Wild growth by the canal (condo, how much, university)

[Big House]

Originally Posted by Harbor Hopper

Oh my gosh the treehuggers are out in full force on this issue!! You people sound like the entire ecosystem is going to fall apart because waterfront homeowners keep their shoreline tidy. Please, that's why 80% of the harbor is protected and will NEVER be developed. State law even allows homeowners to trim mangroves without a permit. I called the county environmental services dept yesterday and they said removal of mangroves over 10ft height has to be permitted. I asked what is involved in that for a residential lot in a non-protected area. His answer, "a permit fee". That's it. Wow, he seemed really concerned (sarcasm).
As far as the poor fish and birds, well there is an island 150ft in front of my dock that is 100% natural habitat, not to mention my 20 dock pilings that attract barnacles, which attract fish & crabs, which attract birds that feed on the fish & crabs.
You act like you're all saints. Please. None of us are. I pull a few mangrove seedlings each year. Call the police!!! I also cut down a nasty pine tree when we moved here! :-0 I'm surely going to hell. My elderly neighbors thank me because I also pull their 5 or 6 mangrove tubes when I do mine, since they can't physically get onto their riprap without falling.
If nobody did this, there would be no water access from land. This means no boats on the harbor (from residences or boat launches). This means no marine-related businesses, no fishing, no charters, no bait shops, etc.... The county tax base would be much reduced because the waterfront properties would only be worth as much as a non-waterfront property.

Wow!! I never met anyone that was actually going to hell before!

[mrs.cool]

Hmmmmm.....I've never thought about this before, but when we've been down looking at properties, a LOT of them have no foliage at all along the canal. How can this be if no one touches the mangroves? Am I missing something?

[Harbor Hopper]

Originally Posted by mrs.cool

Hmmmmm.....I've never thought about this before, but when we've been down looking at properties, a LOT of them have no foliage at all along the canal. How can this be if no one touches the mangroves? Am I missing something?

Must be very lucky homeowners that never have any mangrove seeds take root on their waterfront

[Harbor Hopper]

Originally Posted by Big House

Wow!! I never met anyone that was actually going to hell before!

I just remembered, growing up on a small lake in MI at my mother's house, me and every neighbor on the lake raked the water lilies from the water in front of our properties so we could swim. I am certainly doomed to a firey hell now haha

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by Harbor Hopper

I'm at 9ft elevation (very common for this area). A hurricane storm surge that comes over that 9ft and creeps toward my house would not be deterred by a few mangroves. My riprap seawall protects my shoreline from erosion. Mangroves do not "protect" residential homes. What they do protect are the thousands of protected wetland acres around the harbor.

Actually, it has been proven that seawalls do more to erode shoreline and do not protect it.

[Harbor Hopper]

Originally Posted by blueherons

Actually, it has been proven that seawalls do more to erode shoreline and do not protect it.

Please do not make such a claim without posting the link to this study. Hmmm, bare, unprotected earth vs waves and boat wakes, or rock/concrete vs those same waves & wakes. I'm an engineer, but it doesn't take one to figure out which will erode quicker.

[sware2cod]

lawbreaker: You said you called the county and they said you could remove mangroves that are under 10 feet without a permit. You misunderstoof what they said. You can TRIM them if they are under 10 feet, without a permit, but can never remove them. The trimmed height is to be no less than 6' from where the mangrove trunk touches the ground.

Here is a portion of the law in regard to trimming:

"Trim" means to cut mangrove branches, twigs, limbs, and foliage, but does not mean to remove, defoliate, or destroy the mangroves.

[Harbor Hopper]

Originally Posted by sware2cod

lawbreaker: You said you called the county and they said you could remove mangroves that are under 10 feet without a permit. You misunderstoof what they said. You can TRIM them if they are under 10 feet, without a permit, but can never remove them. The trimmed height is to be no less than 6' from where the mangrove trunk touches the ground.

Here is a portion of the law in regard to trimming:

"Trim" means to cut mangrove branches, twigs, limbs, and foliage, but does not mean to remove, defoliate, or destroy the mangroves.

Read my post again cod! It specifically said removal WITH a permit!

Mangroves are removed all the time! How do you think PGI was developed?!?!?

[Harbor Hopper]

It's obvious we're not all going to agree on this topic, so why keep arguing about it? I respect your opinions and beliefs, no matter how ridiculous. We're all entitled to them. If what me and 98% of waterfront homeowners do bothers you that much, then do something about it and take it up with the environmental dept (good luck!)

[Salty Dave]

As far as protecting the shoreline, the canal front shorelines would not be there if it were not for the developer. As such I would think that there would be an exemption from the protection law in these areas. After the mangroves take over a waterfront does the taxes then go down because you have loss the use for fishing or boating. I would guess not. Just my 2 cents worth!