Maintenance

Numerous wetlands received an elevated level of maintenance associated with areas that were planted with native species (mitigation). These areas were maintained regularly to exclude nuisance species until natives became established as part of the development order. This allowed Schroeder Manatee Ranch to construct the development you reside in. Maintenance was more frequent in these particular conservation areas until their acceptance by Manatee County. All-District mitigation areas have been released from formal ongoing maintenance requirements. However, since they must retain their native functions in perpetuity, the districts continue to maintain them as necessary.

As stated earlier Lakewood Ranch is governed by Manatee County's Land Development Code section 719 Wetland Protection which states:

719.7.2 Prohibited activities in wetland buffers at the minimum should include the removal or other disturbance of any earth, trees, shrubbery, and other plants.
Lakewood Ranch CDD, in efforts to remain, good environmental stewards, recognize the need to remove nuisance and exotic species within these conservation areas. Manatee County's Land Development does allow hand removal of nuisance and exotics by the District.
719.7.3 (e) Allowable activities in wetland buffers: the removal of nuisance or exotic plant species, such as Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, or Melaleuca, or noxious endemic vegetation such as poison ivy from wetland buffer.
Any disturbance of the conservation areas by anyone other than Lakewood Ranch staff or District selected environmental contractors will be considered a Manatee County violation and could result in fines. Homeowners are allowed to maintain to the extent of their property boundaries if conservation areas begin to encroach.

Objectives

The goal of Lakewood Ranch District operations and maintenance department is to remove as many exotics as our resources allow during the current fiscal year. This includes some monies budgeted for outside qualified contractors to perform exotic control in these conservation areas. With available resources, our objectives include:

Communicate to residents prior to performing exotic plant control/removal in their respective neighborhoods.
Focus resources on control of exotic plant species behind residential homes.
Maintain conservation areas within their jurisdictional boundaries. Typically not going further than approximately 3 feet into the conservation areas for exotic control.
Utilize available resources among the Districts as equitably as possible.

Preserve Maintenance