The President of the United States Transmitting

^SdCCongress, 2d Session House Document No. 93-403

PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM

COMMUNICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING

PROPOSALS FOR THIRTY-SEVEN ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM AND DEFERRAL OF ACTION ON FIVE AREAS SUITABLE FOR INCLUSION IN THE SYSTEM, AND RECOMMENDATIONS AGAINST THE INCLUSION OF FOUR OTHER AREAS STUDIED, PURSUANT TO SECTION 3 OF THE WILDER- NESS ACT OF 1964 [16 USC 1132] •

PART 16

LACASSINE WILDERNESS LOUISIANA

DECEMBER 4, 1974.-Referred to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and ordered to be printed with illustrations.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1974 42-797 O THE WHITE HOUSE

WAS H INGTO N

December 4, 1974

Dear Mr. Speaker: Pursuant to the Wilderness Act of September 3, 1964, I am pleased to transmit herewith proposals for thirty-seven additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System. As described in the Wilderness Message that I am con- currently sending to the Congress today, the proposed new wilderness areas cover a total of over nine million primeval acres. In addition, the Secretary of the Interior has recommended that Congressional action on five other areas which include surface lands suitable for wilderness be deferred for the reasons set forth below: A. Three areas which are open to mining might be needed in the future to provide vital minerals for the Nation, but these areas have not been adequately surveyed for mineral deposits. The areas are the Kofa Game Range, Arizona; Charles Sheldon Antelope Range, Nevada and Oregon; and, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Range, Montana. B. One area is subject to withdrawals for power purposes and additional study is needed of the West's potential energy needs before a wilderness decision can be made. This is Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located in Arizona and Nevada. C. Certain parts of one area are subject to selection by the village of Mekoryuk under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and a wilderness recommendation should be made only after the completion of the Native selection process. The area in question is the Nunivak National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Four other possibilities considered by the secretary of the Interior in his review of roadless areas of 5,000 acres or more were found to be unsuitable for inclusion in the Wilderness System: Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon and Idaho; Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland; Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky; and, Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. I concur in this finding and in the other recommendations of the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, all of which are transmitted herewith. Wilderness designation of both of these new wilderness areas and those already submitted that are pending before the Congress would dramatically demonstrate our commitment to preserve America's irreplaceable heritage, and I urge the Congress to act promptly in this regard. Sincerely,

The Honorable Carl Albert Speaker of the House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 United States Department of the Interior

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240

JUL ! 5 1974 Dear Mr. President: It is with pleasure that I -recommend the establishment of areas totaling approximately 2,85^ acres in Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The recommendation stems from this Department's responsibility under the Wilderness Act (?8 Stat. 890) to recommend to the President areas within its Jurisdiction suitable for designation as wilderness. Having reviewed potential areas in Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, we conlude that 2,85^ of the refuge's 31,776 acres should be designated wilderness. Lacassine Refuge, which was established by Executive Order on December 30, 1936, is located in southwestern Louisiana, about 25 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the refuge is fresh- vater marsh, which serves as a habitat and wintering area for migratory birds and for native waterfowl. During the winter as many as ^00,000 snow and blue geese, whitefronted geese, and pintail ducks may be found on the refuge. Among the waterfowl which nest on the refuge are many wading birds, including roseate spoonbills, white-faced ibises, white ibises, common and snowy egrets, and a variety of herons. Mammals common to the refuge include the nutria, armadillo, otter, white-tailed deer, and alligator.

There are mineral rights reserved to third parties on 1T5732 acres situated in the north portion of the refuge, and presently there is production of oil and gas on these lands. In addition, the Inter- coastal Waterway and a gas pipeline right-of-way cross the south part of the refuge. Much of the refuge area north of the pipeline right-of-way, in particular the Lacassine pool, is intensively managed. South of the right-of-way, however, some 2,85^ acres remain in an untouched state and are not required for management purposes; it is this acreage vhich is recommended for wilderness designation. The general area of the refuge has good potential for oil and gas. In accordance with the requirements of the Wilderness Act, a public hearing on the recommendation was held at Lake Arthur, Louisiana, on April 10, 197^ • Analyses .of the hearing records and written expressions received, together with the letters received from other Federal agencies, are contained in the enclosed synopsis. Complete records have been compiled and are available for inspection by the public. Ebclosed is a draft bill which, if enacted, would incorporate the recommended area of Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge into the National Wilderness Preservation System. Sincerely yours^

