- Big Thicket National Preserve "...to assure the preservation, conservation, and protection of the natural, scenic, and recreational values of a significant portion of the Big Thicket area in the State of Texas..." Since the preserve's inception, the Conservation Fund has helped to increase the amount of protected acreage by . Protected and public lands Federal Land United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service Big Thicket National Preserve (113,114 acres), Texas United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United States Department of Agriculture, U. S. Forest Service Managed under a multiple-use concept (by law), balancing between timber harvesting, grazing, minerals, soil and water, fish and wildlife, recreation, and public needs, with no single resource emphasized to the detriment of others. Arkansas (See also List of Arkansas state parks) Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Oklahoma Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Some Texas Wildlife Management Areas leased from the U. S. Forest Service and located within National Forest are not included here) Folklore The Piney Woods Region of the four state area is a noted area for Bigfoot (Sasquatch) sightings; with many legends dating back to pre European settlement. One such noted legend is the story of the Fouke Monster of Southern Arkansas; documented in the 1972 film The Legend of Boggy Creek. The area according to references lists this area to be the third highest in North America for these such sightings. Melanistic (black) cougars, another probable cryptid, have been noted by residents. See also Big Thicket History of Texas forests List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF) Lost Pines Forest, a disjunct forest genetically related to the Piney Woods, over 100 miles to the west in central Texas References External links Experience Nature, Arts & Culture, History & Heritage Destinations in the Texas Pineywoods Temperate coniferous forests of the United States Ecoregions of the United States Forests of Arkansas Forests of Louisiana Forests of Oklahoma Forests of Texas Natural history of Arkansas Natural history of Louisiana Natural history of Oklahoma Natural history of Texas Plant communities of the Eastern United States Plant communities of Louisiana Regions of Texas Nearctic ecoregions