Land Clearing & Reclamation
Brush, trees, and years of overgrowth cleared and reclaimed — turning unusable acreage back into open, accessible ground that is worth more.
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Land clearing in St. Joseph starts with Mississippi River bottomland and the levee that guards it. St. Joseph is the Tensas Parish seat, and it sits beside the Mississippi River levee system. Two old Mississippi River oxbow lakes lie in the parish, Lake Bruin near town and Lake St. Joseph at Newellton. The parish was developed for cotton farming. The 2022 farm census counted 226,282 acres in farms here, with soybeans on 80,176 acres and corn on 50,791. Tensas ranked first in Louisiana that year for cotton and cottonseed sales. Woodland on those farms adds up to 28,092 acres. On the parish soil map, units named for Sharkey or Tensas soils cover about three quarters of the parish. Sharkey clay takes in water very slowly and cracks open at the surface as it dries.
We work St. Joseph, Newellton and Waterproof from our base in Rayville. Here we take on land clearing and forestry mulching for landowners and hunting clubs. Our compact track loader works with a mulching head and a grapple. Our tractor runs a disc harrow and a rotary cutter. Mike Martien is an FAA Part 107 drone pilot and a nationally recognized land specialist with America's Land Partners. Each job starts with a free on-site estimate.
Part of Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge lies in Tensas Parish. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counts it among the largest bottomland hardwood tracts left in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Closer to town, baldcypress is the major tree at Lake Bruin State Park. On private land, we work the same kind of bottomland and the crop field edges around it.
Our mulching head grinds brush and small trees in place and leaves the chips as cover on the soil. That makes it the main tool for brush clearing on old fields and timber edges. Pasture and fallow ground get bush hogging with the tractor and rotary cutter instead. A fully grubbed house site can need a dozer or excavator crew, and we say so at the estimate.
The refuge was established in 1980, and hunting is one of its outdoor activities. It holds the state's largest population of the Louisiana black bear, which was once on the endangered species list. Over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish live there.
On private deer ground, the disc harrow turns soil for food plots. The mulching head opens shooting lanes and the trails that reach your stands, part of our wildlife habitat work. Before any cutting, a drone mapping flight shows cover and standing water from above. On hunting land the same flights can back a deer herd survey.
Soil scientists set up the Newellton series in Tensas Parish in 1965. Newellton soil is clay over loamy layers, somewhat poorly drained, and most of it sits behind levees. On the parish soil map, about 13 percent of the ground carries a frequently flooded label. That is why road and driveway work here starts with the low spots.
A camp road on this clay needs ditches and culverts in place before any rock goes down. A supplier or quarry truck delivers the rock, and our track loader spreads it and packs it down. Long roads with heavy traffic can need a motor grader or roller crew, and we tell you when. Our gravel road cost per mile guide covers what long camp roads cost.
Before any ditch or culvert digging, we file a Louisiana 811 ticket. State law asks for at least forty-eight hours of notice, and weekends and holidays do not count toward it. Disturbing one acre up to less than five on a building site usually calls for storm water coverage. LDEQ handles that through a general permit for small construction sites.
Under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, fill in a regulated wetland usually needs a permit. Certain farming and forestry activities are exempt, and we check which case fits before starting. For ground close to the Mississippi River levee, we look up the rules before a machine moves.
Communities & areas we serve around St. Joseph: Newellton, Waterproof, Lake Bruin, Somerset, Balmoral, Crimea, Helena, Mayflower, Yucatan Landing.
St. Joseph ZIP codes served: 71366, 71357, 71375.
Free, no-obligation estimates throughout Tensas Parish and across Northeast Louisiana.
(318) 235-7597 Brush, trees, and years of overgrowth cleared and reclaimed — turning unusable acreage back into open, accessible ground that is worth more.
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Building pads, grading, leveling, and drainage shaping — stable, well-drained ground ready for construction, agriculture, or recreation.
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Access roads, gravel driveways, interior trails, and culvert crossings — all-weather access that makes your land usable and more valuable.
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Food plots, shooting lanes, trail systems, and habitat improvements designed to hold deer and grow healthier game — by a landowner who hunts his own work.
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FAA-certified aerial imagery, property mapping, and drone-based deer herd assessments — a clearer view of your land for planning, marketing, and management.
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What makes Big Cypress different: every project is guided by a nationally recognized land specialist with America’s Land Partners — so your improvements are planned around usability, enjoyment, and long-term value.
Meet MikeReal words from clients who’ve trusted Mike with their land as a land specialist with America’s Land Partners — the same care and work ethic he brings to every Big Cypress project.
“Mike Martien secured my real estate sale through very difficult circumstances. He went above and beyond what would be expected of any agent. Anyone would be in the best of hands letting Mike work for you and with you.”
“We’ve known Mike for over 30 years. His work ethic and knowledge are exceptional. He’s passionate about helping others, trustworthy, and puts his client’s needs first. We highly recommend him to anyone working with land.”
“Mike has lifelong experience dealing with land management and development. His experience shows in researching current trends and values. For the most appropriate valuations and ease of sales, he can’t be beat.”
“With an excessive amount of hurdles and more problems than anyone could imagine, he never slowed down or got discouraged. If anyone needs someone that is all about your best interest, this is the one to call.”
“He’s beyond knowledgeable about whatever it takes to get a land deal worked out — even the tax side. He did a whole lot of legwork to get it done. Thanks again Mike, appreciate it more than you know.”
“His commitment to his customer and to the detail of the task at hand is unrivalled. I suggest for anyone selling or buying any land to use him. You won’t be disappointed.”
A few of the questions we hear most around St. Joseph. Don’t see yours? Call us — we’re happy to help.
Ready to improve, enjoy, or get more value out of your land in Northeast Louisiana? Reach out for a free, no-obligation consultation — and put a fellow landowner’s experience to work on your property. Buying or selling? Mike wears that hat too, as a land specialist with America’s Land Partners.