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By the early 1990’s, forty years of drainage canal impacts resulting
from extensive mosquito ditching of this 4670 acre island, had
resulted in the complete loss of freshwater habitats and exten-
sive infestations of exotic plant species. Recognizing the ecologi-
cal significance of this island which is now strategically located
within the 40,000 acre Charlotte Harbor State Park, the State of
Florida acquired the island in 1974 as its development was being
planned, however the state had no plans to attempt any restora-
tion activities due to the anticipated cost. In the early 1990’s the
new concept of mitigation banking appealed to both the State
of Florida and a private developer, Mariner Properties Develop-
ment, Inc. In 1997 restoration activities began, undertaken as a
public private partnership that was formed between Mariner and
the State as the Little Pine Island Wetland Mitigation Bank. One
of the first of its kind in the US the bank has privately financed
over 12 million USD in habitat restoration and its perpetual main-
tenance, ultimately from the sale of bank credits. Without this in-
novative financial arrangement it would not have been possible to
undertake the carefully planned and phased restoration designed
and monitored by Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc. Ap-
proximately 60 tons of biomass per acre was removed over nearly
2000 acres, consisting mostly of melaleuca (
Melaleuca quinque-
nervia
), Australian pine (
Casuarina equisetifolia
), and Brazilian
Wetland restoration: Little Pine Island, Lee County, Florida, USA
pepper (
Schinus terebinthifolius
). These exotic trees dominated
the island after drainage impacts occurred often forming a dense
canopy and completely displacing the native plants and wildlife.
As the exotic vegetation was removed in each phase, a deliberate
process of backfilling the drainage canals commenced to restore
the interior freshwater system and the natural tidal flows along
shore. Recovery of the restored fresh and saltwater marshes,
mangroves and slash pine wetland habitats has been remarkable.
Following exotic removal and the restoration of natural hydro-
patterns, seeds of native wetland vegetation that for decades had
been dormant in the soil have sprouted to produce well-balanced
native ecosystems replete with wildlife (11, 109, 17, 7, 13 and 95
species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and aquat-
ic macro-invertebrates, respectively.
Little Pine Island Mitigation Bank is an excellent example of a
highly successful, cost effective, risk free wetland restoration
project consisting of regionally significant ecosystem restoration
that will be perpetually maintained at absolutely no cost to the
public. (Biodiversity Conservation, Financial Benefits of Innova-
tive Ecosystem Restoration)
Source: Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Lnc.
CASE STUDY #8
January 2005
October 2009