The mission of Lower Mississippi RIVERKEEPER® is to protect, preserve
and restore the ecological integrity of the Mississippi River Basin for
current users and future generations through advocacy and citizen
action.
Though Louisiana's wetlands face serious threats from coastal land loss
and development, widespread clear cutting of cypress forests is also a
very imminent danger.
In the past cypress mulch used to be a by-product of lumber mills. This
is no longer true. The mulch purchased today comes from wide spread
clear cutting of entire eco systems.
Loggers are operating with little to no oversight. No state laws exist
to protect Louisiana's state tree; some that are more than 1,000 years
old.
A mixed message: State and Federal Officials are asking our nation for
billions of dollars to restore Louisiana's coast. However, it's not
clear whether our cypress forests, which help to combat coastal
erosion, are adequately protected from logging under current state and
federal laws.
THE IMPACT
Though many areas that were logged in the early 1900s have
regenerated, local scientists believe that many of Louisiana's coastal
cypress forests would not grow back if they are now cut.
Science Working Group
In 2004 The Louisiana Governor commissioned a Science Working Group
(SWG) to assess the state's coastal forests and to identify what is
necessary to sustain their long-term health and usefulness. The SWG's
final report (April 2005) can be viewed at http://www.coastalforestswg.lsu.edu
The SWG report confirms what has been long suspected: Up to 80 percent of the areas being logged will be unable to regenerate.
This is due to changes in elevation and water flow over the past
century, many cypress forests are permanently flooded and can't
regenerate.
Logging of cypress should only be allowed in areas that scientists and
certified foresters find are sustainable and that can regenerate.
State policies must be developed to discourage timber cutting in areas that are unlikely to regenerate.
Incentives must be created for private landowners who own cypress
forest. Options may include conservation easements, tax-deductible
donations to a land trust, or the transfer of timber rights.
THE VALUE OF OUR CYPRESS FORESTS
In 1963, the cypress tree was named Louisiana's state tree. Cypress
forests provide tremendous environmental, cultural, recreational, and
economic value to our state.
Protect coastal communities by buffering against hurricanes and absorbing storm surges and flood waters
Naturally filter pollutants and excess nutrients before they contaminate swimming and fishing areas
Support our economy through tourism and recreation (i.e. swamp tours, boating, camping, fishing, photography)
Provide
critical habitat for wildlife, including threatened and endangered
species such as the Louisiana black bear, the bald eagle, and the
recently rediscovered ivory-billed woodpecker
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
Documentary short from the Gulf Restoration Network detailing the
habitat and storm protection values of cypress swamps and the threat
that the garden mulch industry presents.
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!
Entire forests in Louisiana are being clear-cut in order to make
garden mulch out of bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum). Cypress
tupelo forests are vital to Louisiana for their ability to reduce the
affects of tropical storms and for the habitat they provide. Once cut
most of these areas will NEVER grow their cypress trees back. AND it is
not even a good mulch and there are plenty of good alternatives. Save
Louisiana's coastal forests: don't buy cypress mulch! See
saveourcypress.org for more information.
