Last Great Harvest for Louisiana Cypress?

One hundred years ago the cypress forests of Louisiana's swamps were cut down for timber. Now a century later the trees have matured to a size suitable for harvest. The wood of cypress is prized for its beauty and resistance to rot and pests. Landowners and loggers are anxious to harvest as many of the valuable trees as they can. Scientists and environmentalists would like to limit the harvest to insure the health of the forest.

Ecology professor Gary Shaffer says that the environment has changed considerably in the past 100 years. He estimates that 80 percent of coastal Louisiana's cypress forests would not recover if cut. The trees are vital to the swamp ecosystem and provide habitat for wildlife, including the ivory-billed woodpecker thought to be extinct until recently. State forester, Paul Frey feels that the trees would likely recover in all but the most fragile areas, which cannot be reached with logging equipment anyway.

Presently the only thing stopping the harvest is a dispute with the Army Corps of Engineers over roads into the forest lands.

Link: Battle Brews over Louisiana’s Cypress Trees from National Public Radio (NPR) This report is also available in audio format at this link.

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:25 PM on June 30, 2005