Alexander State Forest

About Alexander State Forest

Alexander State Forest, located in central Louisiana, was founded in 1923 when the state bought 2,068 acres from Mrs. Eloise Polk Burrows.

Although the first of several state demonstration forests was originally planned, it was only one of them. The forest is named after Alexander, a former Louisiana governor and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Alexander Staatswald has increased over the years with the expansion of more than 2,000 hectares of new land. This versatile forest includes a wide range of wildlife habitats as well as a large number of native plants and animals.

When it was bought, the land was largely barren, with only a few hundred hectares of grassland and a small number of trees and bushes.

When camps for the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) were located in the forest in 1933 and 1940, extensive tree planting was carried out. Today, however, there is afforestation and forest management, which includes over 35 million solid metres of timber.

The Woodworth Fire Tower on the headquarters site is one of the oldest buildings in the state and the largest of its kind in Louisiana. The administrative building, now on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana, was erected during the CCC days and now houses the Louisiana Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (DLNR) office.

About 75 percent of the state's forests are used for hunting and other recreational activities. Alexander State Forest is managed as a multi-functional concept that offers a variety of benefits, including improved habitats for endangered species.