Save Alligator Bayou – Editorial

Alligator Bayou and Bluff Swamp Wildlife Refuge is a stunning natural wonder on Baton Rouge’s southwest doorstep, but you may as well tell it goodbye.

The watery world of cypress trees, tupelo gums and palmettos has nurtured a habitat of fish, birds and reptiles. Nature enthusiasts Jim Ragland and Frank Bonifay started Alligator Bayou Tours 12 years ago, giving global tourists and area students a rare peek at Louisiana’s true natural character.

If the Shaw Center for the Arts rooftop is the go-to urban spot to take out-of-town guests, then Alligator Bayou is where you go to show them the swamp.

Or at least, it was.

In the name of progress and prosperity, the presidents of Ascension and Iberville parishes ordered open a flood gate that, for nearly 50 years, helped to nurture this gorgeous ecosystem.

A group of nearby land owners can’t use their forested land unless it’s allowed to drain, in which case they can sell wetland credits in a federal wetland mitigation program.

If closed, these landowners will remain frustrated, and may even sue. If the gates stay open, we risk permanently altering a natural wonder.

We implore all sides and parties in the dispute to collaborate and identify solutions that will offer benefits to everyone. Keep Alligator Bayou navigable. Give reasonable options to landowners. Show the community what thoughtful dispute resolution looks like.