Sometimes the best laid plans fall apart. And, on occasion, the backup plan is even better than the original one. On very rare occasions, timing, plans and teamwork come together so well that you accomplish what you set out to do in record time. No matter the plan, though, it helps to have a team of dedicated, knowledgeable folks to help make things happen. In the case of one Louisiana landowner, original plans of grazing cattle and farming soybeans didn’t work out well due to flooding from the Boeuf River. The landowner, Michael Liles of 5L Land Development, decided he needed a new plan and sought help from NRCS. 

For many Louisianians, a connection to land is more than just a deed indicating ownership. It’s a source of opportunity and income, of recreation, of family and memories. It’s all those things for Michael Liles and he wants to share that connection with his wife, Kristi, and his five children (LillyMae, Trace, Levi, Gus, and Charlotte). As Michael realized he couldn’t make farming work on a flood-prone piece of his property, he saw an opportunity to restore the land and leave a legacy for his children. 

Having hunted on Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) tracts and done land development work on other lands enrolled in NRCS programs, Mr. Liles was familiar with NRCS and the potential for assistance in helping achieve his goals. 

In January 2023, Mr. Liles applied to enroll his pastureland in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easement (ACEP-WRE).  The property, located in Franklin Parish with the Boeuf River, Boeuf Wildlife Management Area, and other existing WRP lands as neighbors, seemed to be begging for wetland restoration. 

In 2024, the property was selected for funding through NRCS’ ACEP-WRE program and the easement team got to work. The Louisiana NRCS easement staff worked closely with the national Easement Acquisition Branch (EAB) during the acquisition phase of the application. The EAB staff hosted monthly meetings to keep Louisiana staff updated. In April 2025, after much coordination and teamwork, NRCS closed on the property acquisition. That’s only 303 days from agreement to purchase to closing the easement! LA NRCS has been reducing the time necessary to close on easements such as this. Over the last decade or so, the average has been roughly 564 days and in 2024 the average was 377 days. This easement closing in just over 300 days (10 months) is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Easements team both locally and nationally. 

The speed with which this project progressed didn’t stop with the NRCS team, though. Mr. Liles, owning his own land construction business, requested to implement the restoration himself through a landowner contract on his easement. Being a self-confessed “man of action”, he was eager to get moving on the restoration process. 

NRCS coordinated closely with Mr. Liles through the planning and design process by providing restoration options and getting approval for the work to be done through a landowner contract. After much collaboration and landowner input, NRCS was able to finalize the planning and design phase in May 2025. Tree site preparation took place in August 2025 followed shortly after by 9.2 acres of hydrology restoration. Establishing 183 acres of bottomland hardwood in February 2026 capped off the project. 

The results from this hard work are already being realized. The property connects and extends existing wildlife corridors that directly benefit multiple threatened and endangered species, such as the Louisiana Black Bear and Northern Long-Eared Bat. And Mr. Liles is no longer fighting with the land to try to transform it into something that it wasn’t suited to be. 

Just a few months after the restoration work, and thanks to the help of the Northwestern State University’s Advanced Remote and Geospatial Operation (NSU-ARGO) lab, we have the receipts to show how conservation is changing the land. 

5L Land Development Easement Before Restoration

5L Land Development Easement After Restoration

Most importantly, NRCS was able to help Mr. Liles achieve his conservation goals and his desire to leave a legacy for his children, strengthening the land itself and the family connection to it. To hear Michael Liles tell it, “I have enjoyed every step of it.”

If you’re interested in how NRCS can help you address resource concerns and improve your land, please contact or visit your local service center.