The Titusville Environmental Commission meeting on January 10, 2024, focused on the proposed amendments to the landscape technical manual, particularly regarding the inclusion of native plant species. A key discussion point was the current list of 315 trees and plants, of which only 36% are native. This raised concerns among commission members about the ecological impact of excluding a significant number of native species.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that 86 native plants from the University of Florida's IFAS native keystone species list were not included in the amended landscape ordinance. This omission was described as a failure to fully incorporate the keystone species, which are essential for supporting local wildlife, including birds and insects. The speaker emphasized that if all keystone species were included, the percentage of native plants in the list would rise to 63%.

The Planning and Zoning (PNZ) board had previously recommended sending the landscape technical manual back to the Environmental Commission for further input, expressing a desire for a higher percentage of native plants. Suggestions were made to include incentives for developers to plant native species, although it was noted that such incentives were beyond the current project's scope.

Additionally, concerns were raised about the suitability of some proposed plants for the local hardiness zones, suggesting that certain species should be eliminated from the list. The meeting concluded with a call for further consideration of these recommendations to enhance the ecological integrity of Titusville's landscaping practices.