Pine Lake Preserve

In October 2004, a $125,000 grant was received from SFWMD to assist in exotic plant control at Pine Lake Preserve.  Work began in November 2005 and continued through March 2006.  The focus was to remove large melaleuca trees that had invaded disturbed areas around a borrow pond.  These trees were removed with small bobcat with a claw-type head.

Large melaleucas were also removed from the historic riverbed in the southern portion of the preserve and from around the borrow pond. 

Once the trees were felled, they were piled to burn.  Pile burning will begin in summer 2006.  Trees that could not be reached with machine were hand cut with chainsaws.  Once all trees were removed, the stumps were extracted with an excavator.  Those stumps that were close to native vegetation were left and resprouts will be foliar treated in the summer of 2006.

Prairie Pines Preserve

In June 2003 Lee County was approached by the USDA to use Prairie Pines as a test site for The Area Wide Management Evaluation of Melaleuca (TAME Melaleuca) project.  This 40 acre site was used as a demonstration site for natural resources managers and private land owners to show the available techniques for melaleuca control, including chemical, mechanical and biological.  In April of 2005 and March of 2006 field tours and demonstrations were conducted on site to see the response to the different techniques used on site.  For more information on the project, please visit http://tame.ifas.ufle.edu.

In 2004, Florida Department of Environmental Protection granted Lee County $281,000 to remove melaleuca at Prairie Pines Preserve.

With matching funds from Conservation 2020 management funds, work was started in the western arm with a mulching machine, Brontosauras. 

Standing trees were mulched in place.  This removal will benefit the native pine trees and ground cover on site. 

No planting will be necessary because a large seed source is still available on site.  Once all trees were removed, new repsrouts and seedlings were treated with herbicide and will be retreated until controlled.  In 2009, Prairie Pines Preserve was open to the public with ADA facilities and multi-use trails (ADA, primitive, equestrian and bike) that will lead you through areas where the melaleuca have been removed. 

PHOTO POINT MONITORING STATION 1: 

 
Deep Lagoon Preserve

In January of 2006, $131,250 was granted from the Florida Deparment of Agriculture through the Emergency Hurricane Supplemental Urban and Community Forestry grant program.  With matching funds from the Conservation 20/20 management funds, the project was started in June 2006.  The project is focusing on the removal of Australian pine and melaleuca, along with other invasive exotic plants found in the project area.  There are three phases of the project which include the following methods: excavator, hand felling and herbicide treatments.  This site is and extremely tricky one because equipment had to be barged to the northern portions of the Preserve along the river.  Projected time of completion for all phases is May 2007 with re-treatments and 6 months, 1 year and then as necessary.  Look for the work as you drive down McGregor Blvd. on the north side just south Deep Lagoon Marina.  Staff has been excited to see dozens of birds already taking advantage the newly open areas that were once choked with exotics.

The northern peninsula & pasture areas - before exotic removal - 2004
 

Four years after exotic plant removal - 2010 (north of McGregor Blvd.)