R* ^ ^ *>

nSS/Stanf Secretary of the Interior The President The White House Washington, D. C. 20500 Enclosure A B I. L L

To designate certain lands in the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Cameron Parish, Louisiana, as wilderness. Be it enacted "by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That, in accordance with section 3(c) of the Wilderness Act of September 3, 196U (78 Stat. 890, 892; 16 U.S.C. U32(c)), certain lands in the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana, which comprise about 2,85U acres and which are depicted on a map entitled "Lacassine Wilderness Proposal" and dated January 197^» are hereby designated as wilderness. SEC. 2. As soon as practicable after this Act takes effect, a map of the wilderness area and a description of its boundaries shall be filed with the Interior and Insular Affairs Committees of the United Senate and the House of Representatives, and such map and description shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act: Provided, however, That correction of clerical and typographical errors in such map and description may be made. SEC. 3. The area designated by this Act as wilderness shall be known as the "Lacassine Wilderness" and shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Wilderness Act governing areas designated by that Act as wilderness areas, and where appropriate any reference in that Act to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be deemed to be a reference to the Secretary of the Interior. SBC. k. Subject to all valid rights existing on the date of • enactment of this Act, lands designated as wilderness by this Act are hereby withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the mining laws and from disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral leasing and «Ji amendments thereto. ruBLIC HEARING RECORD ANALYSIS

LACASSINE WILDERNESS PROPOSAL

As required by Section 3(d)(l)(B) of the Wilderness Act, a public hearing for the Lacassine Wilderness Proposal was held at Lake Arthur, Louisiana.

The Notice of Public Hearing was published in the Federal Register on

February 28, 1974.

An original letter announcing the hearing and explaining the proposal, a copy of the wilderness study summary, and a copy of the Regional Director's public hearing announcement were mailed from Atlanta on March 6, 1974, to Federal, State, and local governmental agencies and officials. Specific

dividuals include the Governor of Louisiana, Parish Police Juries, Federal juepartment heads, U. S. Congressmen and Senators, and Louisiana State legislators.

A similar package was also mailed to groups, organizations, and individuals.

Local newspapers and radio and television stations were provided with the hearing announcement package and a Regional Office-prepared news release.

The public hearing was held in the Lake Arthur City Hall, Lake Arthur,

Louisiana, on April 10, 1974. The hearing, which began at 9 a.m., was conducted by Raymond C. Coulter, Regional Solicitor. Assistant Regional

Refuge Supervisor Curtis T. Wilson represented the Bureau of Sport Fisheries

__d Wildlife.

42-797 O - 75 - pt. 16 - 2 THE PUBLIC HEARING

Twenty-two people attended the wilderness public hearing. Eight oral or written statements were presented for the record, excluding the Bureau statement. Six statements favored wilderness designation and two did not indicate a position with regard to the proposal.

1. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife

Assistant Regional Refuge Supervisor Curtis T. Wilson summarized

the Bureau's wilderness suitability study of Lacassine National Wildlife

Refuge and described the wilderness proposal.

2. Elected Public Officials

U. S. Congressman John Breaux indicated support for the proposal

and support for an addition as proposed by the Louisiana Wildlife

Federation in a letter read into the record by the hearing officer.

Louisiana Representative James Martin made a statement primarily

asking for clarification of questions regarding the proposal and

indicated he would submit his views at a later time.

3. Federal Agencies i The U. S. Soil Conservation Service was represented at the hearing I but did not make a statement. State and Local Agencies

Representatives of the Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission,

Louisiana Coastal Commission, and Lake Arthur School Board were

present but made no statement.

5. Organizations

Five statements from organizations were presented at the hearing.

(Two of these presented the views of a single organization, one in

a letter read by the hearing officer and one an oral statement by the

group's representative.) All favored wilderness designation with

additions except one which asked for clarification of a question and

did not indicate a position. b. Individuals

One individual made a statement favoring the wilderness proposal

with additions.

BEFORE AND AFTER THE HEARING

A total of 136 written statements were received prior to May 10, the date the official record closed. The great majority, 125, supported wilderness designation for a portion of the refuge. Three statements indicated opposition, and eight did not comment or had no discernible position with regard to the proposal. 1. Elected Public Officials

U. S. Congressman John Breaux indicated support for the Bureau

proposal and endorsed an addition as proposed by the Louisiana Wildlife

Federation.

