Guest opinion: Mangroves offer natural protection against powerful storms
The devastation from Hurricane Ian has highlighted the importance of natural systems that are our best defense against these increasingly powerful storms. Mangrove systems are our coastline’s initial defense as they absorb damaging winds and slow the flow of storm surge and floodwaters into inland areas. As our communities begin the process of rebuilding post-Ian, we must take this opportunity to better understand how our natural systems worked to reduce wind and storm surge and incorporate resiliency into our recovery efforts. As part of this process, our community needs to focus on protecting the wetland systems that are still intact, in addition to pursuing plans that focus on replanting and restoring impacted dune and mangrove systems. This will help guard against future hurricanes, as experts fear they could become stronger, more unpredictable, and more frequent.
Mangrove restoration projects are a longer-term solution; one thing that can be done immediately is to ensure existing coastal wetland ecosystems including mangroves are protected from development. These systems are some of the sturdiest protections we have against the impacts of storms. Hurricane Ian highlights the importance of these natural systems in a manner that cannot be ignored. We know that it is essential to protect our remaining mangrove ecosystems, so to allow mangroves to be torn out and replaced by a residential development in a Coastal High Hazard Area is unthinkable.
This is the exact decision that the Lee County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) will be faced with when the zoning petition for the Eden Oak housing development is heard. This was scheduled for Nov. 2, 2022 but has been continued at the request of the applicant. The applicant is seeking to destroy more than 35 acres of mangroves and bring in up to 9 feet of fill to allow the construction of single-family homes and a docking facility. In addition to absorbing damaging winds and storm surge, the mangroves threatened by this project also provide habitat for important fish nurseries, bird rookeries, and several endangered and threatened species, including the smalltooth sawfish.
As the Lee County BoCC weigh the merits of this proposal, they are required to consider the protection of human life and property from natural disasters. There is a single road – Summerlin Boulevard – that serves as the evacuation route for the nearly 10,000 homes in Palm Acres and Shell Point, as well as for the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva. Putting more residents and their property in harm’s way and burdening this route further would be a mistake.
Lee County staff has recommended denial of this project for a myriad of reasons, based in part on the fact that Eden Oak is located in the Coastal High Hazard Area, an area where increases in residential density are not be allowed because of the extreme vulnerability of structures in this area. The Lee County Hearing Examiner has also recommended denial, stating that denial is required based on the incompatibility of increased residential development in the Coastal High Hazard Area. More than 120 citizens have spoken out against this project, citing concerns ranging from environmental impacts to questions about how this development will negatively affect already limited evacuation routes.
Eden Oak is not just about the environment, it is about protecting our community, both existing and future residents. When this case is heard, it will be a pivotal day for Lee County, providing an opportunity for the BoCC to show that they truly care about the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Lee County.
James Evans, is Chief Executive Officer of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. Rob Moher, is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Mangroves offer natural protection against powerful storms
