City officials lambasted over canal cleanup
It is agreed that debris cleanup following Hurricane Ian is an important part of making things whole again in Cape Coral.
In recent weeks, though, some Cape residents and environmentalists have criticized the way city contractors have removed vegetation debris along canal shorelines.
City Council heard those concerns Wednesday when those residents used public input time to voice their concerns and show photos depicting mass amounts of greenery being removed, resulting in barren shorelines in the Ceitus and Embers Parkway areas. Wildlife advocates, especially, are concerned with the proximity of crews to the habitats of protected species such as the burrowing owl, gopher tortoise, and many birds.
“Hurricane Ian destroyed so much foliage, so many trees — Cape Coral has the least amount of green space of probably any city in Florida, and here they are raping 400 miles of canal banks of foliage and trees,” said Cape resident Lori Haus-Bulcock, who spoke and shared photos of work that had recently been performed along canal shorelines. “What do they think is going to live here anymore? Cape Coral has become ‘pave paradise and put up a parking lot.'”
A large contingent representing non-profit Cape Coal Friends of Wildlife spoke at the meeting. They feel the current operation of debris collection has seen an over-removal of vegetation that they say has disturbed and destroyed wildlife habitats, resulted in an unprotected shoreline, and has lowered quality of life for property owners. They are also worried that what they called over-removal could correlate with how contractors are compensated, which the city has said is by cubic yard.
CCFW board member and Friends of Wildlife Trust President Cheryl Anderson said it is the group’s mission, and they will fight tooth and nail, to protect all wildlife species in the city.
“The city has sent us the permits they received from the Army Corps and the (Department of Environmental Protection) — and they all specify clearly it’s for removing hurricane debris, it says nothing about live vegetation,” Anderson said to City Council. “It says nothing about stripping the banks — it says hurricane debris. And we all know what that is, we picked up lots of debris following the storm. I did. You did. It’s dead branches and leaves, that’s not what we’re seeing being picked up.”
She added while there are lots of owl and tortoise burrows marked, there are a many that are unmarked, as these species relocate to look for food and shelter. Additional concerns are that next week starts nesting season for the burrowing owl.
On the topic of erosion, Anderson said, “A lot of these homes were safe from flooding by the plants and the roots, and the vegetation that was on the banks of these canals. Now, that’s been eliminated.”
Anderson worries that the first big rain following this work will see silt, soil, and runoff enter the canal.
“Then what happens? We have to get it dredged. And that’s what you should be using in the first place — you should have a barge to remove this debris. And now you’re going to have to dredge these canals because all of that soil is going to go back in the water.
“I’ll say what I said while I sat in a Category 4 hurricane at my friends’ house; ‘Make this stop. Please, make this stop.'”
Resident and CCFW member Dan Carney said his concern is what he called the lack of activity on the part of the city of oversee the process.
“I think it’s really important for all the citizens of Cape Coral to maintain whatever wildlife we’ve got. It’s precious,” he said. “A lot are either endangered or threatened. I just don’t understand how this kind of program can be put in place with no accountability, and it’s up to the citizens that live there to come to (Council) and tell you what’s going on in your own city and own neighborhood.”
Carney said the work being done has damaged not just the wildlife that live there, but the opportunity for visitors to come and explore and enjoy these special creatures and waterways that Cape Coral has to offer.
“We’re destroying the very reason people come here,” Carney said.
CCFW past president Pascha Donaldson said she’s spent the last four days out where the crews (Tetra Tech and Ceres Environmental) were working, and was told they should not discuss any happenings with her.
“Some of the issues I have is — those people who are walking the field that so- called are qualified from Tetra Tech to identify wildlife — do they know what an indigo snake is? Do they know what a gopher tortoise burrow looks like when it’s only 3 inches wide as opposed to a huge burrow? The answer given to me was yes in this one incident. The person grew up here in Cape Coral and is familiar with it. Lots of people grew up in Cape Coral, but they’re not familiar with it. They’re not certified. They’re not trained.
“The people out in the field — I don’t understand why they weren’t trained from the beginning. We’re into February, this started in November. I don’t understand why Fish and Wildlife weren’t consulted.”
Donaldson shared her frustration that if a crew needs to get to one piece of debris that may be hanging over the water, they have to remove anything in their way.
“It’s unnecessary,” she said. “I’ve been out there. I’ve witnessed it. I saw rabbits running into the street getting killed. I’ve seen dead snakes on the road. This is changing the ecology of our waterways; the most precious thing we have here in Cape Coral. We’re approaching and in nesting season for our real snowbirds that come down here to have their babies. What’s going on?”
