In July of 1974, Bill Ferrer spoke to the Northlake Mandeville Rotary Club about the beginnings of the recently organized St. Tammany Sportsman's League. Here is the text of an article that appeared in the St. Tammany Farmer the following week.
Ferrer Tells History Of Sportsman's League
The Northlake Mandeville Rotary Club recently had as its guest speaker William J. "Bill" Ferrer, chairman of the St. Tammany Sportsman's League Board of Directors.
Ferrer explained that the St. Tammany Sportsman's League was an organization formed by local St. Tammany residents about four years ago (in 1970) whose primary aims were to maintain the natural habitat and resources which are available in St. Tammany Parish, to preserve them, and where possible to improve the ecology of these areas.
Ferrer noted that St. Tammany Parish and Tangipahoa Parish were the last wild life estuaries bordering on the north portion of Lake Pontchartrain. He said that the Sportsman's League originally began with a membership of 35, but at the present time ( in 1974) there were 165 senior members and 43 junior members.
The organization is chartered by the State of Louisiana and affiliated with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. The club is ecology minded and has catered and attempted to direct its activities toward the youth of the area to make them aware of the natural environment around them and to teach them to preserve it.
Ferrer listed several projects which the league had sponsored and supported as well as several others which it had opposed. It had opposed Jahncke, Inc., in dredging a strip from the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain as a shell reef ; opposed developing the marina project on Bayou Castain; opposed the boat launch construction on the Tchefuncta River on 1-12: and opposed the proposed federal hurricane protection plan.
Ferrer suggested that all members take the time to visit the Tchefuncta River on any Saturday or Sunday and notice the traffic on that stream. He indicated that traffic was unbearable and that recently one person had drowned in the river, and that there were two boat collisions reported.
He indicated that his group had appeared before the Police Jury on several occasions seeking an area designated only for water skiing. Ferrer indicated that the Jury had not been responsive, however.
Ferrer noted his group was quite concerned about a dam on the Ponchitalowa Creek which was silting in that stream and which would change the pattern of fresh water fish utilizing that stream. He commented that they supported the shell reef off of Plat Point which was recently constructed and that it had improved fishing in the area.
He indicated that the group had assisted in improving the shelter at Menetre Marine Launch.
The local group enjoyed many activities which include six meetings annually, a state convention, fishing rodeos, and fish frys. He welcomed anyone to join noting the dues for Senior members were $4 and Junior members $1.
End of article
St. Tammany Farmer July 4, 1974
The Sportsman's League was one of several local organizations instrumental in the creation of the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in 1994.
The forerunner of the Sportsman's League
was the St. Tammany Sportsman's Club
