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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 68.1pt 0pt 0in">For immediate
release:</P></TD>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Contact:</P></TD></TR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">September 5, 2007</P></TD>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-font-width: 99%">Dan Favre, 504-525-1528 ext. 209 or
401-965-7908<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></TD></TR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></TD>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Dean Wilson,
225-692-4114</P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B>Wal-Mart to Stop Selling Cypress Mulch From
Louisiana<BR></B><I>Important Step Towards Preserving Endangered Cypress
Swamps<o:p></o:p></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0.2in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">New Orleans, LA- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has informed its
suppliers that, effective January 1, 2008, the <SPAN
style="LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">company will no longer buy and sell cypress mulch
that is harvested, bagged, or manufactured in the state</SPAN> of Louisiana. The
Save Our Cypress Coalition, a group of environmental organizations, has been
publicly pressuring the major retailers Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s to stop
selling cypress mulch since November 2006.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12.6pt 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">“It’s a tremendous step that Wal-Mart has recognized
that cypress sustainability is a serious concern.” <SPAN
style="LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">said Mark Ford, Executive Director of the
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, “The Save Our Cypress</SPAN> Coalition
sincerely thanks Wal-Mart for the action they’ve taken in Louisiana, and we will
continue to work to completely end the sale of unsustainable cypress
mulch.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12.6pt 0.15in 0pt 0in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The decision comes on the heels of another recent action
by a home retailer that acknowledges the concerns of the Save Our Cypress
coalition, while failing to implement practical solutions to address those
concerns. Lowe’s has stated it has implemented a moratorium on mulch from
cypress harvested <SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">south of I-10/I-12 in
Louisiana, excluding the Pearl River Basin. But there is no enforceable
mechanism</SPAN> for ensuring that the moratorium is actually being upheld by
suppliers. Home Depot and Lowe’s have claimed in the past that their suppliers
do not source from coastal Louisiana, but the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper has
gathered evidence proving this assertion to be false. The evidence is available
at <A href="http://www.saveourcypress.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">www.saveourcypress.org</SPAN></A><U><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">.</SPAN></U><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12.6pt 0.1in 0pt 0in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">“Suppliers of cypress mulch have proven willing to hide
the source of their product in the past,” said <SPAN
style="LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">Dean Wilson, from the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper.
“Wal-Mart recognizes the difficulties with verification</SPAN> and is acting
accordingly by identifying the whole state as an unacceptable
source.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12.6pt 0.05in 0pt 0in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">A new interactive cypress map, at <A
href="http://www.lmrk.org/cypressmap.html,"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">www.lmrk.org/cypressmap.html,</SPAN></A><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue"> </SPAN>demonstrates chain-of-custody concerns through
documented examples of clear-cutting and cypress mulch production in Louisiana.
As the map information shows, many of the brands of mulch produced in Louisiana
are already labeled with addresses in Florida, Texas, and
Arkansas.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12.6pt 0.05in 0pt 0in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">“We’re happy to hear that some cypress forests will be
saved from the mulch machine, but how can Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s
ignore Florida’s wetlands?” asked Joe Murphy, Florida Programs Coordinator for
the Gulf Restoration Network. According to the University of Florida IFAS
Extension, cypress trees in Florida are being cut out of the wetlands at a rate
faster than they can regenerate, and almost half of the cypress cut is used for
mulch.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12.6pt 0.05in 0.05in 0in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The Save Our Cypress Coalition continues to call on
Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s to stop selling cypress mulch that is not
certified as sustainable, no matter where the logging occurs. While cautiously
celebrating Wal-Mart’s move in Louisiana, the coalition submitted formal letters
signed by over 160 organizations, from across the US and around the world, to
Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s asking the companies to stop selling cypress
mulch. Supporters include conservation groups, garden clubs, anglers,
eco-tourism operators, and members of the faith-based
community.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Cypress forests are heralded by scientists to be some of
the Gulf’s best natural storm and flooding protection. The swamps also support a
wide array of wildlife including fish and crustaceans, migratory birds, and
threatened and endangered species like the bald eagle and Florida panther. The
swamps are of national importance to protect the economy, the unique environment
of the Gulf Coast, and people.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 37.8pt 0.05in 0pt 0in"><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The Save Our Cypress Coalition is comprised of
organizations and businesses that are dedicated to <SPAN
style="LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">preserving cypress ecosystems and the ecological
benefits, flood protection, and economic opportunities</SPAN> they provide.
Leaders of the eforts in Louisiana include the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper,
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club, Gulf
Restoration Network, Lake <SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">Pontchartrain
Basin Foundation, Louisiana Audubon Council, Louisiana Environment Action
Network,</SPAN> and the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper. For more information
please visit, <A href="http://www.saveourcypress.org/"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">www.saveourcypress.org</SPAN></A><U><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">.</SPAN></U><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></I></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>