Save Our Pines recently had a picnic at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park to celebrate the first anniversary of the Australian pines being saved.
On March 19, 2008, state Rep. Ron Saunders and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection reached an agreement with Save Our Pines allowing the Australian Pines to remain at Fort Taylor. DEP has a policy of eradicating all Australian pines. At the urging of Save Our Pines, Rep. Saunders filed legislation that would have prevented them from doing so at Fort Zach.
Faced with pending legislation, the DEP negotiated a memorandum of understanding stating the pines would only be removed if they died, were lost in a storm or were a safety hazard. Also agreed upon a year ago were annual maintenance of the pines and the removal of calcium compounds and other unnatural overburden from the pine roots.
In the view of Save Our Pines, a new era has dawned in the park. The pines are saved. Preservation policies are in place. A new park manager, David Foster, has been appointed and is effectively implementing the new policies, as well as making the park an especially pleasant place to visit.
So, should Save Our Pines cease to exist? Not just yet. We wish to maintain a vigilance that will ensure that the pines are properly cared for by occasionally having a forestry consultant inspect. There will be effects from hurricanes, and likely new overburden to be removed. And we want to encourage the use of the park. Therefore, Save Our Pines continues with a small monitoring operation.
At our first annual picnic, we launched our Adopt a Pine program. This allows the "adoption" of a pine or pines by individuals for a small donation (suggested $25 per pine). The person wishing to adopt a specific pine needs only to select the pine and let us know its identifying number (small metal plate at eye level), and mail us your donation. Or we will select a pine for you. ...
For more information visit SaveOurPines.com.
Helen Harrison
Key West
