/ This paper examines causes and consequences of wetland losses in coastal Louisiana. Land loss is a cumulative impact, the result of many impacts both natural and artificial. Natural losses are caused by subsidence~ decay of abandoned river deltas, waves, and storms. Artificial losses result from flood-control practices, impoundments, and dredging and subsequent erosion of artificial channels. Wetland loss also results from spoil disposal upon wetlands and land reclamation projects.

Conversion of forested wetlands to agricultural use and the resulting fragmentation of the landscape has led to concerns for the functional integrity of the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain ecosystem. We describe an effort spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy to initiate a multi‐decade partnership dedicated to creating and implementing a viable, cooperative, landscape‐level restoration project in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain. Important phases of the process during the first 5 years were (1) initiation of the development of an extensive network of partners, including state and federal agencies, private land owners, conservation groups, academicians, and other interested citizens; (2) development of a geographic information system (GIS) for the entire extent of the ecosystem; and (3) for one watershed, the Tensas basin in northeastern Louisiana, refinement of a high resolution GIS to generate more detailed land‐use conversion statistics to demonstrate the feasibility of a semi‐objective, landscape‐scale restoration planning procedure, including methodology for prioritization of existing wetland forest patches and areas most suitable for reforestation and connection via corridors.

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