One gallon container grown mangroves were hand planted during a low tide in July 2008. Red mangroves (Rhizophora  mangle) were planted on the water ward edge and white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa) were planted on the land ward edge of the restoration area. Then black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) were intermixed at the interface between the red and white mangroves. A ten foot wide area bisecting the restoration area was left unplanted to allow for a footpath for the EBTC residents to be able to walk through to reach the beach on the other side of the lagoon.

It wasn’t long after the planting was completed that the condominium manager notified KECE that there were a lot of wading birds frequenting the restoration area. White ibis, snowy egrets, spoonbill roseates, great egrets, little blue herons, and reddis egrets have been seen regularly. The birds attracted the photographers who inadvertently created a new path in the restoration area not realizing the sensitivity of coastal plants, especially the ground cover. The condominium manager spoke with photographers to ask them to enjoy the birds and mangroves without entering the restoration area and showed them the signs that mark the edge of the “No Mowing or Trimming” restoration area.

The annual monitoring conducted by KECE in May 2011, confirmed that the mangrove restoration is well on the way to success. All of the planted white mangroves have survived with many in bloom this year, and only a few of the red and black died. There were numerous naturally recruited seedlings of all three types of mangroves and buttonwood. Other native plants have grown in forming a carpet of salt grass (Distichlis spicata) and glasswort (Salicornia sp.) with an edge of sea oxeye daisies (Borichia sp.), native rushes (Fimbristylis sp.), and railroad vine (Ipomoea pescoprae).

Photo Gallery

Gulfstream Natural Gas System's pipeline route in Florida.

During the environmental permitting process, KECE assessed dozens of properties across central Florida to identify available private lands that had the potential to provide on-site and regional restoration value for mitigation and to provide net environmental benefits to offset the unavoidable disturbance to native ecosystems (198  acres of forested wetlands and 473 acres of non-forested wetlands) due to the pipeline  construction.  Pursuant to this evaluation, Gulfstream and the permitting agencies identified two Gulfstream Mitigation / NEB sites: Manatee (200 acres) and Lake Wales Forest (400 acres). KECE also finalized design plans and provided construction supervision of the Port Manatee Spoil Island (60 acres) restoration project that was conducted by Gulfstream as part of an access agreement. Additionally, KECE provided oversight for the Harbor Key coastal strand restoration that focused on the removal of dense exotic vegetation from ecologically sensitive areas.
These four habitat restoration/enhancement projects total more than 676 acres in Polk and Manatee Counties. The Manatee and Lake Wales Forest restoration sites are inland and include approximately 596 acres of exotic vegetation removal and control, 185 acres of forested wetlands restoration, the creation of approximately 34 acres of marsh, and more than 200 acres of upland habitat enhancement. These two inland sites are expected to reach the permit success criteria by 2010. The Port Manatee spoil island and Harbor Key restoration sites are coastal ecosystems including approximately 30 acres of exotic vegetation control, 16.4 acres of mangrove/tidal creek creation, and approximately 42 acres of upland enhancement. Both coastal restoration sites have reached permit success criteria.

Additional information on Gulfstream Natural Gas System, LLC

December 2004

KECE designed, managed, and monitored the exotic removal process on the Harbor Key mitigation site. Initial removal of the exotic plants on Harbor Key was carried out in April and May of 2001. Annual monitoring has documented that the exotic vegetation eradication has successfully eliminated greater than 95 percent of all exotics without damaging the native vegetation or impacting archeological resources.

The Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club is located on a 175-acre property, of which 120 acres is permanently preserved conservation area, in Collier County, southwest Florida. KECE was instrumental to the permitting process for this development, and developed all the mitigation plans for the preserve areas. Included among the preserves is a four-acre gopher tortoise preserve. Gopher tortoises that were living in the impact area were carefully relocated to the preserve by KECE ecologists prior to development. Prescribed burns of this area are conducted regularly to maintain optimal gopher tortoise habitat. The remaining preserve areas are a mixture of mangrove swamp, transitional wetlands, and upland habitats, including spoil islands located in Naples Bay, continuing Barron Gift Collier’s tradition of responsible land stewardship in southwest Florida.

Development of this project was completed in early 2008. KECE remains involved in the project by overseeing prescribed burns, planting native species as needed in preserve areas, and bi-annual monitoring of all preserve areas.