Cypress at heart of debate John Rowland/jrowiand@theadvertser.com Dean Wilson, seenin a grove of cypress trees in the Atchafalaya Basin, and other enironmentalss fear that sore ees are being harvested for mulch. Demand for mulch is SrOWiNg wKeKK the "he billion dollar industry Should the adv I" is led by a growing demand for ‘Bob Moser Americans to boycott mulch = mer Rye P ‘mulch, favored because made from bald cypress, tak- "ypress populations on private it won't float y in the rain. ing the fight to a new level, land? Go to theadvertiser.com. like other types. Cypress is between business and conser- a Now, activi ytheyhave 80 percent of ypress vationists for s. academic activ Photos of clear-cuttia forests are on private land, Last year, a national adver- _bied for Wal-Mart, Lowe's and areas that w tising campaign urged Home Depot to stop selling and local mulch being put in ‘See CYPRESS on Page 100Continued from Page 1A Cypress _ Up to 80 percent of the state's cypress is in southern Louisiana swamp areas that ‘can't regrow, according to a 2005 state report. Louisiana's Coastal cypress forests’are a buffer against strong winds and storm surges, One of those areas isthe Atchafalaya Basin, ‘where environmental. scien: tists worry about regrowth in high-water areas and invasive exotic trees in drier areas. ‘Tho latest, target of the coalition is a mulch facility in Port Allen, owned by Corbitt Manufacturing, one of the national mulch leaders. Coalition members _ say they've followed trucks from logging sites to the Port Allen site. After media attention last summer, members say Corbitt ‘continued mulching Louisiana trees but started turning out ‘bags marked “Florida Gold,” instead of the "No Float” ‘brand bags that previously were filled at the plant. Chuck Corbitt, owner of Corbitt Manofacturing, says if the bagging was changed, it's simply a misunderstanding. ‘The “Florida Gold” brand is ‘one of seven different brands of ‘mulch Corbitt makes in differ- ent states. Five different species of tree regularly go into the “Florida Gold’ bags, he said. “The company wasn't react: {ng to media pressure and was: n'thiding Louisiana mulch in a Florida bag,” he added. “That's not the intention there at al.” ‘Mislabeling of mulch bags is the coalition’ latest focus in ‘a campaign for public support. It's partof along-termeffort to develop a third-party certfica tion process for where mulch comes from, like the Forestry Stewardship Council, which certifies much of the lumber retailers buy, said Dan Favre of ‘the Gulf Restoration Network. “Activists say the Florida ‘bag mixup is the latest exam: ple of how customers have been Kept in the, dark about Louisiana cypress’ future. “We find it ratfier interest ing they're solling ‘Florida Gola,’ which gives the indica. tion it comes from Florida,” said Barry Kohl, professor of earth and environmental sci ences at Tulane University. “We're concerned that at that plant they're using whole frees, It's not a byproduct of other logging, and our forests are being clear-cut for a tempo: rary mulch product.” ‘Small part of picture Loggers, mulchers and the Louisiana Forestry Association say the coast isn't affected by foypress cutting. Areas close to ‘the Gulf aren't accessible to cut and take too much effort to be profitable. Cypress makes up Jess than 5 percent of timber cut in the state, said Buck \Vandersteen, LFA executive director Industry advocates. say the ‘majority of cypress ts cut for timber, and leftover scraps con- tribute to most of the mulch. When full trees are mulched, it’s at the landowner’s discre- ton, usually to wipe their land clean for. better cypress regrowth, Vandersteen said ‘Home’ Depot, Lowe's and WalMart all say they've ques- tones! Corbitt on where trees are logged and are confident ceypress being cut in Louisiana is in renewable areas. ‘Activists have photos show- {ng just the opposite is happen- ing but say no one on the state level will listen State | grove of Cypress trees near Rosedale has been clear out. Enviromental contnd thatthe trees are being ground up for mulch, classifications of _ regrowth potential. Class 1 grows back hraturally, Class 