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THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF ST. JOHN
To appreciate the natural beauty of St. John, you need only step outside! From blue sky and green grass to rivers and marshes, our comfortable climate allows St. John residents and visitors to enjoy our abundant natural beauty. St. John the Baptist Parish total area encompasses 348 square miles, with 219 square miles of land and 129 square miles of water. ¹ The St. John the Baptist Parish Industrial Group is composed of several industrial companies whose employees and management appreciate and respect the natural beauty of St. John. Several of these companies have incorporated wildlife habitats on their properties and many of this newsletter’s photographs were taken by plant employees on company sites! These employees are not alone: A survey concluded the top ten Louisiana recreational activities were outdoor based and similar to other states. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation:
• 2.4 million Louisianians, ages 16 and over, participated in wildlife-associated recreation. This figure represented 54 percent of the population. The national percentage is 20. ² 314,000 people (34% of all wildlife watchers in Louisiana) participated in wildlife watching activities at least one mile from their home. Of these, 203,000 were state residents and 111,000 were non-residents. Louisiana possesses the environment to stimulate outdoor activity. ²
The natural beauty of St. John includes lush flora and fauna. Butterflies, birds and wildflowers are plentiful in Louisiana and throughout St. John Parish. Flower and vegetable gardens, commercial farms, and many species of migratory birds along the Mississippi flyway are all elements of this natural beauty. St. John’s scenic landscape includes forests, swamps, mammals and reptiles. We enjoy and participate in bird watching, fishing, hunting, swimming, outdoor photography, camping, canoeing, biking, hiking, walking and boating , as well as playing in St. John’s parks while witnessing this natural beauty. Our waterways include Lac des Allemands, Lake Maurepas, Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River, ³ as well as numerous bayous and streams. These waterways provide wildlife habitat, drinking water, recreational opportunities and more.
St. John the Baptist government includes a Parish Parks and Recreation Department with its mission being to ensure the highest quality of recreational activities for Parish citizens. Primarily but not exclusive to this mission is to ensure the quality, safety and beauty of the recreational environments. 4 (See the list of St. John parks on page 6.)
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) offers a host of classes, information and guidelines to enjoy and sustain the natural beauty of our state, including the importance of conservation and education. For more information visit http://www.wlf.state.la.us/.
Bird watching is an international interest. Over 400 different species of birds have been recorded in Louisiana making it one of the richest in terms of bird diversity, according to Jimmy Ernst who works as a Biologist Supervisor for Region 6 in LDWF's Wildlife Division. It’s easy to begin bird watching – you only need a pair of binoculars and an identification guide or field manual. A wide variety of useful books are available at bookstores and your local library. Birdwatching is an ideal way to introduce children to wildlife and encourage their appreciation of nature.
St. John’s natural beauty abounds and positively impacts our economy. According to a report compiled for the LDWF, Louisiana’s fish, wildlife and boating resources and their economic contributions in 2003 were:
Total Economic Effect: $7.1 billion
Retail Sales or Harvest Sales: $5.1 billion
Jobs Supported: 77,688
Sales & Income Tax Revenues: $284 million
Career opportunities, recreation and hunting fees, ecotourists’ travels and expenditures and the cost of hobby requirements, such as boats, motors, cameras, binoculars, guns, fishing gear and other supplies, are an important aspect of our economy generated by the natural beauty of St. John.
Regarding careers, there are two licensed arborists in St. John. Also, one local Garyville company named Louisiana Lady Collection manufactures and sells bath and body products, including a sugarcane scrub. Many hunters consume their game…meal preparation in Louisiana is its own industry!
The natural beauty of St. John plays a vital role in our health and welfare. Rich forest lands supply timber products, wildlife habitat, soil and watershed protection, aesthetics and recreational opportunities.
Citizens of St. John, including the employees of major industry are also active community volunteers. The Community Involvement list on page 6 identifies the many organizations supported by active volunteers, including some which strive to enhance natural beauty and donations contributed by these companies.
The St. John Parish Industrial Group is proud to be part of the community and support our environment and economy.
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Footnotes:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/St._John_the_Baptist_Parish,_Louisiana
(2) Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Program (SCORP), Louisiana CRT – Office of State Parks
(3) http://enlou.com/parishes/stjohn-parish.htm
(4) Sjbparish.com
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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS:
Left Photo, 2nd Row: Scenic view taken by Leslie Troxclair, Pontchartrain Works Wildlife Habitat Chairman.
Right Photo, 2nd Row: Flower in DuPont Wildlife Habitat, taken by Leslie Troxclair, Pontchartrain Workds Wildlife Habitat Chairman. |
Middle Photo, 2nd Row: Killdeer nesting in DuPont Performance Elastomers Plant, taken by Clarence Dykstra.
Photograph in Article: Bald eagles in Mississippi River batture at DuPont plant, taken by Clarence Dykstra.
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Please take time to review the newsletter in its entirety.
Thank you. |
| St. John Parish Industrial Group Report |
| Click here to read our newsletter which reports 2006 data. |
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Total Emissions in Thousands of Pounds |
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| A Special Thanks to Those Who Serve |
| A Salute to St. John Parish Residents Serving Our Country |
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| St. John Parish Park Directory |
| Click here to view a pdf of the St. John Parish Parks! |
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| Louisiana Forests |
| Read about the benefits of Louisiana forests. |
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| Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries |
| Learn details about LDWF and its magazine Louisiana Conservationist. |
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