The efforts of a national nonprofit conservation group have helped secure several thousand acres this month for the Big Thicket National Preserve and the Trinity River Wildlife Refuge.

Late last week The Conservation Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the protection of 1,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forest along the Trinity River in East Texas. The addition to the refuge will provide migrating birds natural rest stops.

The addition, acquired from Champion Paper, was made possible through funding from the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, revenue collected from Federal Duck Stamp sales, import duties collected on arms and ammunition, right-of-way payments to the refuge system and receipts from national wildlife refuge entry fees, according to The Conservation Fund press release.

Located 45 miles east of Houston along the Trinity River, the 22,500-acre refuge is home to 275 bird species and 640 plant species, according to The Conservation Fund.

The numerous sloughs, oxbow lakes, artesian wells and tributaries making up the broad, flat floodplain provide critical breeding grounds and overwintering habitats.

"Working with USFWS and the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission has made this an excellent partnership," said Andy Jones, director of The Conservation Fund's Texas office. "I am excited about the educational and recreational opportunities for the public. This is the type of project where everyone wins."

The acquisition includes a 60-year-old hunting lodge which the USFWS plans to convert into an environmental education center.

Outdoor enthusiasts will be able to hike, fish, canoe and kayak throughout the refuge.

"This property contains incredible natural resources with high conservation value," said Stuart Marcus, Trinity River Wildlife Refuge manager.

In past years The Conservation Fund helped the refuge acquire 4,700 acres.

The Big Thicket National Preserve, just east of the refuge, has also benefitted from The Conservation Fund efforts which resulted in a 1,000-acre expansion last month.

"We are proud to be a part of such a rich conservation legacy in East Texas," Jones said. "At Trinity River Wildlife Refuge, we've helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expand the refuge significantly in the past several years, and that has been amazing to see."