Save the Last Old-Growth Wetlands in Sarasota Bay

Save the last old-growth wetlands in Sarasota Bay! Ask the Army Corps of Engineers to deny Permit No. SAJ-2015-01503.

The developers behind Longbar Pointe’s “Sea Spray" are seeking approval from the United States Army Corps of Engineers to construct an 8- to 10-foot-high gabion wall (a wall made of large rocks inside wire cages) along the edge of these old-growth mangrove forests.

The permit application tells one story, claiming that the wall would reduce the need for extensive fill slopes and avoid impacts to nearby high-quality mangrove wetlands. However, the reality on the ground is very different, threatening some of the last high-quality old-growth mangrove forests in Sarasota Bay.

Save the last old-growth wetlands in Sarasota Bay! Ask the Army Corps of Engineers to deny Permit No. SAJ-2015-01503.

The developers behind Longbar Pointe’s “Sea Spray" are seeking approval from the United States Army Corps of Engineers to construct an 8- to 10-foot-high gabion wall (a wall made of large rocks inside wire cages) along the edge of these old-growth mangrove forests.

The permit application tells one story, claiming that the wall would reduce the need for extensive fill slopes and avoid impacts to nearby high-quality mangrove wetlands. However, the reality on the ground is very different, threatening some of the last high-quality old-growth mangrove forests in Sarasota Bay.

Contact the Army Corps of Engineers

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[INSERT DATE]

Edgar W. Garcia
Senior Project Manager
Tampa Permits Office
10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120 
Tampa, Florida 33610

Re: Permit No. SAJ-2015-01503

Dear Mr. Garcia,

I am writing to object to Permit Application No. SAJ-2015-01503 and respectfully request that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deny this permit. The proposed project is not in the public interest.  The project fails to protect the last remaining hydrologically intact coastal forested wetland mosaic on Sarasota Bay.  Furthermore, the project does not provide reasonable assurance that the adjacent wetlands, including high-quality, old-growth mangrove forest, will be protected from secondary impacts associated with development.  Finally, the proposed mitigation is not only inadequate to offset the direct destruction of these valuable wetland forests, but is also located in a different regional watershed in a non-adjacent county.

In addition to the direct impacts of building on top of freshwater forested wetlands, the permit proposes constructing a gabion wall approximately 15 feet from the forested wetland mosaic, the only remaining intact forested wetland system bordering Sarasota Bay, an Outstanding Florida Water. Scientific research has consistently shown that development within wetland buffer zones can reduce the protective functions of those buffers, alter hydrology, increase erosion and sedimentation, and ultimately diminish wetland health. A 15-foot separation between a hardened shoreline structure and sensitive wetland ecosystems is inadequate to protect these valuable natural resources.

This mosaic of freshwater forested wetlands and mangrove systems provides critical benefits to both the environment and the surrounding community. They serve as nursery habitat for recreationally and commercially important fish species, improve water quality by filtering pollutants, help protect shorelines and nearby properties from storm impacts, and store significant amounts of carbon. The long-term health of Sarasota Bay depends on maintaining these ecosystem services.

The applicant has not demonstrated that it has adequately avoided wetland impacts, minimized unavoidable impacts, or provided mitigation sufficient to compensate for the proposed loss of wetlands. Nor has the applicant provided reasonable assurance that the proposed gabion wall and substantially reduced buffer will prevent secondary impacts to the adjacent freshwater forested wetlands and the old-growth mangrove forest. Given the exceptional ecological value of these wetlands, their location adjacent to Sarasota Bay, an Outstanding Florida Water, and the absence of adequate protective measures, the Corps should deny this permit application. Approval should not be considered unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that the project will not cause adverse impacts to the remaining freshwater forested wetlands, the mangrove ecosystem, and the public resources and wildlife that depend on this unique coastal wetland mosaic.

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