AM/NS Calvert

About the Program
The ArcelorMittal Calvert conservation project takes place at the AM/NS steel processing plant approximately 35 miles north of Mobile, Alabama. The AM team first partnered with Acacia Forest Products in 2012 to manage over 1,450 acres of forest near the Tombigbee River and its associated wetlands. The AM/NS Calvert team is completing restoration efforts of the previously commercially designed loblolly pine stands to a native longleaf pine savanna ecosystem. In addition to returning the forest to its natural state via planting Pinus palustris, the team uses techniques to decrease the risk of wildfire, remove invasive species and protect wetlands. The team also manages green areas on-site for the benefit of pollinators. 

Practices and Impacts

• Acacia Forest Products conducts yearly monitoring and treatment of the forest including invasive plant species removal, enabling native plants to return. Systemic controlled burns and thinning reduce fuel load, which decreases the chance of wildfire and also helps to open the understory for new plant growth.
• The team installed five bat boxes on-site to prevent bats from roosting in mill buildings and provide additional shelter. Students from Citronelle High School's woodshop class constructed the bat boxes as a class activity and visited the team to help hang the bat boxes. 
• In 2019, the team developed a nesting platform to benefit osprey. A camera assists in monitoring osprey activity and providing educational value.
• The team regularly monitors the feral hog population using game cameras, which helps them place live traps strategically to capture and remove feral hogs. This helps reduce habitat damage from feral hog rooting. A fence was also constructed on the southern property boundary to help prevent travel of feral hog individuals.
• A 4,720 square foot landscaped garden area was created in 2019. Plants species were chosen based on climate and soil characteristics of the garden, and multiple species were planted in different areas to evaluate shade tolerance. The team conducts monthly monitoring to track plant survival and growth.
• A second pollinator garden was added at another location onsite in 2021. The garden contains nectar and larval plants for native bees, birds and butterflies.