Full document / COSOC-W-86-002 - the National Sea Grant Library

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the track. When ties nasoed replacement, the crew or an independent contractor cut down
trees andcarved the eight footby eight Inchties out of the logswith anadz(Reno. 1983).
Although It is obvious that theclear-cutting of thecypressforest resulted in theem) of
several petty enterprises dependent ona supplyof trees. It is moredifficult to state with
certaintyhowor why thedespoliation ofthe forestcontributed todeclines Inthe trapping of
fur-bearing animals and the hunting of both waterfowl and gems animals suchas deer,
rabbit andsquirrel.
At this time, scientificdata detailing the population tossesof waterfowl, deer, squirrel,
mink andrabbitare not available. One canonly rely onthe testimonyof personswholived
Intheareamorethenfifty yearsago. Ttey recall thatg^eabwnded Intheswemps. One of
thesewitnessesremembersthattn the 1920s hecould seeherdsof deer, "likecattle,"along
theshoreof lake Pontchartrain (Degruy, 1984). Swampers desiring a venison roastonly
hadto selectadeer froma herdof twenty or moreandshootit (Ibid).
it is true that extensive logging operations produced physical changes In the basin's
vegetation. But other factors havehelped alter the animal population. The Introduction of
theSouth American rodent, thenutria,hasinjured thefliuskret population all oversouthern
Louisiana. Furthermore, increased hunting and greater accessibility (interstate highways
and boat launches) have, understandably, contributed tothedecline ofgame animals
Yet, theIncreased accessibility is, In part, adirect resultof logging practices. The many
man-made canals allow sportsmen to reach areas of theswamp by boatthatwould havebeen
difficult to enter on fool Furthermore, the removal of the trees and the chances In
vegetation, suchas the decline In the number of palmetto palm,havereduced the cover for
game animals, making them easypreyforhunters.
Not allthephysical changes werecaused bytheloggers. Atone time, tn thelate 19thand
early20th centuries, thecommunities of Ruddock and particularly Frenler served asthe
centers ofasuccessful winter and spring truck farming enterprise, which required removal
of treesanddrainage of the lend
These small communities, both settled by German Immigrants In themid to late 19th
century, became famous for thesizeand quality of lettuce and cabbage grown in therich,
black "coffee ground' earth. Martin Schtoesser. the region's first settler,started a wood
stavebusiness but soon became Interested Inthegrowing potential of thesoil. He sentback
to his native lend for cabbage and lettuce seed which he planted and got more then
satlsfactoryresults(8ankofSl John. 1974).
The truck farming Industry built by Schtoesser and the other immigrants is in some
ways a classic example of people taking advantage of and trying to Improve upon their
environment. On the positive side, thesoil, rainfall and temperature In the winter and
early spring were ideal for raising cabbage and lettuce. On the negative side, the low-lying
lands between the two lakes were flood prone and highly vulnerable to hurricanes which
per lodlcally raked the erea
Asaresult,theresidents constructed entire communities and sidewalks onpilings. Most
houses stood at least eight feet above the soupy ground (Reserve (La) L'Chservateur. 20
January 1972). To prevent Hooding of the farms, the residents built a system of levees
around each farm. These levees also served as foot paths linking all the farms in the
community (Ibid.).