Save Dufrene's Legacy Cypress Tree in St. Charles Parish

Murray Dufrene Des Allemands, LA

In Bayou Gauche, Louisiana lies a historical 360+ year old bald cypress tree in peril of being destroyed. This tree is located on a parcel of property owned by the Dufrene family at 154 Bayou Estates South in Des Allemands, Louisiana in the Sunset Levee District.  St. Charles Parish is currently attempting to acquire a perpetual servitude as part of a levee project on this property. Our bald cypress tree has a majestic full canopy, a rare find for a tree of this age. It is one of the few trees of this magnitude that is located in an area that can be viewed and enjoyed by the public. Many families from our community have used this setting to commemorate a lifetime of special events such as weddings, graduations, family pictures, etc. This tree was registered with the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy organization in 2010 because it was alive prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Currently, it is the only bald cypress in St. Charles Parish that is registered with this organization. We commend St. Charles Parish’s past and present administrations in their efforts to obtain flood protection for the residents of St. Charles Parish and are in full agreement for the need of adequate levee protection. However, this can still be done without harming the tree.  Engineering, design, and construction methods for Corps certified levees are modified routinely for public and private industry infrastructure; a 360+year old tree should receive the same consideration. At this point, the four agencies involved in determining the fate of this tree are LBLD (Lafourche Basin Levee District), St. Charles Parish Government, BKI (Burk-Kleinpeter Inc.) and GCR Inc. The LBLD board has voted to issue a letter indicating that they were for efforts to keep the tree.This majestic cypress tree is truly a Louisiana treasure and we would deeply appreciate any help in saving this tree which has stood the test of time. It is a part of history and deserves every effort for protection.

             LAKE BRUIN CYPRESS LANDMARKED IN TENSAS PARISH-- "ALIVE IN 1803" (?)

A  Lake Bruin cypress in Tenses Parish  appeared to be an unlikely candidate for Cypress Legacy landmarking.
But life long Tensas Parish resident Skip Hawkins, pictured above, believed  that this patch of cypress in the lake had never been logged and may be worth looking at. At only six feet in circumference, the tree belied its looks-- a ring count on the boring sample below revealed a tree likely between 190-220 years old. Probably about a 50- 50 chance it's a La Purchase Cypress Legacy Tree-- alive in 1803.

Here are the details:
GPS: N31 59.921 W
Circumference:  72 inches   Diameter:  22 inches   Radius: 11 inches

Boring:  4.75 inches   Rings counted: approx 103

4.75(boring)/11(radius) = 103 (rings counted)/ x

X = 238 projected rings

Based on length of boring relative to radius, location of tree, I’d project the age at 190-220 years

Tightly spaced rings mean slow growth and old age for this medium sized cypress.

 

Skip certainly knows the lay of the land in Tenses Parish and surrounding areas. His ecotourism group , Louisiana Delta Adventures (Louisianadeltaaddventures.com), has mapped out paddling trails through many of North central and northwest Louisiana's  waterways, including Lake St. John, Bayou Bartholomew,Tensas National Wildlife Refuge, Corney Bayou, and Bayou De L'outre and many more. Excellent brochures available though Louisiana Delta Adventures highlight the locations (including GPS coordinates)  of relatively accessible centuries old cypress interspersed along these waterways. The Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy is honored to work with Louisiana Delta Adventures to promote the appreciation and stewardship of the remarkable natural heritage of north and central Louisiana.
Currently the oldest known cypress in Tensas Parish is the easily accessible landmarked (Louisiana Bicentennial Cypress Legacy plaque) Buckhorn Refuge Cypress (N32 06.68 W091 21.940) circumference 23'5", estimated age 450-500 yearsThe largest/oldest cypress (see Blog inventory for photo)

St. Tammany Parish Giant Landmarked in Brockham Bayou

Jessica Gauley  of HoneyIslandKayakTours.com poses nest to one of the Honey Island (Pearl River) swamp's venerable denizens in Brockham Bayou near Slidell La -- a highlight of her kayak tours. She had always wondered how old this tree might be, and I was happy to find that it is indeed a venerable member of the many centuries old cypress still thriving in the Pearl River Basin-- around 400 years old based on rings counted from a boring sample. This one is quite accessible,  visited either on on of Jessica's kayak tours, or on your own. 

GPS: N30 21.786 W089 44.371

Circumference: 16' 3" Diameter: 4' 4" Radius: 2' 4"

Coring: 3.36 inches  Rings counted: approx: 72

The arithmetic to determine estimated age:

3.36/26 (coring/radius) = 72/x

x= 557 estimated total rings

Based on a likely faster growing rate at the beginning of its life, I'd put its age at 400+ years
Landmarked with Plaque #49-- "Alive in 1803"  (Likely around 200 years old at time of La. Purchase)