Louisiana Representative James P. Martin indicated support for the

Bureau proposal so long as hunting and fishing will be continued within

the wilderness area. He also, voiced strong opposition to any proposal

which would extend wilderness to the area north of the American-Louisiana

pipeline canal.

The Jefferson Davis Parish Police Jury indicated they support the

views of Representative James P. Martin.

The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town of Welsh, Louisiana,

submitted a statement indicating they are " .. .strongly opposed to

the creation of any of the Lacassine Wildlife Refuge being designated

as a National Wilderness Area..., if said designation will in any way

prohibit development of the Bayou Lacassine Watershed Drainage Project."

2. Federal Officials, Departments, and Agencies i The U. S. Forest Service indicated that their comments would be

sent at a later time but none were received. The General Counsel of the Department of Commerce said the Department

will defer to the Interior Department in the matter.

The Bureau of Land Management had no comment to offer.

The U. S. Geological Survey indicated they had not made a mineral

resource study of the area but made no other comment regarding

the proposal.

The New Orleans District, Corps of Engineers brought to our attention

easements for dredged material placement which they held covering

a large area, including a portion of the wilderness proposal. They

also mentioned their project to widen and deepen the Gulf Intracoastal

Vaterway and asked close coordination.

The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation indicated general support for

wilderness and offered comments regarding need for a water transpor-

tation system, questioning the advisability of continued use of motor- boats', pointing to need for alligatorweed and hyacinth control, and

questioning appropriateness of the proposal if the Mermentau Basin

Project has a greater influence on water quality than historic natural

conditions. 3. State Agencies

Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission indicated general

opposition to the proposal, saying they fail to see how waterfowl

management on the refuge will be enhanced by wilderness designation.

The Gulf Coast Soil and Water Conservation District did not comment

specifically but indicated concern about possible effects wilderness

would have on use, development, and conservation of other resources

in the Bayou Lacassine area. They asked several questions and

requested preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. A

copy of our draft statement was sent to them.

4. Organizations

Fourteen statements were submitted by organizations. Six of these

supported wilderness as proposed by the Bureau, seven supported

the Bureau proposal with additions, and one indicated their comments

could not be submitted until after the close of the record.

5. Individuals

Statements from individuals totaled 110. Of this number 16 supported

the Bureau proposal, 93 supported the Bureau proposal with additions,

and one opposed the wilderness proposal. IMMARY une hundred forty-three written and oral statemens were submitted concerning the Lacassine wilderness proposal. The vast majority of these. 130, favored wilderness designation for a portion of the refuge. Three opposed wilderness and ten did not indicate a position.

DISCUSSION

Approximately 74 percent (106) of all statements wanted additional acreage proposed for wilderness. The majority, 103, recommended or endorsed

The Wilderness Society proposal to add about 2,000 acres of marsh between the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the American-Louisiana pipeline canal.

This proposed addition joins the Bureau proposal on the north and is essentially

ientical habitat except for brush and trees located on spoil banks bordering the pipeline canal and the Intracoastal Waterway. The area is quite narrow

(approximately 2,000 feet).

The Corps of Engineers holds perpetual easements for placement of dredged materials on- the entire area proposed for addition and plans to widen and deepen the Intracoastal Waterway from its present 125' by 12" to 200' in width and 16' in depth. They have indicated the areas subject to easement would probably be required for accomplishing the enlargement. The Bureau feels this proposed addition is not suitable under the criteria set forth in the Wilderness Act due" to its narrow width, the presence of the Intracoastal Waterway on its northern edge, the presence of the American-

Louisiana pipeline canal on its southern border, and the accompanying noise and visual impacts of boat traffic. The addition of this area would tend to lessen the quality of the entire wilderness proposal and the wilderness experience which could be sought there.

Although the figures do not reflect much opposition, there is considerable local concern about possible effects wilderness designation might have on operation of the Mermentau River Basin Project, including water level control, drainage, and navigation. These concerns are also reflected in comments of other agencies on the draft environmental statement. UNITED SmrES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE

LACASSINE WILDERNESS PROPOSAL

STUDY SUMMARY

LACASSINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CAMERON PARISH LOUISIANA

42-797 O - 75 - pt. 16 - 3 The Refuge System is a National network of lands and waters managed and safeguarded for preservation and enhancement of the human benefits associated with wildlife and their environments. It presently consists of over 320 units, embracing nearly 30 million acres in 46 States. About 113 refuges containing 26 million acres in over 37 States qualify for study under the Wilderness Act.

THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED PURSUANT TO THE WILDERNESS ACT, PUBLIC LAW 88-577. PUBLICATION OF THE FINDINGS AND RECOM- MENDATIONS HEREIN SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS REPRESENTING EITHER THE APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS TO PROVIDE INFOR- MATION AND ALTERNATIVES FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION BY THE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES. PREFACE

Jhis brochure concerns the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge that has been studied by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife at the direction of the Secretary of the Interior. Its purpose is to summarize the study in sufficient detail to enable the reader to form an opinion regarding the suitability and desirability of including all or part of the refuge within the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The Wilderness Act of September 3, 1964 (Public Law 88-577), requires that the Secretary of the Interior review every roadless area of 5,000 contiguous acres or more and every roadless island, regardless of size, within the National Refuge System within ten years after the effective date of the Act, and report to the President of the United States his recommendations as to the suitability or nonsuitability of each such area as wilderness. A recommendation of the President for designation as wilderness does not become effective unless provided by an Act of Congress.

In defining wilderness, the Act also included areas of less than 5,000 acres that are of sufficient size to make preservation and use in an unimpaired condition practicable.

Sections 4 (a) and (b) of the Wilderness Act provide that: (1) The Act s to be within and supplemental to the purposes for which national wildlife refuges are established; and (2) Wilderness areas shall be administered so as to preserve their wilderness character and shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historical use insofar as primary refuge objectives permit. Wilderness does not remove or alter an area's status as a national wildlife refuge. Introduction

The Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is located in Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana. Present management is primarily for waterfowl and other migratory birds but it also includes responsibilities for certain endangered and threatened species, representative populations of native wildlife, and wildlife-oriented recreational and educational programs.

Lacassine Refuge contains 31,776.31 acres, including a 653-acre School Section leased from the Cameron Parish School Board. The refuge is almost entirely marsh and water with only a few natural ridges, spoil banks, and levees and three relatively small areas of farm land. The Lacassine Pool contains about 16,000 acres.

Refuge headquarters are located on a 16-acre isolated tract along the banks of Mermentau River about two miles northeast of the eastern boundary of the refuge.

Refuge headquarters are located on a 16-acre isolated tract along the banks of Mermentau River about two miles northeast of the eastern boundary of the refuge. LOCATION MAP

Chorl«s| Jenning

lLACASSINE N.W.R.

SCALE OF MILES 0 10 20 30 4O 50 History

The refuge was first established as the Lacassine Migratory Waterfowl Refuge on December 30, 1937, by Executive Order No. 7780 on 22,991.51 acres of land acquired by the Resettlement Administration. Subsequently 8,132.29 acres were purchased by deeds and by declarations of taking and 652.51 acres by lease agreement. Presidential Proclamation No. 2416 dated July 27, 1940, changed the name of the refuge to Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge. The Migratory Bird Conservation Act provided the authority for establishing the refuge, and the Six Million Fund, the Resettlement Administration, and the Migratory Bird Fund provided the monies for acquiring the refuge lands.

Waterfowl is an important heritage of Southwestern Louisiana. Peak populations of 100,000 pentails or more may occur on Lacassine Refuge during the winter season. Oil wells and drilling of oil wells are common scenes throughout Southwestern Louisiana.

Former owners reserved the mineral rights on 4 tracts totaling 17,732 acres. The Federal Government purchased the mineral rights on 9 tracts totaling 13,392 acres. This land lies in the southern half of the refuge. In addition to the Intracoastal Waterway that about equally divides the southern half of the refuge, the American Louisiana Pipeline Company has a B.L.M. permit issued in 1955 for the American Louisiana Pipeline Canal (now owned by Michigan-Wisconsin Pipeline Company) which also transverses the southern half of the refuge about one-half mile south of the Intracoastal. Other permits on this part of the refuge include ones to: (1) the Corps of Engineers, issued in 1943 for spoil disposal along the Intracoastal; (2) the Trunkline Gas Company, issued by B.L.M. in 1959 for a pipeline right-of- way; (3) the Texas Gas Transmission Corporation, issued by B.L.M. in 1959 for a gas pipeline right-of-way; and (4) the Michigan Wisconsin Pipeline Company, issued in 1972 for a 50-year period for a natural gas pipeline right-of-way. There are numerous other permits for pipelines and two for roads in the northern half of the refuge where the mineral rights belong to third parties. Physical Description