City staff responds
Following the public criticism, Public Works Director Michael Ilczyszyn and Solid Waste Manager Terry Schweitzer addressed the topic, and thanked CCFW for what they do for the community.
“I committed to (Donaldson) that I would go out in the field, I would speak to debris contractors, I would speak to debris monitors and observe crews, and I’ve done that,” Ilczyszyn said. “Terry and I have both looked at ways to improve what we’re doing, and we’re continuing to do that.
“The task that Terry and I have, is to deal in fact, and to deal in the regulatory scope that we have.”
Ilczyszyn said he understands that residents have indicated that green vegetation is being removed, which he doesn’t dispute. “I’ve seen it. I’ve been there. I’ve observed it. It’s unfortunately part of the recovery efforts,” he said.
Ilczyszyn added that damaged trees can still have green branches and leaves for up to 6 months despite the inevitability it will die.
The city’s Army Corps permit states that crews have to cut a damaged tree at the root, and then stand it back up on the canal in order to prevent erosion. They are not allowed to remove in its entirety. Ilczyszyn said they basically chainsaw it at the waterline and then use a bucket to peel it back and fold it back into place. If there’s other vegetation in the way of that machinery getting to the canal bank or to that fallen debris in the canal, crews are required by the permit to basically cut their way into it.
“They are authorized to remove that green stuff to get to it,” Ilczyszyn said. “It’s part of the process. It’s not perfect.”
Ilczyszyn said there are independent monitors on-site with each crew to make sure they’re not being “overly aggressive” and clearing properties, and are looking out for endangered species such as burrowing owls and gopher tortoise.
“Debris monitors, their job is to make sure it’s not that free-for-all that is being described,” Ilczyszyn said. “They verify the stuff being taken out is eligible. They have no incentive to take out more than what is required.”
City officials this past week met with the National Resource Conservation Society to do a field tour. The NRCS said these areas would be eligible for shoreline restoration such as plantings.
“The problem that we’re going to have is (the NRCS) told us in those same meetings, they have no funding available to even help us,” Ilczyszyn said
Ilczyszyn said he and Schweitzer this week also reviewed policies for the monitors and contractors performing work. He said there is no guideline that states an ecologist must be on-site. Ilczyszyn said they are setting up a training for all contractors to give them additional knowledge on what to look for in addition to pamphlets they received earlier.
This week, city officials have also asked contractors that when they do find a burrow that is unmarked, to report it to the city so it can be added to the database.
Schweitzer added, “We are not doing land clearing on behalf of any future growth or contractors’ behalf. Part of that misconception comes from the way we have to approach it from land-based removal operations. We have to travel from the roadway down the easement to the back of the lot, and then work on the back easement of the lot. So there is some removal of vegetation that is incidental to the actual removal of the vegetation debris.”
Schweitzer said there have been instances during the removal process where wildlife were identified, and work was stopped until a best practice method could be found, or left alone. He said some pre-work is done before a site is worked on to look for possible habitats.
City Council responds
District 7 Councilmember Jessica Cosden said, “Something about this just isn’t right to me. I think we can do more. I don’t know how. Maybe reconsider the contracts that we have? What I’m hearing doesn’t match what people are seeing and sending me — videos and pictures and descriptions, it doesn’t match. I don’t know if we need to monitor the monitors (or) reconsider who is doing this. For the city that just had an event featuring the burrowing owl, I just don’t think we’re doing enough.”
District 2 Councilmember Dan Sheppard said, “It seems to me there’s no intent of malice. I think staff respects wildlife as well, and it seems to be that they’re going to do what they can to improve. I think staff is responding well and are making every effort to improve the process.”
Mayor John Gunter said, “For me, I want to make sure that we police ourselves to make sure that we are working within the confines of the specified permit. I think that’s our responsibility as a city to make sure that happens — whether it’s Tetra Tech or the subcontractors that do that removal — it still falls upon us to make sure that they are doing what they’re supposed to do. It sounds like we are, but I want to make sure we’re dotting our Is and crossing our Ts.”
Councilmember Bill Steinke inquired if there would be a way to drag a large piece of vegetation debris over healthy debris instead of clearing everything out to get to it.
“(The crews perform) I guess the most time-efficient and cost-effective way that they can get it,” Schweitzer said. “Yes, they are paid by the cubic yard of anything they remove, but if they have to do something to get to the canopy (and) they’ve got to remove more vegetation to get to it, that’s what they’ll have to do.”
CCFW officials said they are looking into any potential environmental legal action pertaining to the work.
The Breeze did confirm with Florida Fish and Wildlife that they are looking into the sites.
Debris removal being done is part of the FEMA reimbursement program.
To report a burrowing owl or gopher tortoise burrow, residents can call 311.
— Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj