Posted on March 10, 2020
METAIRIE, La. — Approximately 1,000 bald cypress trees now call the Barataria Basin home, an effort done to combat coastal erosion in Jefferson Parish.
According to the parish, the $20,000 project near Lafitte was made possible through Councilman Ricky Templet’s office. The parish completed the tree-planting with the help of Resource Environmental Solutions.
“We committed to funding this project because we understand the importance of reducing coastal erosion for the future of our parish,” Templet said. “Without coastal restoration efforts, the loss of our wetlands will continue to increase, which means we are more vulnerable to storm surge.”
Parish officials said 400 trees were planted along the western shoreline of Goose Bayou and 600 trees went in along the southern side of Bayou de Fleur. The teams also put in biodegradable nutria guards around each tree.
According to the parish, tree-planting projects reduce land loss and prevent future coastal erosion. The parish also drops recycled Christmas trees into the basin each year after the holidays.
“The native bald cypress species was chosen for its ability to grow in wetter areas with existing emergent growth, eventually building a more stable land ridge to reduce erosion,” said Debbie Settoon, board director for the nonprofit Jefferson Beautification Inc.
Source: wdsu.com
