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County has noted significant loss of maritime hammock in several of our conservation areas as a <br />result of frequent and sustained salt water inundation. Additionally, storm surge and frequent high <br />water events are facilitating the conversion of sand flats and herbaceous salt marshes to <br />monocultures of white mangroves thus reducing biodiversity. Loss of this type of high marsh within <br />the County results in many detrimental impacts to the Lagoon, most notably direct habitat loss for <br />wildlife and the reduction of critical treatment of stormwater runoff prior to entering the Lagoon. <br />IEartoan lsl nc <br />Lost Tree Islands Conservation Area <br />This grant application will be focused on development of a plan for the three larger islands. It is <br />the County's vision to develop this plan so that the restoration strategies completed may be utilized <br />for enhancing the remaining areas within the LTICA, as well as other spoil island projects <br />throughout the IRL. <br />The larger islands and the wetlands within the LTICA may have formed through natural processes, <br />however, these islands were used as spoil deposition sites as part of the Intercoastal Waterway <br />(ICW) dredging. There is little native vegetation on these islands remaining; the majority of the <br />islands are covered with Australian pines (Casuarina equisetifolia) and Brazilian pepper (Schinus <br />terebinthifolius). <br />Three wetland mitigation projects have been permitted on two of the three largest islands to date. <br />The first project is located on the northern end of Earman Island. This project was permitted and <br />designed as a coastal wetland mitigation project. The project plan involved clearing Australian pine <br />and Brazilian pepper, and allowing native wetland vegetation to recruit on-site. Maintenance <br />activities were limited to eliminating seedling Australian pine and Brazilian pepper, as well as other <br />33 <br />