Fleming Plantation

Fifteen miles south of New Orleans is the 23,000-acre Barataria Preserve—chock-full of Louisiana’s vibrant culture, rich history, flourishing ecosystems, and abundant outdoor recreation. The Barataria Preserve is one of six sections of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, established in 1978.

The 3,455-acre Fleming Plantation, a former sugar plantation, was the largest remaining privately owned tract inside the boundary of the Barataria Preserve, which is a key public land component of Louisiana’s Barataria Basin.

The basin is a biological hot spot, providing forest, marsh, and aquatic habitats for migratory birds, important fisheries, and other wetland-dependent wildlife. However, rapid coastal erosion and subsidence in the lower basin rank it among the world’s highest rates of wetland loss.

In 2018, Trust for Public Land purchased the plantation and conveyed the land to the National Park Service. The acquisition of Fleming Plantation was built upon an existing network of conserved lands spanning more than 56,000 acres in the Mid-Barataria Basin. As part of the Barataria Preserve, the property offers the public opportunities to enjoy the lush wetlands for hiking, boating, wildlife viewing, fishing, and hunting.

Fleming Plantation’s history is as rich as its ecology. Historic buildings, a cemetery, and a prehistoric Indian mound illustrate the land’s past.

In addition to recreational and educational benefits, the Fleming Plantation wetlands buffer higher-elevation sites, such as the adjacent town of Jean Lafitte and even New Orleans, from flooding and storm surges during tropical storms and hurricanes.