Lacassine Refuge lies at the edge of the Pleistocene Prairie Formation and Recent Marsh within the Chenier Plain. The Recent Marsh soils are high in organic matter and are flooded most of the year. The Prairie Formation soils are higher in elevation and are used mainly for agriculture. Topography of the area is relatively level and ground elevations range from mean sea level to a few feet above mean sea level. Elevations of about 9 feet m.s.l. are reached at points within the refuge headquarters unit. These sites are the highest in the study area, disregarding some spoil deposits along the Intracoastal.

Lacassine Refuge is bound on the north and to about midway on the east by private land, partly on the east by Mermentau River, on the south by Grand Lake, Mud Lake, Bayou Misere, Lake Misere, and Little Lake Misere, and on the west by the Bell City Drainage Canal. Refuge marshes are now normally fresh but were influenced at one time by brackish tidal waters from Grand Lake and the lower Mermentau River system. The Mermentau River Basin, a Corps of Engineers' project completed in 1951, includes the Intracoastal Waterway, the Mermentau River, and the connecting waters.

The Mermentau River Basin project includes the following structures: (1) Calcasieu locks on the Intracoastal Waterway, (2) Vermilion locks on the Intracoastal Waterway, (3) Catfish locks on the Mermentau River, (4) Schooner Bayou locks on the Schooner Bay, and (5) Freshwater locks on the Freshwater Bay and Canal. By controlling the admission of brackish and saline waters from the Vermilion Bay, Calcasieu Lake, and lower Mermentau River and by maintaining high levels of water in Grand Lake, White Lake, Lake Arthur, and Lake Misere, this basin now serves as a large storage basin of fresh water for irrigation and navigation. Water levels and salinities maintained by the project have a direct influence on the conditions within the refuge marshes. The vegetative types occurring on the refuge are primarily water tolerant grasses, sedges, and shrubs. The types vary according to the frequency, depth, and length of time water covers the area. Vegetation in the undeveloped marshes is dominated by bulltongue. Vegetation in Lacassine Pool consists primarily of bulltongue, maiden- cane, watershield, waterlily, spikerush, and southern bulrush. Very few trees are on the refuge. Willows are generally confined to levee spoils and ridges. A few baldcypress are scattered throughout the refuge. Present land use is as follows: (1) agriculture - 600 acres, (2) timberlands - 5 acres, (3) Lacassine Pool - 16,000 acres, (4) marsh and water - 15,170 acres.

The thickness of the peat surface ranges from a few inches along the northern boundary of the refuge to several feet along the southern edge. The subsoils are predominantly clay texture. The soils in general are strongly acid. Fresh water marsh is the principal soil type found within the refuge. However, the soils along the northern boundary with the thin layer of peat are primarily Bernard silt loam, Class III wet, and are suitable for agriculture. This land has light gray silt loam topsoil underlain by mottled silty clay to clay subsoil. It is low in natural fertility, droughty during dry periods, and very wet because of its impermeable nature during rainy periods. This land, if it has not been cultivated, is dotted with small "pimple" mounds which typifies the Louisiana prairie in its natural state.

The climate is subtropical. The average frost-free periods range from 270 to 285 days. Temperatures range between a low of 11 degrees to a high of 105 degrees. Normal highs average around 96 degrees in July and August, and normal lows average near 26 degrees in January. Rainfall averages 58 inches. Generally, highest rainfall occurs in July and August, and lowest rainfall occurs in September and October.

The water table is near the surface during most of the year. Run- off drainage is slow due to the low elevation and flatness of the land. Water in the streams and lakes may contain commercial fertilizers and herbicides collected in the run-off from agricultural lands. The lakes are shallow and often turbid. However, in general, water at Lacassine is of relatively high quality because of the (1) high rainfall, (2) lack of industrial pollution, and (3) lack of domestic pollution. Resources

Wildlife

Wildlife species of the area are fairly typical for wetland habitats of southwestern Louisiana. Over 200 species of birds have been identified on Lacassine Refuge. Forty-three of these species nest locally. The refuge hosts up to peak populations of 400,000 waterfowl during winter months. Pintails, blue-winged and green-winged teal, gadwalls, mallards, ring-necks, shovelers, baldpates, and scaup are the common migratory ducks. Mottled ducks, blue-winged teal, and wood ducks nest on the refuge in small numbers. Fulvous tree ducks nest in the vicinity and use the refuge marshes as gathering areas prior to nesting or migration.

