The Gulf's endangered cypress swamps are being clear-cut to feed an unsustainable and unnecessary mulch industry. Lowe's, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart have been leading the destruction of the Gulf’s best natural storm protection by selling cypress mulch all over the country.
In 2008, the campaign saved tens of thousands of acres of cypress swamps when Lowe's and Home Depot stopped selling cypress mulch from coastal Louisana, and Wal-Mart no longer sells cypress mulch from anywhere in Louisiana. The retailers now have an ideal opportunity to live up to their policies of sustainability by expanding that protection and helping to restore balance to the entire Gulf coast. The Save Our Cypress Coalition continues to call on Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe's to immediately stop selling cypress mulch in favor of sustainable alternatives.
Coordinated, grassroots efforts are the best way to influence companies to protect the environment. Together we can make Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Lowe's stop selling cypress mulch and save our cypress.
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The Issues We Face
Cypress swamps are valuable natural protection for coastal communities from storm surge and flooding. After the devastation of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, destruction of this coastal ecosystem is unacceptable. Threatened and endangered wildlife, such as the Louisiana black bear and the recently re-discovered ivory-billed woodpecker, also rely on these magnificent trees as important habitat.
The cypress mulch industry has become an imminent threat to the Gulf's swamps, and much of Florida's pristine cypress habitat has already fallen victim to demand for a product fueled by myth. Cypress mulch does not provide a product with any superior attributes, and sustainable alternatives, like pine straw and pine bark nuggets, are just as effective.
In Louisiana, the Governor's Science Working Group report has concluded that many cypress swamps will not regenerate once cut. Sadly, logging companies and mulch distributors continue grinding away our natural storm protection.
To learn more, visit www.saveourcypress.org and download the Save Our Cypress Campaign Manual and the Coastal Forest Sustainability and Cypress Mulch Fact Sheet.
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What We Are Doing
Our grassroots efforts are paying off! GRN and the Save Our Cypress Coalition are celebrating the protection of tens of thousands of acres of cypress forests in Louisiana! Wal-Mart is no longer selling cypress from anywhere in the state, and Lowe's and Home Depot have committed to avoiding cypress mulch from coastal Louisiana.
Unfortunately, cypress forests in other Gulf states are still under threat, and the protections for Louisiana may not be permanent. The Save Our Cypress Coalition continues to call on Lowe's, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart to live up to their environmental commitments by ending the sale of unsustainable cypress mulch no matter where it is logged.
Thanks for taking action to save our cypress! There are lots of ways to get involved, and every little bit counts! First and foremost, don't buy cypress mulch. Urge your friends and neighbors to avoid the product as well since it is coming from endangered forests on the Gulf Coast that are our best natural storm and flood protection.
Send an email to the CEO's of Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and Home Depot asking them to abandon cypress mulch products.
Make a quick phone call to each CEO and air your concerns in person. Click here for numbers and easy talking points.
There are many other ways to get involved - from delivering a letter to your local store manager to educating others with one of our Mulch Matters Kits - and you can get the materials and information you need on our Save Our Cypress Campaign Resources Page.
As cypress trees continue to fall, and the mulch spreads throughout the country, we need a vocal and engaged public all over the nation to help halt this destruction.
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Campaign Resources
There are many prepared materials and resources that you can use for a local campaign to hold Lowe's, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart accountable. If there's any exciting news from your efforts, send it to
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, and we'll post it on our blog!
