conservation and protection

Bayou St. John Restoration Plan
Cypress Forests in Danger
Land Conservation
Pontchartrain Beach Improvement Plan
Priority Conservation Areas in the Basin
St. Tammany Parish Habitat Change Report & Maps
St. Tammany Greenprinting

Bayou St. John Restoration Plan

	Resources Bayou St. John Restoration Plan (pdf)

Bayou St. John is an urban resource that not only holds incredible potential for today’s users, but also links residents and visitors to the historical development of the city of New Orleans. The bayou began naturally due to drainage from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain. The remaining waterways are utilized for aesthetics and recreation. To ensure that the multiple benefits of the bayou are continuously realized there must be coordination among jurisdictional managing entities and understanding and support from the public.  In late 2004, the Bayou St. John Committee was established with a mission to identify sustainable methods to benefit Bayou St. John water quality, habitat management, recreational access and educational opportunities.

	Resources Cypress Facts

Cypress Forests in Danger

Cypress forests are vitally important to protect our coastal communities from the effects of hurricanes and storm surge. However, it became evident to LPBF and others that Louisiana’s cypress forests were in imminent danger of being cut to supply consumer demand for cypress mulch. Cypress mulch is a popular choice for many consumers who think it offers better insect and weed resistance and lasts longer than other mulches – this is just not true. Instead pine straw, pine bark, eucalyptus mulch, or recycled tires are better, more sustainable choices. Find out the facts about cypress mulch and what you can do to protect these natural treasures by visiting www.saveourcypress.org.

	Resources Land Protection: Ways to Conserve Land (brochure) Public Service Announcements Radio (mp3) Television ( .wmv | .mov )

Land Conservation Awareness Campaign

LPBF educates the public about sprawl and its impacts on Basin resources as well as the importance of land conservation and options available for protecting green space. Communities across the United States are implementing a variety of approaches to protect land and other natural resources. Citizens are realizing that a balance can be reached between growing the economy and protecting green space.

Pontchartrain Beach Improvement Plan

	Resources Pontchartrain Beach Improvement Plan (pdf)

Pontchartrain Beach is both currently utilized and historically romanticized by the citizens of the New Orleans region and beyond. A recreational area since the 1800s, Pontchartrain Beach was created in New Orleans on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain to encourage swimming, fishing, boating, sun bathing, picnicking and
general relaxation. Although Lake Pontchartrain endured many years of poor water quality, lake waters have improved significantly.

Pontchartrain Beach is an asset that must be preserved, enhanced and maintained today
and in the future. The Pontchartrain Beach Improvement Plan provides a guide based
upon the public’s vision of one of the best points of access to Lake Pontchartrain.

	Download the Report Small - 1.5MB (pdf) Large - 25.9MB (pdf)

Priority Conservation Areas in the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary Zone

LPBF and The Nature Conservancy partnered to identify priority areas within the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary that significantly contribute to the ecological integrity of the region in addition to existing conservation areas within the estuary. This does not suggest that areas not identified are unimportant for conservation. However, it is meant to focus limited conservation resources to work in cooperative ways with landowners of areas that may be most important from an ecological standpoint.

*This map serves as a guide only. We respect private property rights and wish to work only with willing landowners.

	More Resources from LPBF St. Tammany Habitat Change   Fact sheet   Report   Maps

St. Tammany Parish Habitat Change Report & Maps

In 2002, LPBF publicly released a report commissioned by the University of New Orleans - Coastal Research Laboratory to assess habitat change in St. Tammany Parish. The report, titled, Urbanization Effects on Habitat Change in St. Tammany Parish, used state-of-the-art mapping technology, known as Geographic Information Systems, to document the amount of habitat that had been altered between 1982 to 2000.

The study found that over 52,000 acres of habitat were altered over the eighteen year period. This is equivalent to a land area twice the size of Metairie, or paving over 80% of the Bayou Lacombe Watershed. The majority of this habitat change was due directly to urbanization (i.e. sprawl).

St. Tammany Greenprinting

	Greenprint Maps Overall Conservation Priorities Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Management Protect Critical and Sensitive Areas Parks Network Wetlands Protection and Restoration Maintain Rural Character

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) initiated a Greenprinting process to identify and prioritize land conservation goals in St. Tammany Parish. LPBF participated as a stakeholder and served as a technical advisor throughout the year-long process.

The stakeholders identified five conservation goals, which they later prioritized:

• Protect Critical and Sensitive Areas
• Mitigate Floods and Manage Stormwater
• Establish a Network of Parks
• Maintain Rural Character
• Protect and Restore Wetlands

The Greenprint concluded in January 2007 with a series of maps that reflected the land conservation priorities.