7/26/1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Boos ALTERNATIVES & ANALYSIS Round Island Park 92 of t 016 Concerning a Round Island Park SWIM revegetation project, staff met with Public Works Department staff and representatives from Native Habitat, Inc., who recently completed an off-site shoreline mitigation project at the park. Currently, there are retention ponds at Round Island Park (riverside) that are impacted by cattails. However, there are some native species among the cattails that would potentially re- establish themselves if the cattails were manually removed. Also, the lagoon shoreline has areas that would benefit from replacement of nuisance exotic vegetation and/or bare soil with native shoreline species, which would complement a previous successful SWIM shoreline restoration project at the park. Another aspect of the proposed project is planting native hammock understory species in areas where native canopy trees are being planted as part of park landscaping. Native Habitat, Inc. has indicated that -they can work within the parameters of the $3,300 SWIM grant for shoreline and hammock understory restoration, including native plant installation. According to Marty Smithson, the County is obligated to provide a match to SWIM funds; this County match may be in the form of in- kind services. In coordination with the Public Works Department, staff proposes a County match of in-kind services entailing the removal of cattails from the park retention ponds, to allow for native plant re-establishment. Environmental Learning Center Staff has contacted the Environmental Learning Center (ELC) to discuss potential NEP projects at the Center. George Bunnell, ELC staff, and Mosquito Control District staff recommend a habitat restoration/education project entailing the re -connection and cleaning of ditches in the property's mangrove wetland. Re -connection of the ditches on the 51 acre site to the Indian River Lagoon would allow the recruitment of native high marsh plant species on the ELC property, and also improve canoe trails for educational purposes. The level of work will be dictated by grant funding constraints ($5,000). Mosquito Control District staff has indicated that they will provide an in-kind service match to the grant by performing physical labor relating to the project. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners authorize staff to apply for SWIM and NEP funding for the Round Island Park and Environmental Learning Center projects described herein. ON MOTION by Commissioner Eggert, SECONDED by Commissioner Bird, the Board unanimously authorized staff to apply for SWIM and NEP funding for the Round Island Park and Environmental Learning Center projects described in staff's memorandum. July 26, 1994