Natural Resources Board details living shoreline, native landscaping and Sustainable Sebastian priorities; council accepts report

Natural Resources Board staff and members presented the board’s second annual report and outlined recent projects, partnerships and a five-year implementation focus for the Sustainable Sebastian action plan.

Felicia (Natural Resources Board staff) and Charles Stadelman, board chairman, described a living shoreline installation at Riverview Park in partnership with the Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA) and announced a buffered-shoreline planting event tied to the April Earth Day celebration. Felicia said the project combines shoreline armoring with planted buffers to reduce nutrient runoff into the lagoon.

The board also reported the completion of the Garden Club Park native landscaping project (planting completed March 18; mulching completed April 5) and said it had hosted two waterway cleanups and a first “air potato roundup” in partnership with Pelican Island Audubon Society to address invasive plant species.

Felicia summarized the board’s upcoming priorities for Sustainable Sebastian, including reducing single-use plastics on city property, reviving a champion-tree and historic-tree recognition program, improving native landscaping guidance, exploring low-impact development guidance for builders and residents, and piloting food-waste reduction education and partnerships.

Council accepted the Natural Resources Board’s annual report by roll-call vote; recorded votes were unanimous in favor. Staff said the board currently has seven regular members and two alternate vacancies and encouraged interested residents to apply.