Volunteer-created native-plant list presented; board discusses accessibility and next steps

A volunteer prepared and presented a native-plant list for the Walton County Coastal Dune Lake Protection Zone, and advisory board members discussed how to make it a usable public resource.

Michelle, community volunteer, presented the list and stressed the importance of using native species specific to Walton County to protect coastal dune lake ecosystems. She told the board, "the protection of our rare coastal dune lakes begins with planting native species in the Coastal Dune Lake Protection Zone."

Staff said the list is a useful reference but raised a practical concern: some species on a native list are difficult to obtain from local nurseries. Melinda, staff member, suggested staff could work with the planning department and local nurseries to make the list publicly accessible, add it to county letterhead and the county website, and consider future inclusion in the land development code as a reference. She proposed that the document remain a working list and that staff could cross-reference species with local nursery availability.

Board members supplied corrections and additions during the meeting. One board member noted, "There's a couple non natives on here," identifying specific examples (Clinopodium georgianum, vitex under trees, confederate jasmine) and suggested additional native species be added (e.g., mountain azalea, pineland milkweed) to support pollinators.

Staff and board discussed partnering with the University of Florida extension and Sea Grant resources to supply accurate, regionally appropriate plant recommendations; Melinda noted extension tools and apps that allow users to query native plants by ZIP code. The board did not take formal regulatory action on the list during the meeting but asked staff to make the list readily available to the public and to pursue nursery coordination and outreach.

Next steps: staff will explore posting the list on the county's Coastal Dune Lakes resource page, add extension and Sea Grant links, and accept edits from board members and extension agents to refine the list for public use.