These prescribed fires were approved by the Florida Division of Forestry and the Matlacha Pine Island Fire Control District and were conducted by experienced burners under the supervision of a Certified Burner. A Certified Ecologist from KECE arranged and documented the fires. Representative photographic documentation is provided below.

Approximately 43 acres of slash pine/saw palmetto habitat were burned on the south side of the island during the September/October 2010 fires. During the February 2011 controlled burn, approximately 100 acres of freshwater/brackish coastal high marsh, with saw palmetto habitat inclusions, were burned. The fires were conducted during appropriate winds to keep smoke away from State Road 78 (a.k.a. Pine Island Road). Also, caution signs were placed along Pine Island Road to inform motorists that a controlled burn was in progress.

Native plant regeneration was observed within just a few days after the fires were completed. This recovery process is currently ongoing, plants are continuing to rejuvenate, and it is clearly evident that controlled fires have a positive effect on the native plant communities of Little Pine Island.

Additional prescribed fires are planned on Little Pine Island for September, 2011 and annually thereafter until appropriate burn cycles are established on the island. These fires will be properly coordinated with the agencies previously mentioned above.

In order to create a fire safe community, these residential/preserve interface areas required immediate and continuous mechanical treatment, consisting of cutting and mulching the existing forest material in an effort to significantly reduce fuel loads. Kevin Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc. (KECE) was instrumental in assisting the Viera East Community Development District (VECDD) to accomplish this task. KECE continues to provide habitat management services to the VECDD annually to maintain fire wise and fire safe communities within Viera East.

Over 400 acres of the preserved native lands were set aside and are being managed for the benefit of the Florida scrub jays and gopher tortoises. Florida scrub jays are listed as threatened by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The gopher tortoise is listed as a threatened species by the State of Florida.

KECE, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Brevard County, developed the Viera East Scrub Jay Management Plan and has been working with the Viera East Community Development District on adaptive management of this preserve. Management activities within the preserves include, but are not limited to, prescribed fire rotations, roller chopping, hand clearing trees, and exotic vegetation management.

Since initiation of management within the Viera East scrub, there has been an increase of utilization from three scrub jay families in the early 1990’s to more than 20 confirmed scrub jay families utilizing the site today (2009).

Additionally, the residential development was integrated with wetland preserves, created lakes, and a created flow-way. These areas provide pleasant views for the residents while enhancing privacy and wildlife habitat. Integrating nature with the residential development at Viera East Community was achieved years before the current emphasis on the use of low impact design, utilizing many features that are now part of low impact design methods.

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.