In Marco Island, Florida, city officials and residents celebrated recently after removing an invasive plant species from an area earmarked for conservation, Coastal Breeze News reported.
After purchasing a piece of property in the city via its Conservation Collier program — in which the county uses a voter-approved special property tax levied specifically for the purchase and maintenance of conservation land — Collier County appeared to be sitting on its hands, leading to some worry for conservation-hungry residents.
"It took Marco Island two years to get this. We finally got it, and it sat for more than six months with nothing done to the lot," Marco Island City Councilman Rich Blonna said. "That's what's been so frustrating for people on Marco."
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However, the county eventually brought in construction equipment and cleared the area of invasive Brazilian pepper, which was consuming the lot. The pepper, native to Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, was brought to Florida in the mid-1800s as an ornamental plant. It is an aggressive spreader known to form dense thickets and crowd out native vegetation.
The removal of the Brazilian pepper plants should be great news for the area's native plants and animals, which include burrowing owls, gopher tortoises, and eagles.
Collier County is now searching for a conservation land consultant to help the Conservation Collier program pinpoint which property it should buy next. The program, which has been operating for two decades and recently suffered budget cuts, has already protected areas including the Cocohatchee Creek Preserve, Otter Mound Preserve, and Gordon River Greenway.
Conserving habitats for native species is more important than ever, as so many species have been threatened or driven to endangerment and even extinction by habitat loss and pollution.
Other recent conservation wins in Florida include the return of flamingos after the iconic birds had been hunted to near-extinction in the 19th century.
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