2 requires ‘human replanting and Class 3 ‘areas can't recover from logging. Dean Wilson, a member of the Louisiana Environmental Action Notwork, is one coali- tion member who says he has photos of clear-cutting in a Class 3 swamp. Cass 2 swamps can regrow, if baby cyprass trees are planted and grow tall enough to stay above the water surface. But feven then, invasive trees like wl Jow and Chinese tallow move in ‘and grow faster than the cypress. [Both activists and loggers agree ‘this ean push out cypress perma- rently. But landowners can cut out invasive trees to try and {improve cypress’ chances. ‘Like you dropped bomb’ ‘The Ivory Swamp in Rosedale, once full of eypress is Tow ht nate a quiet, muddy field. The fow remaining trees on site are said to be willow or Chinese tallow Clear cutting like this aban dons the 40 percent of North ‘American birds who migrate through Louisiana's swamps each year, Wilson said. ‘Mike Bienvenu, a cravfish- erman in the Atchafalaya Basin and president of the Louisiana Cravwish Producers Association, says he saw ceypress cutting a few months ago in Butte La ooked “dead” afterwards, “When they cut the cypress out, all you have left isthe trash frets," he said. “Its like you ‘dropped the bomb right there.” Blforts to work with the Louisiana Department of, Agriculture and Forestry have ‘gone nowhere, Wilson. said. Wilson is an Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, a volunteer who has been appointed to monitor the area, ‘Bob Odom, LDAF commis- sioner, said he can't recall any requests to look into illegal cypress logging. Eighty por- cent of cypress forest land is privately owned, and Odom Said he wouldn't be comfort able regulating it ‘Vandersteen said the history of private landowners. shows that if they can profit by logging cypress on their land, they'll do all they can to help the forests regrow for continued profit Topics for change Coalition members are fous Ing pressure on the retailers rst Duthope stator federal changes qatetatelinitiow one sconduct ‘landmark decision by the US, Environmental Protection Agency in June gave environ Imenlalists hope for the cause. The BPA told a. private landowner “in Livingston Parish he needed to-prove his cypress forest Would Tegrow before he eould cut it "The science behind the EPA’ decision was questioned by the industry, who “in forestry, the areas operate in 99 percent of the time are those Class 1 and 2 areas. that will regenerate,” said Vandersteen, of the indus- ‘try-supporting LFA. “Regrowth doesn’t necessarily come back in the same trees you cut, but ‘Mother Nature isn't perfect. Placing business interests before Louisiana's most signif- Icant tree needs to stop, said R. David Brown, attorney for the Louisiana” Environmental Action Network. . i ‘mulching 1980 percent of Louisiona ‘press swamps ar in stes ‘wth no potential for natural oF ati! regrowth | 791,000 acres of cypress/tupelo forest cover touisian. 1980 percent of those forests are privately owned. 17 billion board feet o: ‘ypeess sawtimber ae in these forests. | 222 million board feet ‘are growing annual ‘no bottom to the wellspring of ‘ad ideas,” he sald, ‘Wilson said he would like ‘Army Corps of Engineers rules for clear-cutting to be stricter. ‘When a 43,500-square-foot ‘acre is cut, a total of 40 square feet of trees must remain. Bald Dacia “A Heart of Gold ‘She'll know that you have a hear of gold when you surprise her with our 14K gold diamond heart pendant. ‘$210 B.$295 C. $100 Valentines Dy ts Wednesday, ebruary 14 130 million board feet are hanvested annul 21 milllion board feet dle annually fom satwater, inseets, storms and asease attack. 1 $12 million of press was harvested last year making Up less than 5 percent of Louisiana timber cut. ‘SURCE 2005 per he at ‘eta ore retin on ceypress trees 42 inches in diam- tler and 10 feet tall can't be cut. ‘The easement rules are being fought in three cases at the US. District Court in Lafayette by lumber companies ‘that own land in St.Landry and St, Martin parishes. Lee Michaels Tine Joweagy & DISTINCTIVE GIFTS Mal of Acad 96-9071 New oes at Rouge Steep San Anton acon ‘Shop eine whom |