mississippi hardwood forest, and is bordered by the Mississippi (to the west) and Homochitto Rivers (to the South). much of the refuge is frequently flooded by the Mississippi in the winter and spring months.
* Tallahatchie Established 1990 Covers 4083 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
Cypress trees changing colors in the refuge in the above picture
part of the North Mississippi WR Complex,along with Dahonmey and Coldwater River WRs, Tallahatchie conserves forest and habitat in the northwestern part of the state. the refugee currently covers about 4200 acres and land acquisitions are ongoing. 11000 people visit the refuge each year.
* Theodore Roosevelt Established 2004 Covers 6600 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
a famous cartoon of Roosevelt refusing to shoot a black bear captured by Colt Hollier is shown above
Named after our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt WR is in the process of being established, when complete it will include the area where Roosevelt and Hollier had their famous bear hunt in 1902 and will cover nearly 7000 acres. the refuge is one of 7 refuges in the TR Complex. Roosevelt was the first president to create wildlife refuges (Pelican Island , FL in 1903) and national monuments (Devils Tower WY, 1906). as the country's greatest conservation president, it is only fitting that he be the first president to have a wildlife refuge named after him.
* Yazoo Established 1936 Covers 12941 acres Budget $2,097,000 (2005)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
an alligators warms himself in the sun inside Yazoo WR in the above picture
The oldest refuge in the state, Yazoo is the headquarters of the Theodore Roosevelt WR complex and is home to alligators, white-tailed deer and thousands of birds. Part of the Mississippi Flyway system, it is an important stop for birds heading to the Gulf for the Winter.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-7
* Brices Cross Roads NBS Established 1929 Covers 1 acre
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the memorial at the battlefield is shown above
One of two tiny battlefields in the state (Tupelo in the other), Brices Cross Roads commemorates a Confederate victory at the battle of Brices Cross Roads in June 1864. Nathan Bedford Forrest commanded a smaller Confederate force of 3000 men to a victory over a Union force nearly 3 times larger led By Sameul Sturgis. Deaths were about 500 for the Confederates and 2200 for the Union. Much of the battlefield has been preserved by the Brices Cross National battlefield commission, which has purchased over 1300 acres, but the Park Service to date only manages the acre contained within the battlefield site, which lies on the site of the house owned by the Brice family. 2000 people visited the site back in 1983.
*Grand Bay ERR Established 1999 Covers 18400 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
Part of the ERR is shown above
One of the Gulfs most productive estaurine regions. Grand Bay ERR is located partly in Grand bay WR, and extend down towards the border with Alabama. the resrve, contains pine forest, saltwater marsh, and pitcher plant bogs.
* Gulf Islands NS Established 1971 Covers 135 458 acres ( in FL and MS)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
part of the Florida part of the seashore is shown above
set aside in 1971, the Gulf Islands Seashore protects the islands in the Gulf in both Mississippi and Florida. Efforts to add areas in Alabama and Louisiana have been proposed, but to date, no land in either state has been included in the seashore. most of the seashore lies in Florida, but the portion of the seashore that is wilderness (4000 acres) lies in Mississippi. Nearly 1.7 million people visited the seashore in 2004.
* Natchez NHP Established 1988 Covers 108 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
Melrose House, part of the park, is shown above
Estasblished in 1988, the Natchez NHP commemorates the history of the city of Natchez, which was founded in 1716. the part is split into 3 areas- Fort rosalie which contains the site where the fort once stood, the William Johnson house, which was home to a free black resident of the city in the 1830s and Melrose, which was owned by state senator John T McMarron who owned the house until the Civil War. Over 200000 people visited the park in 2011.
* Shiloh NMP Established 1894 Covers 3997 acres (in MS and TN)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the cemetery in the Shiloh NMp is shown above
Site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, Shiloh preserves two battlefields, Shiloh and Corinth. the Shiloh battle took place in April 1862 and pitted 65000 Union troops under Ulysses S Grant and John Carlos Buell and 44000 Confederate troops led by Albert Sidnmey Johnson (who was KIA) and P G T Beauregard. 13000 Union troops were killed, nearly 11000 Confederates died.the capture of Corinth took a month,from May-June 1862, with roughly equal deaths on both sides , roughly 1000. Shiloh was one of the first Civil War battlefields to be set aside as military parks in the 1890s. the parks was turned over to the Park Service in 1933, and today the park contains nearly 4000 acres with another 1300 preserved in private holdings. in 2005, over 300000 people visited the park.
* Tupelo NB Established 1929 Covers 1 acre
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a monument commemorating the battle is shown above
set aside to mark the battle of Tupelo which occurred in July 1864 and resulted in an Union victory, which resulted in 650 Union dead and 1300 Confederate dead. Like brices Cross Roads, Tupelo was set aside in 1929. the battlefield is managed by the Natchez Trace Parkway.nearly 1000 people visited in 1983.
*Vicksburg NMP Established 1899 Covers 1853 acres (in LA and MS)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
The Illinois State memorial in the park is shown above
Established to serve the site of battle for Vicksburg which lasted from may 18-July 4th 1863. The capture of Vicksburg by the Union resulted in the Confederacy being split in two, and the Union having complete control of the Mississippi River.8000 died during the course of the battle, nearly 5000 on the Union side and over 3000 Confederates died. the battlefield was set aside as a military park in 1899 and became part of the Park Service in 1933. 700000 people visited the park in 2005.
Thus concludes my study of Mississippi. Next time, I'll be in Missouri, walking through the Ozarks and checking out the Gateway arch. As always, comments and imput are welcome. Previous diaries are below, starting with Alabama.
Prior Diaries
1.Alabama
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2 Alaska
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3 Arizona
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4 Arkansas
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5 California
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6 Colorado
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7 Connecticut
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8 Delaware
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9 Florida
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10 Georgia
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11 Hawaii
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12 Idaho
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13 Illinois
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14 Indiana
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15 Iowa
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16 Kansas
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17 Kentucky
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18 Louisiana
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19 Maine
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20 Maryland
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21 Massachusetts
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22 Michigan
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23 Minnesota
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