Seven Islands Mangrove Restoration Begins — Because Apparently We’re Undoing the Landscaping Now

Cape Coral’s Seven Islands project is entering a new phase.

Not construction.

Not demolition.

Not another hearing.

Restoration.

Gulf Coast News reported that stabilization work is beginning at the Seven Islands property in preparation for replanting mangroves that were removed earlier this summer. 

So after a couple months of:

“Those mangroves weren’t supposed to come out.”

we have officially reached:

“Okay, put them back.”

How We Got Here

Back in June, the Cape Coral Breeze reported that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stopped shoreline clearing at the Seven Islands property after protected red mangroves were removed. The developer said the contractor had been authorized to remove invasive species such as Australian pine and Brazilian pepper, but mangroves were mistakenly removed in the process. 

Cape Coral resident and geologist David Scott told the Breeze that more than 570 feet of mangrove shoreline had been disturbed. 

That is a fairly ambitious “oops.”

Most people accidentally take out:

• the wrong shrub
• a sprinkler head
• maybe half the flower bed

This apparently involved hundreds of feet of protected shoreline vegetation.

The Developer Says It Was an Accident

Gulf Gateway Resort & Marina LLC said in a statement published by the Cape Coral Breeze that protecting the mangroves had been a central part of the Seven Islands planning process and that the removal was inadvertent. 

The developer said the contractor was supposed to remove only non-native invasive vegetation.

Which gives us the Cape Crazy landscaping conversation:

Supervisor:

“Remove the invasive plants.”

Contractor:

“Got it.”

Later:

“Why are the mangroves gone?”

Contractor:

“Define invasive.”

Now Comes the Restoration

According to Gulf Coast News, the next step is stabilization work designed to prepare the shoreline for mangrove replanting. The broader project is intended to create mangrove islands, oyster reefs and other habitat features that can improve water quality and support wildlife. 

The developer previously said restoration plans had been submitted to the South Florida Water Management Districtand the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and that replacement mangroves and restoration materials had already been located. 

So we have progressed from:

remove vegetation

to

stop work

to

write restoration plan

to

stabilize shoreline

to

replant vegetation

This may be the longest possible route to getting mangroves exactly where they started.

Seven Islands Has Bigger Plans

The Seven Islands property is not exactly a minor development.

The City of Cape Coral describes it as roughly 48 acres, including seven islands and adjoining properties along the North Spreader Waterway. 

Earlier reporting on the project described plans for a major mixed-use waterfront destination with residences, a hotel, marina, dining, retail and public amenities. 

Which means environmental issues here matter.

This isn’t somebody clearing brush behind a shed.

It’s a large waterfront development sitting next to sensitive habitat.

Mangroves Are Not Decorative Shrubs

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection describes mangroves as native coastal vegetation adapted to salty environments. They provide important shoreline and habitat functions. 

They are also regulated.

Which is why:

“We’ll just put some new ones back”

is not quite the same thing as replacing a dead hibiscus at Home Depot.

Restoration involves agencies, permits, shoreline stabilization and actual environmental planning.

Cape Crazy Translation

Developer:

“We’re protecting the mangroves.”

Contractor:

“We removed the mangroves.”

Regulators:

“Stop.”

Developer:

“That was not the plan.”

Regulators:

“Correct.”

Developer:

“We’ll restore them.”

Mangroves:

“We would have preferred option one.”

The Serious Part

The restoration work is good news.

Mistakes happen on large construction projects, but when protected habitat is damaged, the important question is what happens next.

In this case, regulators stopped the clearing, restoration plans were developed, and shoreline stabilization and replanting are now moving forward. 

That does not erase what happened.

But fixing the damage is better than pretending it didn’t happen.

And if the restoration ultimately improves shoreline habitat with mangroves, oyster reefs and other features, Seven Islands may eventually end up with a stronger environmental plan than it had before.

Still, the whole sequence is undeniably Cape Crazy:

Remove protected mangroves.

Get stopped by federal regulators.

Then launch a project to put mangroves back.

That qualifies.

IS THIS CRAZY OR NOT?

Mangroves were mistakenly removed at Cape Coral’s Seven Islands development.

Now crews are beginning stabilization work so the shoreline can be restored and replanted.

Crazy mistake with a responsible fix?

Or just an extremely expensive way to learn which plants not to remove?

Tap an icon to vote.