“The twentieth century brought massive clearcutting of cypress forests by lumber companies. In 1993, 1,500 acres of land and water rights were purchased to preserve the remaining wilderness and create an eco-tourism business and educational center. Called Alligator Bayou, the area boasts two hundred and fifty species of birds, free-roaming alligators, and rare, giant old-growth cypress trees. Subsequent sewage and human waste pollution from a nearby prison, followed by the timber industry’s attempt to harvest the remaining cypress trees, and, most recently, disputes with neighbors over water rights and water usage forced the wilderness area to close down in 2010.” —Richard Misrach