Residents of Island Park, Hidden Harbor, Terra Verde and other neighborhoods told the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 4 that wholesale clearing of mangrove vegetation proposed in a South 10 Mile Canal maintenance plan risks harming habitat and may not reduce storm‑surge flooding.

Multiple speakers urged a phased, data‑driven approach: vertical trimming at the waterline and removal of invasive species, followed by measured monitoring and targeted channel cuts at the north and south ends of the island if modeling shows additional work is needed. "Nowhere in the report, nowhere, did it recommend complete removal of the mangrove island or full clearing along the canal edges," one resident said. Another told the board the Johnson Engineering modeling showed targeted channel cuts could lower water‑surface elevation by about 0.7 feet for rainfall events.

Why this matters: Speakers described the island as a natural barrier that provides storm‑surge and wind buffering, and as habitat for birds. They warned that wholesale removal could destabilize the island and create downstream sedimentation that would narrow the canal and worsen flooding. Several residents asked the county to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to phase work so that effects can be measured before further clearing.

What commissioners heard: Comments emphasized two distinctions: measures that improve tidal exchange and rainfall drainage (where engineering models indicate measurable benefit) versus storm‑surge events caused by hurricanes (where, speakers and staff said, channel alterations alone cannot eliminate surge impacts). The engineering team has described modeled benefits for vertical trimming and two selective channel cuts; residents asked the county to implement those steps first and then reassess.

Next steps and concerns: Residents requested that the county pursue a cautious sequence of work (vertical trim, selective channel cuts, post‑work monitoring), confirm environmental permitting needs, and publish data from post‑trim monitoring before any wholesale vegetation removal. Several speakers said they supported flood mitigation but opposed the current scope of vegetation removal in the contract, calling for a narrower, measured scope.

From the meeting: "Removing the vegetation will not measurably improve the water flow because you're not widening the canal," a neighborhood representative said during public comment. Other speakers asked for a second flow channel at the island's north and south ends and for a thorough permitting review.

The board did not take a final vote on changing the scope during the meeting; commissioners asked staff to continue work and hear these public concerns as the project moves forward.