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At a press conference held at the Port of South Louisiana Headquarters in Reserve, the National Park Service, NPS announced that it had withdrawn its historic site identification proposal from St John the Baptist Parish after state officials requested it.

The NPS excluded an 11-mile stretch of the Mississippi River’s west bank in St. John the Baptist Parish as a National Historic Landmark, NHL disappointing local advocates. 

State officials, business leaders, and local representatives at the press conference hailed the decision as a win for economic development in the primarily rural West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish.

Aurelia Giacometto, secretary of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, lauded Trump’s Department of Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, for withdrawing the designation and read a similar statement from Gov. Jeff Landry.

“Eight days after President Trump was sworn into office, Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality requested that the new interior secretary reevaluate this determination, and we asked them to withdraw their decision,” Giacometto said at the Port of South Louisiana news conference.

The NPS deemed consideration of the area for two historic districts as “premature and untimely.” It also claimed the withdrawal was unrelated to the area’s history, as no project could affect the land. 

“The continuous filing of frivolous lawsuits will not bully us. Frivolous lawsuits scare industries away that want to invest in a community,” said St. John Parish President Jaclyn Hotard. “This is a wonderful day because we’re sending the message to everyone that the river region is open for business.”

“Frivolous lawsuits are not about accountability; they’re about attention, and it’s time we start treating them as such. Now is the time for us to partner for progress. We must work with industry and set the gold standard for environmental responsibility,” she said.

Greenfield LLC planned a grain export terminal in St. John the Baptist Parish but canceled the project in August 2024. The company had planned to build 54 grain silos and a conveyor as tall as the 305-foot Statue of Liberty, located less than half a mile from a historic site.

The Army Corps identified 20 historic properties in the project’s impact area, including Whitney Plantation, Evergreen Plantation, Willow Grove Cemetery, Whitney Plantation Historic District in St. John the Baptist Parish, and Oak Alley Plantation in St. James Parish, that the project would adversely affect.

Most properties are designated National Historic Landmarks or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lynda Van Davis, counsel and head of external affairs for Greenfield, said the company will develop the land of the proposed grain elevator. 

“Unfortunately, we encountered a few roadblocks, but now they are gone,” she said. “I cannot say we will have a grain terminal in that spot, but we will develop it. We are considering all available options and want to bring jobs to this area.”

A 200-page study on NHL eligibility identifies St. John the Baptist Parish as a strong candidate. The study highlights the region’s rich agricultural, economic, and cultural heritage, particularly its Black history. 

However, the area’s status as a national landmark is still under consideration and will not be affected by the withdrawal. 

“Undoubtedly, this is an attempt to diminish the contributions and significance of Black history, culture, and well-being. We are confident that our fight to save our community will continue to be successful,” said Joy and Jo Banner, co-founders of The Descendants Project, a non-profit environmental justice organization said in a statement.