According to a local resident near the Beach Theater on Estero Boulevard contractors were at this location on Sunday removing mangroves and digging the canal out. They were working in the mangroves until 11pm Sunday.
Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Manager Keith Wilkins told Beach Talk Radio that the town is citing the property owner for unpermitted mangrove removal and they are being reported to The Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The town is also pursuing damages to town property and trespassing.
The local resident who took these pictures says the work was being done by a company called Remove It Pros out of Bonita Springs. She estimated they removed about 12 dumpsters full of mangroves throughout the day Sunday.
Mangroves, which are protected by the state, are known to foster important habitats for fish and birds and are considered to be of great ecological importance, which is why they’re monitored closely by the DEP.
We have reached out to the owner of the property and hope to present his side of the story in a future newsletter.
Anyone who owns waterfront in Florida knows it is illegal to remove mangroves. Someone is taking advantage of this situation. I hope it turns out that it was permitted but Sunday work and 11:00 pm???
This apparent 1996 Mangrove Protection Act violation could prove costly to the property owner.
Mangroves have been a endangered species for decades as newbies grabbed for more parking, better views and bigger boat docks, considering them nothing more than intrusive bushes.
The state’s environmental protection agency has been a bad joke for all that time.
Why did folks only photograph and not cal Lee County Sheriff Dept…
Doing “illegal” work on a Sunday till 11pm? Sounds like the contractor knows when officials are not checking worksites. Everyone knows you just can’t remove mangroves.