The Louisiana Purchase Legacy Campaign announces the discovery and location of several outstanding examples of one of Louisiana's most precious assets-cypress trees that were alive at the time of the Louisiana Purchase.
The year 2003, in addition being the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, also marked the 40th anniversary of the designation of the
bald cypress as the state tree of Louisiana. The Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy commemorates one of the most visible and enduring symbols
of Louisiana's natural heritage - the bald cypress. 
Specifically, the Cypress Legacy campaign intends to landmark those trees that have been
certified, through circumference measurement and selective coring, to be at least two hundred years old-alive at the time of the Louisiana
Purchase. We hope to have these land marked trees included on an official State registry of "Louisiana Purchase Trees".
"The Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy campaign is a bona fide treasure hunt for one of Louisiana's most precious valuables-the remaining old growth cypress that are still to be found in all corners of our state-- from front yards to backwater sloughs. Our old cypress deserve recognition and protection, particularly those hardy survivors that were alive at the time of the Louisiana Purchase" said Harvey Stern, coordinator of the campaign.
August, 2003 was declared Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy Month by both the Louisiana legislature and the Louisiana State Senate. The organizations listed below are sponsoring or endorsing this campaign in recognition that the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase presents an ideal opportunity to promote awareness, conservation and stewardship of cypress that were alive at the time of the Louisiana Purchase.
- Better Swamps and Gardens Org, Lafitte
- Gulf Restoration Network
- Jean Lafitte National Park
- Jefferson Parish Beautification Inc
- Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
- Louisiana Audubon Council
- Louisiana Urban Forestry Council (sponsor)
- Louisiana Audubon Council (sponsor)
- Louisiana Nature Conservancy
- Louisiana Wildlife Federation
- New Orleans Citizens for Urban Trees
- Sierra Club, Delta (LA.) Chapter (sponsor)
In all corners of our state. Initial candidate sites include:
- 1664 Robert Street at Baronne, Uptown New Orleans , Orleans Parish **FOUNDER'S TREE** (plaque)
- Sargent Lake Vicinity, Catahoula Parish **FOUNDER'S TREE** (plaque)
- Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, **FOUNDER'S TREE** (plaque)
- Tickfaw State Park vicinity , Livingston Parish
- Jean Lafitte National Park, Jefferson Parish
- Saline Bayou, Big Cypress Preserve, Bienville Parish
- Black Bayou Area, Joyce Wildlife Management Area, Tangipahoa Parish
- (a) Ernest Slough (b) Goat/Porter's Island, West Pearl River area, St. Tammany Parish
- Bear Bayou area, Atchafalaya Basin, St. Martin Parish
- Bayou Boeuf, Kisatchie National Forest, Rapides Parish
- Bayou Loutre-Phillips Lake, Union Parish
Death by a Thousand cuts
This color PDF brochure (656K) on Cypress tree logging and clear-cutting is subtitled "Our Cypress Forests Threatened Now More Than Ever".
Bald Cypress: Louisiana's state tree
A PDF brochure (168K) on Bald Cypress trees, produced by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry Office of Forestry.
An Interim Old-Growth Definition for Cypress-Tupelo Communities in the Southeast
A PDF file (887K) written by Margaret S. Devall for the USDA Forest Service
that defines Old-Growth Cypress-Tupelo communities in the Southeast U.S.
General Technical Report SRS-19 published by the USFS Southern Research Station in Asheville, NC USA.
Defining Old Growth in the Southeast: Example of Cypress
A PDF file (314K) written by Margaret S. Devall, Paul C. Van Deusen and Gregory A. Reams for the USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station in New Orleans, LA USA that defines Old-Growth Cypress communities in the U.S.
Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy's comment letter to the SWG
The link above will open a PDF file (92K) of the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy's comments to the Coastal Forest Science Working Group (SWG) regarding wetland forest conservation and use.
dogwoodalliance.org
The above link will take you to the Dogwood Alliance's Home page.
primalnature.org
The above link will take you to Primal Nature's Home page.
