Poarch Band of Creek Indian’ (PBCI) Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve (MBWR) Devil's Backbone shallows, riparian area, and access to the Big Escambia Creek, Atmore, AL, on April 5, 2014.
The refuge is off Highway 113 south of I-65 with nearly 6,000 acres of timberland, recreational waterfronts and camping areas on and near Big Escambia Creek. Visitors can take tours within the refuge to outdoor educational points of interest to see a variety of plants and animals being protected or reestablished at MBWR.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has had a long history of successful program support of PBCI. They are descendants of a segment of the original Creek Nation, which once covered almost all of Alabama and Georgia. Unlike many other eastern Indian tribes, the Poarch Creeks were not removed from their tribal lands and have lived together for almost 200 years in and around the reservation in Poarch, Alabama. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama, operating as a sovereign nation with its own system of government and bylaws. The Tribe operates a variety of economic enterprises, which employ hundreds of area residents. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung. Original public domain image from Flickr