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HomeMy WebLinkAboutG Diamond Sands Restoration & Maintenance Plan Diamond Sands Restoration&Maintenance Plan Prepared for: St Lucie County Prepared by: 4k Advanced Restoration Ecology 2593 NE Roberta St Jensen Beach,FL 34958 ©ARE, Inc. April 2021 Introduction The Diamond Sands restoration includes a mangrove restoration in four separate areas and multiple dry retention planting areas. This plan will include replanting, maintenance and monitoring. The project is located at the Diamond Sands community on Hutchinson Island. The vegetative strategy for the planting areas includes the planting of native species in order to help stabilize the communities potential for erosion and enhance the rip rap shoreline with mangroves. Restoration Area The restoration activity proposed will incorporate four separate mangrove planting areas and six separate upland grass planting areas. Exotic removal maintenance will be and ongoing event. Proposed Work Plan After approval of the proposed restoration plan, the Home Owners Association(HOA) will initiate restoration activities associated with the proposed planting areas. The applicant will plant the restoration area and establish one (1) sampling station at each. Annual monitoring and data collection will be included during the ongoing maintenance events. After submission of the initial report, the County will be invited to inspect the restoration area. Restoration Planting The restoration areas will be kept free of exotic vegetation. Planting efforts will reflect native species found on the approves landscape plans, any variation due to lack of availability will be approved prior to planting. The vegetative success criteria for the restoration areas include the goal for 80 percent coverage of desirable vegetation in the designated planting areas and within twelve (12)months, aerial coverage of exotic vegetation at zero percent, and nuisance vegetation limited to 5 percent or less within the restoration areas. Replanting of the area will be evaluated after one year (12 months). The quantities listed below are for the approximant restoration planting area. The actual planting quantities may vary depending on the size and nature of the area to be planted. Final planting quantities will be submitted to the County,please note species selection will be based on availability. County after completion of the planting but prior to County inspection. The proposed planting is as follows: Dimond Sands Restoration Planting List Common Name Scientific Name Size Quantity Red Mangrove Rhizophora mangle 7gal 80 Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris Igal 2148 Dwarf Fakahatchee Tripsacum Floricanum Igal 1184 Success Criteria The vegetative success criteria for the restoration areas include the goal for 80 percent coverage of desirable vegetation within twelve (12) months, and aerial coverage of exotic vegetation at zero percent, and nuisance vegetation limited to 5 percent or less within the restoration areas only. If, after twelve (12) months the parcel has not achieved desired coverage requirements, supplemental plantings will be completed. Supplemental plantings, (if any) will be noted in the monitoring report. Maintenance In order to ensure continued viability of the resources maintenance activities in the form of exotic and nuisance plant species removal and monitoring in order to measure success criteria shall occur in the restoration areas only. Initial removal and maintenance of exotic/nuisance plant and animal species is a critical component of the restoration activities within the restoration area. Exotic/nuisance plant species will be controlled by physical and chemical means in addition to various land management practices. Maintenance activities will be perpetual. Restoration Monitoring The restoration monitoring plan includes photo stations and data collection stations established at each planting area. A total of one (1) data/photo collection station will be established along each planting area. At the station vegetative data will be collected as outlined below. The data station will also include a 'panoramic" photo stations in order to visually document vegetative coverage and conditions in the preservation area. Vegetative coverage will be documented at each of the data collection stations in the Monitoring Plan. The vegetative coverage will be measured as absolute coverage within each planting area. The vegetation will be measured in percent coverage of the restoration areas vegetation. The total percent cover will not exceed 100 percent, and each species documented will be reported in both common and Latin names. The coverage will be measured by visual observation in each of four quadrants from the fixed monitoring point. Observations will extend approximately twenty five (25) feet from the observer in each direction thus covering each planting area. The data from each quadrant observation will be combined to calculate the vegetative coverage. Station locations will be permanently marked with PVC pipe to ensure consistency in data collection. At least one (1)photo will be collected from compass points at each of the established photo stations to provide documentation of vegetative coverage. In addition to vegetative coverage documentation, any observed wildlife utilization, or indicators of wildlife (i.e. tracks, scat, etc.)will be noted. The monitoring will be conducted on an annual basis based on the schedule below. The data will be collected into one report that will be provided on an annual basis for two (2) years so that maintenance activity can be closely tracked. The reports provided will include a discussion and conclusion regarding progress towards the achievement of the success criteria as per the permit. If restoration goals are not met extended monitoring may be needed. Monitoring/Maintenance Work Schedule The schedule for conducting the proposed monitoring and maintenance is based on the date of notice to proceed from the appropriate agencies. The following schedule is proposed, with specific dates based upon receipt of notice to proceed. Activity Months after Notice to Proceed Complete planting of proposed restoration area 1 month County inspection of proposed restoration area 1 month Conduct Time Zero Monitoring 1 month Conduct exotic removal within restoration area On-going maintenance First Annual Monitoring Report and Baseline + 12 months Coverage Evaluation Second Annual Monitoring Report and Baseline+24 Months Coverage evaluation