Natural Resource Management

Roughly 50 years after BREC’s inception, the first Natural Resource Management Plan was created and passed by BREC’s Commission. The plan was written in response to the public’s expressed interest to protect and manage unique forms of natural beauty in the parish. According to a 1990 public survey, over 90% of residents agreed that BREC should “preserve as much as possible of the open spaces and forest areas remaining in the parish” and that BREC should “acquire and preserve land with unique natural features such as Bluebonnet Swamp.” The initial plan not only defined conservation areas but also the other types of BREC parks and provided a list of potential properties to acquire for conservation. The plan was designed to be reviewed annually and updated as necessary.

Just a few years after the plan was first drafted, in 1997, BREC’s first conservation area and nature center, Bluebonnet Swamp, was opened in the heart of the parish. It provided one of the first opportunities for residents of EBR Parish to experience a board-walked path.

This initial conservation area was designed to be the hub of nature activity in the parish where over time, additional parks called Satellite Conservation Areas would be opened to the public in other parts of the parish with trails and other outdoor recreation amenities. Over the last twenty years, the opportunities that BREC provides to residents has increased through acquiring new properties like BREC’s largest conservation area, Frenchtown Conservation Area, and through developing new amenities, including over 20 miles of hiking trails now scattered across the system. Through a dedication to social equity, BREC has moved away from a hub and spoke model and is now focused on ensuring there are a variety of outdoor recreational experiences in conservation areas around the parish for all local communities as land availability and habitats allow. 

Since it was first written, the Natural Resource Management Plan has been updated 5-6 times to account for an updated park system. In its current 2021 form, the plan includes the most extensive updates as BREC’s focus on conservation and sustainable practices expands.

Nature Reserves

These areas are completely undeveloped and are set aside for the protection of habitat and wildlife. There are no developed trails and should not be visited unless permission is received through the conservation department. Areas like these are important for local ecosystems and provide habitat corridors for the connection of greenways, native plant growth and wildlife breeding.