| Smokehouse Bay Preserve is located near Bokeelia on the eastern side of Pine Island. Portions of this preserve were previously being used as a palm tree grove. Much of the rest of the preserve is a tidal swamp filled with mangroves and several exotic species.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus) has provided the funding for four substantial restoration projects focused on site number 315 of Smokehouse Bay Preserve. The first project which involved removal of the furrows left over from palm grove operations and leveling off the ground surface has already been completed. The next three projects involve replanting the field with native plants, treating all of the exotic plants on the site, and hydro-logic work dealing with the mosquito ditches running through the mangroves.
Smokehouse Bay Preserve is classified as a Category 4 Resource Protection & Restoration Preserve. As with all designated Category 4 preserves, if there is a public interest, staff may provide guided field trips when there are no safety concerns and it is compatible with protecting the animals and plant communities found at the specific preserve. |
