Coastal dune lake advisory board asks BCC to approve $100,000 for invasive-plant control

The Walton County Coastal Dune Lake Advisory Board voted to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners use $100,000 from the county's Coastal Dune Lake fund to restart a program to control invasive exotic plants, including phragmites, around multiple coastal dune lakes.

The recommendation followed a staff explanation that prior RESTORE grant funding for treatments has ended and that county funds previously set aside remain available for projects. Melinda, staff member, said, "I would like to request through the Board of County Commissioners to utilize a hundred thousand dollars to do up this program." She described the amount as likely sufficient for one to two years of treatment based on earlier projects.

The request was moved and passed by the advisory board: after discussion, the chair asked, "All in favor? Alright. Any opposed? Passes." The board did not record an individual tally in the meeting transcript.

Why it matters: phragmites and other aggressive species can expand rapidly and alter vegetation, hydrology and wildlife habitat in the county's coastal dune lakes. The advisory board said earlier RESTORE-funded work treated at least 13 lakes and that management, rather than eradication, is the expected outcome.

Staff clarified funding context. Melinda said the county receives $100,000 annually to the Coastal Dune Lake fund and has been permitted to let those allocations accumulate when projects were not active; she said the account had previously approached about $500,000 but that large past projects (including a 2018 environmental assessment) used significant sums. She also noted the fund has been used for outreach such as mailers; a recent mail-out program typically involved more than 1,500 mailings and printing costs.

Discussion items the board raised included the duration of control efforts, the inevitability of continued maintenance, and the need to identify additional funding sources. A board member noted the upcoming 6 Rivers CISMA meeting would include discussion of phragmites control.

Next steps: staff said they would move the recommendation forward to the Board of County Commissioners for formal consideration and procurement if the BCC approves. The advisory board recorded the recommendation as an approved action and the staff will "get that moving through the process in the system," Melinda said.

The advisory board also discussed making outreach and educational materials available to support any program, and noted potential partnerships with organizations such as the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance for on-the-ground work.