AMY SZPARA

RESERVE – Some St. John the Baptist Parish residents who own or use camps along the Reserve Relief Canal are concerned they will have to pack their bags and get out before long. The land they lease was recently sold to an organization that donated the property to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which then decided to turn 23,000 acres of the land into a wildlife management area. Now those who call the camps and canal their second home feel they are being pushed out, no longer able to enjoy the recreation the area has brought them for years.
Rickey Jacob, a member of the Reserve Gun and Rod Club, which is one of the camps along the canal, attended an Aug. 8 meeting in Baton Rouge with LDWF representatives, but he said few of his questions were answered. “We know that we can’t do anything about the land, since we leased it,” Jacob said. “We’re just trying to preserve our camps. There are so many kids who came up through those camps. Now they’re telling us The hell with you.'” According to Jacob, there are five camps along the canal, three of which belong to hunting clubs. The owners have been told they have until Oct. 31 to move any valuables off the property. From Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, 2002, they will not be allowed back on the land. Beginning Feb. 1 and continuing through June 30, they can take what is left that belongs to them. As of July 1, the land belongs to the department. The renters leased the land from Old Lutcher and Moore Track, which according to Jacob, sold to the Conservation Fund, which then donated it to the state. “People use these camps for recreation,” said Jacob. “When families use the canal, they can get out of the weather if they have to. They can go into the camps. We just wanted to keep the camps, but they shot us down.” The Reserve Gun and Rod Club has been in existence for 47 years and it was built by Albert Leblanc. Parish President Nickie Monica introduced a resolution to the parish council at a meeting held Tuesday night stating that local residents have enjoyed the camps and the canal for many years. Monica asked that the camp sites be grandfathered into any land-use policy that is established by the LDWF. “I was in Baton Rouge last week. They (LDWF officials) basically told them they’ve got to get off their land. They were pretty rude about it,” Monica said, adding the camp owners were told no other wildlife management area has camps on it and the LDWF officials were not going to make exceptions. “The campers are not opposing the wildlife area. They just want use of the camps, not to get a notice saying In 15 days, you’re evicted,'” Monica continued. The resolution, which was approved by the council will now be sent to state representatives, state senators and Gov. Mike Foster. “We would have just liked to have been involved in the process,” said Monica. “We got no letter to this office stating what was taking place. We never received anything, and this is going to happen in our backyard. It may alter future plans that we have.” Monica said he is concerned the management area could alter plans for the Reserve Interstate 10 Interchange, the water pumped into that area from nearby pumping stations and the hurricane protection levee. “Residents use the canal to access Lake Maurepas. I’m hoping that someone will contact my office and get the camps grandfathered in,” he said.