Many residents and visitors have contacted Village staff to find out why Australian pines along the Rickenbacker Causeway are being removed. Officials at the Miami-Dade County Department of Public Works, Causeway Division, responded to a request for information by Village Manager Genaro "Chip" Iglesias on September 22, 2009.
The following was excerpted from the County response:
"The existing beach facilities on Hobie Island and Virginia Key Beach have experienced minor to heavy erosion, thereby reducing the beach width and potentially undermining roadways and parking area. Additionally, the subject shorelines were severely impacted by the extremely active 2005 hurricane season, causing erosion and associated recreational area damage. The current beach area is ... subject to continued erosion due to the ability of vehicles to be driven along both the sandy shore areas and the uplands.
The Australian Pines along the shoreline contributed to the beach erosion as these trees are not capable of retaining and trapping sand, due to the size of its roots. Furthermore, the shallow root systems make the trees susceptible to toppling during storms ... The ground below Australian Pine trees becomes ecologically sterile and lacking in food value for native wildlife ... Due to its invasiveness and other undesirable characteristics, Australian Pine has been banned from cultivation throughout Florida...
The removal of the pines with the concurrent placement of beach fill and salt-resistant vegetation would not only mitigate the erosion, but also rid the community of an invasive species capable of perpetual shoreline degradation.
The scope of work for the Rickenbacker Causeway Shoreline and Roadway Protection project includes three components:
- shoreline stabilization
- stormwater management and parking improvements
- exotic, invasive vegetation removal and landscaping of upland area with native species.
The Rickenbacker Causeway Shoreline and Roadway Protection Project will provide significant public benefits to the community. This is a beach improvement and at the same time shoreline stabilization project that will prevent further erosion from undermining the roadway along the Rickenbacker Causeway. The existing Australian Pines will be removed in a phased
approach which will correspond to the parking improvements and construction phasing. Native canopy trees, palms, and shrubberies will
be planted as follows:
a. Trees: Silver Buttonwood, Gumbo Limbo, Sea Grape, White Mangrove, Wild
Tamarind, Orange Geiger, Jamaican Dogwood
b. Palms: Kethatch Palm, Sabal Palm, Coconut Palms
c. Shrubs: Red Tip Cocoplum, Sea Grape
d. Groundcovers: Railroad Vine, Saltmeadows Cordgrass, Sea Oats,
Pensacola Bahia"
For more information, please contact:
James Martincak, PWD Superintendent
Miami-Dade County, Public Works Department - Causeways Division
4299 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne - Florida 33149
Office (305) 361-2833
Fax (305) 361-5338
www.miamidade.gov
