Oct. 28, 2016 – Restore the Earth Foundation announced its gift of a Marsh Master to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at its groundbreaking at Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area on October 27th.
The Marsh Master, built by Coast Machinery LLC of Baton Rouge, will support the 4,000-acre restoration at Pointe-aux-Chenes and will be used by LDWF for any and all land management needs in the future.
Restore the Earth Foundation donated Marsh Master to LDWF as a gift to honor the 6-year partnership between REF and LDWF.
According to REF, the longstanding partnership has made many large scale coastal restoration projects possible in the past 6 years including projects at Pass a Loutre, Raccoon Island and Pointe-aux-Chenes
The Marsh Master, with its multiple attachments, is valued at about $150,000. It will be used by LDWF to control vegetation in the areas where the trees, up to 4,000, will eventually be planted along the state’s Mississippi River Basin.
Another Marsh Master was used to clear away vegetation for the Oct. 27 tree planting.
Shane Granier, a biologist manager with LDWF, said the Marsh Master will be used on a regular basis to clear away vegetation that may crowd out and eventually kill the newly planted trees. Additionally, he said, LDWF will be able to use the March Master for many of its projects in water-soaked areas.
“There will be a multitude of projects that we will be able to use this machine to take care of,” Grainier said. For instance, he said, “it can be used to maintain some of the swampier areas for deer hunters.”
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive recreational or commercial fishing email and text alerts, signup at http://www.wlf.la.gov/signup.
By Ed Pratt
This press release was originally published by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.