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Restore the Earth reports roughly 1.2 million cypress trees lost to fires in St. Charles Parish restoration
Summary
Restore the Earth told St. Charles Parish officials that recent wildfires destroyed about 1,200,000 of the 6,000,000 bald cypress trees planted as part of a 28,800-acre Gulf Coast restoration; the project includes 18,800 acres in St. Charles Parish and is the state's first water-quality-credit restoration under LDEQ.
Parish President Jewell introduced Restore the Earth representatives at a St. Charles Parish Council meeting and the group's executive director, Taylor Marshall, told elected officials that recent fires damaged a significant portion of a large-scale reforestation project on state wildlife management areas.
Marshall said the project covered 28,800 acres across the Gulf Coast and included about 6 million native bald cypress trees; roughly 18,800 of those acres are in St. Charles Parish. "This project will enhance coastal wetland and watershed systems by reestablishing a critical Bald Cypress forest," Marshall said. She added the restoration is the largest of its kind on the Gulf Coast and that "18,800 acres of this restoration went right into the ground here in St. Charles Parish."
The group said the work will improve water quality, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and community protection from storm surge and flooding. Marshall said the project also qualifies as Louisiana's first water-quality-credit restoration under the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) water-quality trading program, which provides annual credits to project funders.
Councilman Pillier asked about the survival rate of plantings excluding fire damage. Marshall replied, "At this project, if you don't include the fire, if it's just regular issues, 93% is what we've seen at Salvador." Parish President Jewell and Restore the Earth representatives described three separate fires that began on adjacent private property and spread into the wildlife management area. Marshall said the fires caused large-scale losses: when asked how many trees were killed, she answered, "1,200,000."
Marshall and parish officials said the fires, along with risks from hogs and nutria, are major threats to the restoration. "We are working closely with the sheriff's office when these fires go up ... and if they do go into the WMA, there will be resulting penalties and fines for those folks because it is illegal to burn the WMA," Parish President Jewell said at the meeting.
Councilwoman O'Daniels asked about the project's funding partners. Marshall described a mix of private corporate funders, carbon-credit purchasers and other investors, saying some support the work for environmental credits and some as community philanthropy. "Some of them are. Yes. And some are also goodwill. It's a mix of financial reasons," Marshall said. She also noted the restoration included coordination with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and an implementation partner, EcoRestore.
Restore the Earth representatives said they are increasing public outreach, seeking signage and enforcement coordination on the wildlife management areas, and working with private funders and state partners to restore acreage lost to the fires. Marshall thanked parish staff and partners and said the nonprofit hopes to continue similar projects across the Gulf Coast.
The meeting record includes no formal vote or binding action on the restoration; officials said they will continue coordination with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office and state wildlife and fisheries authorities on enforcement and restoration work.
