Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City staff report mixed survival for North Beach plantings; committee asks staff to seek state guidance on irrigation
Summary
Urban Forestry said 76% of planted trees in the North Beach Beachwalk permit area currently survive (excluding vandalism); the committee asked staff to revisit state dune-vegetation irrigation restrictions with Florida agencies and return in September with updates.
City urban-forest staff reported updated counts for North Beach plantings and the committee asked staff to pursue state guidance about irrigation rules on dune plantings.
Lindsey Precht, deputy resilience officer, said a survey on April 23 showed 18 trees had recovered since a November 2024 survey while 14 previously-defoliated trees did not survive; three additional trees were vandalized and another palm not part of the planting program was dead and slated for removal.
"Overall, the project's updated tree survival rate ... is 76% survival rate to date for the trees closest to the beach walk," Precht said. The next evaluation is scheduled after the rainy season in June, staff said.
Commissioners pressed staff about irrigation. Capital Improvements Director David Gomez explained contractors had connected irrigation to park systems during the one-year establishment warranty period but that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) typically restricts permanent irrigation installations in dune areas.
"FDEP typically is very restrictive of the structures that you can install in the Dune system," Gomez said. Staff said they would re-consult the state on whether longer-term irrigation permits are feasible and would return to committee; commissioners asked the item stay in committee for further follow-up and requested an update in September when the state can respond and after a planned local tree pilot evaluation.
