The A.E. LeBlanc old-growth cypress forest in Iberville Parish is one of the rarest places left in our nation — a living remnant of the once-vast cypress forests that blanketed Louisiana. With trees over 300 years old — and the potential to live over 1,000 — this forest has stood undisturbed for centuries, providing irreplaceable benefits to people and wildlife.
Now it faces destruction if the Mississippi River bridge project proceeds through this ancient forest instead of one of two viable alternative routes.
Less than 1% of eastern U.S. forests have remained intact long enough to develop old-growth characteristics. The A.E. LeBlanc forest is not merely old — it is ecologically functional. Its mature root systems slow floodwaters, reduce erosion and improve water quality. Its canopy and deep soils store carbon, helping regulate climate amid intensifying storms. It provides critical habitat for native wildlife and migratory birds that cannot thrive in younger or fragmented forests…