Click to return to August 2008 Chronology

Please read Bob Greenfield note at bottom of page relative to those portions of this document in "red."

RECOMMENDED MASTER PLAN FOR

EAGLES NEST AREA RESTORATION

Background

At its regular monthly meeting on April 3, 2008 the LMA authorized the ENA Committee to prepare a recommended master plan for the restoration of the ENA. The master plan was to quantify in approximate terms each of the following;

Exotic and noxious plant removal priorities, time tables; and methodology.

Recommended replacement of new vegetation and time tables.

Recommended placement and characteristics of an eagles nest viewing area.

Watering of new plantings until they are established.

Permitting requirements.

Costs.

Subsequently, the ENA Committee along with Russ Hoffman of Red Star Environmental developed a conceptual plan that we believe will be acceptable to the LMA and the majority of Landings residents including those who live adjacent to the ENA, and which acknowledges the presence of the Eagle family that now winters in the ENA. The plan is as follows.

Recommendations

Remove Brazilian pepper and Carrot wood trees

Cut 7 stands of Brazilian pepper and one Carrot wood tree

Treat the stumps with approved herbicide to reduce re-growth

Chip branches into several piles so the plant material can decompose on site. This will keep most of the seeds in one place to reduce future maintenance costs.

Stack larger branches and trunks to decompose in place. This should be mostly out of sight from the homes along the perimeter.

Spray any smaller trees (less than five feet tall) with approved herbicide

Remove Grape vines and poison ivy

Treat the approximately 8 to 10,000 square feet of poison ivy with approved foliar herbicide to kill the plants. This treatment will leave the leaves dead and brown for several weeks before they fall to the ground.

Cut the strangler vines from all trees in the ENA and kill their roots with an approved herbicide

Replace vegetation with native species

After most exotic and noxious plants are removed from the ENA, replant the site with native Florida vegetation as approved by Ann Marie Post of the County.

Care and watering of the new plantings

When the new landscape is planted, install a temporary above ground, micro irrigation system to deliver water to all trees and plants until they are well established (similar to the one provided by Raber Lawn Service at Phillippi Shores Park).

On a temporary basis, obtain irrigation water from Mr. Greenfield’s irrigation well on an adjacent property. Longer term, drill an on-site well to supply irrigation water to a permanent irrigation system.

Eagle viewing / access trail

The access trail will be nothing more than a simple mulched path so neighbors know where to walk to get to the eagles viewing area.

The trail will be located to protect the privacy of homes along the perimeter if the preserve.

The trail will lead in a relatively direct path from the entry gate on Landings Blvd. to a ground level 30’ diameter mulched viewing pad and back.

The viewing area will be lined with shrubs to screen it from the direct observation of the eagles (whether perched on the nest tree or the resting tree).

The viewing area will be located by an appropriate governmental official as far from the perimeter if the preserve as possible.

The pathway and viewing location will be identified for the LMA Board, regulatory authorities and other interested parties to review before work begins, to make sure all are in agreement with the specific location selected.

Fence and Gate

Remove the existing fence and gate and replace with an ornamental aluminum or wrought iron, see-through fence with gates. Fencing would be 5 1/2 or 6 ft. high with pickets 6 in. on center. A double hung gate would be wide enough to permit heavy equipment entry into the ENA. A pedestrian gate would be added for everyday access to the walking path. Both gates would be lockable.

Plan Implementation

No work will commence until individual projects are reviewed and approved by LMA. After approval of specific projects, competitive bids will be solicited for each element of work (except for the initial work to be completed by Red Star Environmental). All work will be done during a time frame endorsed by an appropriate authority as being consistent with National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines.

Permitting Requirements

The ENA Restoration Committee and the Contractors we have talked with do not believe that any of the work contemplated by the current plan will have to be permitted. We will, however, talk with the various concerned governmental agencies as plans evolve to make sure we understand their requirements and build to suit.

Cost

The cost to complete the total plan has not as yet been determined but we believe it will be in the range of $24,000 to $30,000 over a three year period. If we are successful in obtaining a Neighborhood Grant from the County, the costs for exotics removal and native species replanting would be shared equally by the County and LMA.

This recommendation was voted on and approved by the ENA Restoration Committee (5 for, 2 against) on July 31, 2008.

Action Requested of LMA

Formal approval by the Landings Management Association Board.

TO: Bob  Capo (LMA President)

FROM: Bob Greenfield - (Chair, Eagles' Nest Area Restoration Cmmitee.

    Jack Jost and I agree on the final committee report to LMA.  It is copied below.  The black letter text was discussed and was approved by the four members whose homes do not adjoin the preserve area.  I also approved it.  Two adjoining homeowners disapproved and one was unavailable.  In my view, the red letter reference to a vote is incorrect.  The committee wasn't appointed to take votes.  You appointed the committee when you saw a potentially angry dispute between two groups of members.  You wisely chose four from each group.  We understood that our assignment was to get the facts, work out a proposal and recommend it to the board.  That is what we did, by unanimous agreement.  We agreed to address three issues in this order:  first drainage, second restoration of native Florida vegetation and third access.  A plan for the drainage problem was unanimously recommended to the board and approved by the board.    Restoration and a viewing area, including access, were combined in a proposal by members not living next to the preserve area at the  committee meeting on July 31.  That is the text in black letters.  The red letter reference to a 5 to 2 vote is correct but misleading.  The important fact to convey to the board is that the two sides did not agree on the access issue.   Since the  committee failed to do what it was appointed to do, you decided to terminate the committee. 

    As for the other red letter inserts, the reference to my offer of access to my well for irrigation was discussed and agreed to.  The proposed dimensions of the viewing area and the cost of the work were not proposed at the meeting and should not be in the committee's report to the board.  The board can take them as recommendations from Jack Jost and Larry Fleming. 

    Please note my comments following the "Recommended Master Plan" regarding the so-called "second document".

 Click to return to August 2008 Chronology