Fifty thousand blue and snow geese, forty thousand white-fronted geese, and small flocks of Canada geese feed on the refuge during the winter months. Coots are numerous, and both common and purple gallinules nest in large numbers in Lacassine Pool. Many wading birds nest on the refuge, including roseate spoonbills, white-faced ibises, white ibises, common and snowy egrets, Louisiana and little blue herons, black-crowned and yellow-crowned night herons, and anhingas. Here, too, is the first American nesting colony of cattle egrets outside Florida. Other wildlife on the refuge include nutrias, armadillos, alligators, otters, minks, raccoons, muskrats, skunks, rabbits, bobcats, and white-tailed deer.

The refuge pool is a favored spot for fishermen from all southwest Louisiana. Excellent catches of black bass, bream, and white perch are very common.

Minerals

The refuge has one active producing oil and gas field located in the northeastern part of the refuge in Township 12S Range 4W in Sections 17, 18, 19, and 20. Wells have been drilled on the Farm Units and in Lacassine Pool. None of these latter wells are producing at the present time. There are a number of wells located immediately west of the refuge. This rookery is located in the Blue Grove area of Lacassine Pool.

Historical Sites

The refuge has recently completed its survey in compliance with Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment. The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife is now formulating its recommendations that three Indian middens be included in the National Register of Historic Places. One of these sites is a fairly large shell mound located at Onion Hill on Bayou Misere that was partially destroyed during the digging of the American- Louisiana Pipeline Canal. Another is located at Lacassine Point near Grand Lake. The smallest of these sites is located on Bayou Lacassine near Short Cut-off Island.-

The Louisiana State Parks and Recreation Commission lists no historic sites or archaeological resources on or near Lacassine Refuge. Public Use

The potential for recreation, nature study, photography, fishing, waterfowl hunting, and other wildlife related pursuits is great on Lacassine Refuge. However, public access is limited to boat travel. No public roads cross or terminate at the main portion of the refuge. Interstate Highway 10, when completed, •will probably cause an increase in the number of tourists that will visit the refuge.

In Calendar Year 1972, visitor use by activities was as follows:

Activities Numbers of Visits

Waterfowl Hunting 2,070 Fishing 9,378 Photography 35 Wildlife Watching 220 General Sightseeing 100 Total Visits 11,803 Peak Day Load 500

Happiness is fishing in the Mermentau. White-fronted Goose

Development and Maintenance

Lacassine Refuge is near the terminus of the Central and Mississippi Flyways for a number of waterfowl species. It is ideally suited for habitat development for waterfowl and other water birds.

Lacassine Pool is completed; however, it requires annual maintenance of the levees and water control structures. Over six miles of oil field roads extend into the pool. Long-range plans call for using these roads for levees to subdivide the 16,000-acre Lacassine pool into smaller, more manageable units. At present, water control structures are used to help maintain stable water levels. Other management practices in the pool include pest plant control, and maintenance of boat trails. Lacassine Pool serves as a roosting and feeding area for large numbers of ducks, white-fronted geese, and blue and snow geese.

The farm units, involving 600 acres, are located along the northern edge of the refuge. The soils here are suited for the production of rice, soybeans, and winter green crops. However, these lands require pumping of water for dewatering and flooding.

Management of the tidal marsh, which includes all refuge land except Lacassine Pool and the farm units, consist primarily of (1) Chemical and biological pest plant control, particularly for alligatorweed and water hyacinth; (2) maintenance of boat canals necessary for the refuge's waterfowl hunting program; and (3) construction and maintenance of duck nesting facilities and sites. Other existing and planned refuge developments include the necessary facilities for two public use areas and for refuge headquarters.

