Cherrylake Wilderness Preserve

Hendry County, Florida

EcoGENESIS is bringing the firm’s depth of experience with large-scale ecological restoration/mitigation banking to bear in the execution of this project involving permitting and regulatory liaison services for a +1300 acre, multi-phased mitigation bank in Hendry County, Florida.  The bank will be converting citrus grove back into historically occurring wetland habitats such as hydric pine flatwoods, wet prairie, freshwater marsh, pond cypress, and mixed hardwood wetlands.  EcoGENESIS assumed project management to achieve effective results and resolve outstanding regulatory issues.  We successfully completed the Florida State permitting process with the South Florida Water Management District, with issuance of the state Surface Water and Environmental Resource Permit (SWERP) in February of 2020.   Completion of permitting required the writing of long-term and listed species management plans for construction, as the site is currently home to a Florida panther family, many listed wading bird species, and within the range of a female Florida black bear.

The site is ideally situated, being surrounded by Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) directly to the south, and other wetland and panther mitigation lands on the north, west and east.  Restoration of Panther Grove will result in a large complex of restored private and publicly-owned lands providing crucial habitat for endangered species such as the Florida Panther, bonneted bat and wood ibis.  The project will result in hydrologic re-connection to Big Cypress NP, and restored surficial  ground-water tables.

EcoGENESIS is also acting as the authorized agent on behalf of the client in negotiation with the USACE and IRT agencies to complete the Federal MBI permitting process, with a draft instrument currently in development and on-going coordination with the USACE.  EcoGENESIS evaluated the original design and instituted several significant changes and modifications that resulted in completion of the SFWMD process and positive movement forward in the Federal process.  Additionally, ecoGENESIS is partnering with E Sciences, Inc. engineers to verify hydrologic restoration targets and perform hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for Federal permitting purposes.

EcoGENESIS is working hand-in-hand with the client, IMG Enterprises,  to begin implementation.  Cherrylake Tree Farms in Central Florida, part of the IMG Enterprises agro-businesss family,  is a premier provider of horticultural products, and will be providing high-quality, root-enhanced grown stock for the restoration effort.  Cherrylake also provides donated tree stock for large-scale restoration efforts of publicly or NGO-owned conservation lands through their 1000 trees initiative.  We are proud to partner with such a visionary and progressive client in bringing the Cherrylake Wilderness Preserve to fruition.