Refuge habitat will require more intensive management if adjacent private lands should be converted into heavily hunted areas. The Louisiana Land Company owns large tracts of lands near the refuge that now complement the effectiveness of the refuge as a wintering sanctuary for waterfowl. Waterfowl using these lands receive protection essentially equal to those using Lacassine Refuge. Wintering habitat on Company lands is excellent. Social and Economic Considerations

If trends continue, 600,000 people will live within a two-hour driving distance of the refuge by 1976. New and improved highways are now bringing an estimated 1,000,000 visitors to the refuge's service area each year. While most local people are well blessed with varied outdoor recreational opportunities, the refuge has a great potential for programs designed to inform the public of the significance and interrelationship of nature with man. The refuge presently provides programs of education and recreation in the forms of nature study, photography, scientific study, and waterfowl hunting.

Refuge receipts for furs, grazing, and oil and gas leases average about $6,000 per year. These programs are significant to the local economy. Under the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act, Cameron Parish receives annually for roads and schools the greater of (1) twenty- five percent of all refuge receipts or (2) three-fourths of one percent of the adjusted value of all refuge lands. In Fiscal Year 1973, the payments amounted to $8,630.

Headquarters Display Pool is a place for environmental education. Lacassine Pool provides good fishing opportunities.

Waterfowl hunting is permitted on the portion of Lacassine Refuge south of the Intracoastal Waterway. Summary and Conclusions

Lacassine Refuge was established to provide wintering habitat for waterfowl. Wintering populations of ducks and geese at Lacassine are among the largest in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The white-fronted goose population on Lacassine is probably the largest in the Mississippi Fly way. Specific objectives are as follows:

1. To develop and manage the refuge for a full spectrum of wildlife common to marshes of Louisiana, including rare and endangered species that use the refuge, large wintering numbers of the waterfowl species that now use the refuge, and nesting populations of wood ducks, mottled ducks, and blue-winged teal, and sufficient numbers of other migratory and native wildlife for frequent viewing by refuge visitors.

2. To encourage wildlife-oriented recreation on the refuge, including fishing and hunting.

3. To provide opportunities for environmental education by serving as a demonstration area and outdoor laboratory for universities, colleges, public schools, and individuals interested in studying the ecology of the refuge.

Lacassine Refuge, including Lacassine Pool, is about 99 percent marsh. As a result of mis study, wilderness designation is recommended for that portion of the Lacassine Refuge that lies south of the American- Louisiana Pipeline Canal and west of Bayou Misere. This area, containing approximately 3,300 acres, has no third party interest, and its wilderness designation would be essentially compatible with refuge objectives. This area, however, has not been excluded from the works of man. The Corps of Engineers' Mermentau River Basin Project has caused the water in this area to become fresh and the water levels to become more stable. The basin now serves as a large storage area of fresh water for irrigation and navigation. Hunting blinds made from "on the spot" vegetation dot the proposed wilderness. Motor boating in navigable waters for fishing and for transportation to hunting blinds is traditional. Although the habitat may have been altered somewhat by man's activities, the proposed wilderness area possesses wilderness characteristics.

The proposed wilderness is covered with shallow water except during low water periods. Sawgrass was the dominant plant prior to the sawgrass die-off in 1957. Since then, the area has been invaded by bulltongue, spikerushes, pickerelweed, white waterlily, floating heart, alligatorweed, and bladderwort. Woody plants include button- bush, black willow, and baldcypress.

Wilderness designation is not recommended for any other areas of the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge because:

1. Third party ownership of mineral rights eliminates the northern half of the refuge from wilderness suitability.

2. Habitat management on the other areas is necessary for maintaining the refuge's waterfowl populations.

The following map depicts the entire Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge and the area recommended for wilderness designation. LACASSINE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA LACASSINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

PROPOSED PL-BUG I'SE AREA BAYOU LACASSINE CLOSED WITHIN 1 . Public Access REFUGE BOUNDARY BY PRESIDENTIAL I. Visitor Contact Station \ ^PROCLAMATION N0.2322, FEB.7,1939 i. Boardwalk 4. Display Pool 5. Natural Area REFUGE HEADQUARTERS AREA

HAUll AT MAMACEMLM

L ACASSIN E POOL

LEGEND LEVEES 8 DIKES • WATER CONTROL STRUCTURES HACKBERRY 3 OILCO. ROADS8WELLS POINT FARM UNITS CANALS PROPOSED PUBLIC USE AREAS MIDDEN MOUNDS MILES MINERAL RIGHTS OUTSTANDING PROPOSED WILDERNESS- 3300 ACRES PRELIMINARY-SUBJECT TO CHANGE JANUARY 15,1974 CHANGES SUBSEQUENT TO THE PUBLIC HEARING

Subsequent to the public hearing it was learned that the US Army Corps of Engineers holds easements for spoil deposition on 442 acres within the originally proposed wilderness area. The 442 acres have been deleted from the final wilderness proposal which contains 2854 acres. LACASSINE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA LACASSINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

IjSE AREA . Public Acce . Vintor Con t SUUon . Driving Tr . C*noe Trax Demon strat Area BAYOU LACASSINE CLOSED WITHIN PROPOSED PtJHUC I'SE AREA Public Use tural Are* 1. Public Access W.llung Tr REFUGE BOUNDARY BY PRESIDENTIAL 2. Visitor Contact bution Photograph Blinds \ ^PROCLAMATION N0.2322, FEB.7,1939 3. Boardwalk Observation ind 4. Display Pool 5. Natural Area REFUGE BOUNDARY REFUGE ^ADQUARTERS AREA

HABITAT "1. Watc

i Needed) 1. Controlled IB (Entire Ref l Needed) 4. Gr*.ing

WLDLIFE MANAGEMENT Protectn Provision of Wintering

Flihing (Lacassine Pooi) Hwnting (South of Intracoamlal Canal} Trapping (Entire Refuge)

NORTH

LEGEND LEVEES S DIKES WATER CONTROL STRUCTURES OIL CO. ROADS SWELLS FARM UNITS CANALS PROPOSED PUBLIC USE AREWS MIDDEN MOUNDS •ST." MINERAL RIGHTS OUTSTANDING JANUARY 15,1974 PROPOSED WILDERNESS- 2854 ACRES PRELIMINARY-SUBJECT TO CHANGE Revised Sept. 1974 DELETED AS A RESULT OF THE PUBLIC HEARING List 01 Document Parts - - House Document 93-403

ART

1. Mount Rainier Wilderness, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington 2. Kenai Wilderness, Kenai National Moose Range, Alaska 3. Cloud Peak Wilderness, Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming 4. Agassiz Wilderness, Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota 5. Sheldon Wilderness, Sheldon National Antelope Refuge, Nevada (and proposed deferral of action on portions of the Charles Sheldon Antelope Range, Nevada and Oregon) 6. Monarch Wilderness, Sequoia and Sierra National Forests, California 7. Santee Wilderness, Santee National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina 8. Everglades Wilderness, Everglades National Park, Florida 9. Salmon River and Idaho Wildernesses, Boise, Challis, Payette, Salmon, Bitterroot, and Nezperce National Forests, Idaho 10. Parker River Wilderness, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Massa- chusetts 11. Hawaii Volcanoes Wilderness, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii 12. Big Lake Wilderness, Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas 13. Aleutian Islands Wilderness, Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska 14. Beartooth Wilderness, Custer and Gallatin National Forests, Montana .5. Dinosaur Wilderness, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah and Colorado L6. Lacassine Wilderness, Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana 17. Popo Agie Wilderness, Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming 18. Mattamuskeet Wilderness, Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, N. Car.; Swanquarter Wilderness, Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge, N.Carolina; Cedar IslandWilderness, Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, N. Carolina; Pea Island Wilderness, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina 19. Organ Pipe Cactus Wilderness, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona 20. J. N. "Ding" Darling Wilderness, J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida 21. Trinity Alps Wilderness, Klamath, Shasta-Trinity, and Six Rivers National Forests, California 22. Assateague Island Wilderness, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland and Virginia 23. Death Valley Wilderness, Death Valley National Monument, California and Nevada 24. Fort Niobrara Wilderness, Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska 25. Medicine Lake Wilderness, Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montana 26. Great Smoky Mountains Wilderness, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee 27. Big Blue, Courthouse Mountain, Dolores Peak, and Sneffels and Mount Wilson Wildernesses, San Juan and Uncompaghre National Forests, Colorado 28. Lake Woodruff Wilderness, Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, Florida 29. Anaho Island Wilderness, Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada 30. Noxubee Wilderness, Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi 31. UL Bend Wilderness, UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Montana 32. Bombay Hook Wilderness, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware 33. Back Bay Wilderness, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia 34. Gila Wilderness, New Mexico (addition) 35. Proposed areas for which deferral of action is recommended: Kofa Game Range, Arizona Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Range, Montana Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona Nunivak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska 36. Areas found unsuitable for inclusion in the System: Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon and Idaho Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois