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The trees serve as coastal wildlife habitat and are protected under Florida law. But enforcement is not clear cut.
By LEON M. TUCKER
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 10, 2000
SAFETY HARBOR -- The view from Gregory Politis' front porch is awesome, with its picturesque view of Tampa Bay. To Politis, this is true waterfront living.
But the clear sight across Bayshore Boulevard came with a price: Politis hired a worker to cut a half-acre's worth of mangroves to a height of 6 feet. A quick glance shows, however, that many of the trees were trimmed under 5 feet.
"We trim them almost every year to 6 feet or so and I've been doing it for the last five years," Politis said. "We have the land and we pay taxes on it.
"We should be able to enjoy the view."
Pinellas County officials are reviewing the trimming. State law says the trees can be cut no lower than 6 feet. Violators face fines up to $500 per tree.
Politis declined to tell the Times who cut the trees. He concedes some may have been clipped too low and says he will talk to county environmental officials next week.
Workers who trim mangroves must be certified by Pinellas County.
"By no means does this mean I like to cut (them) all away," Politis said. "I'd rather have them trimmed nicely to the level of the requirement."
Mangroves are protected by state laws because they serve as a habitat and nursery ground for birds, fish and other wildlife along Florida's coast.
Under state law, landowners who trimmed their mangroves before 1997 can continue periodic trimmings without obtaining a state permit. Politis said he has been cutting the trees for the past five years. He will be required to show proof to the county.
Will Davis, director of the county's Department of Environmental Management, said there is considerable work involved in tracking who can trim without permits.
"Probably the biggest problem is the grandfathering business," said Davis. "Every time we go out to a piece of property, we have to do an awful lot or research to see if (homeowners) have any grandfathering rights under the old laws."
Davis said his office sees 12 to 15 cases of illegal mangrove trimmings each year.
"We go to great lengths to try to explain to people the value of these mangroves on these shore lines and try to accomplish giving them that view they want," Davis said. "In most cases we work something out."
In August, for example, the property owner at 951 and 953 S. Bayshore Blvd., less than one-third of a mile north of Politis' land, agreed to pay the county $10,000 after officials discovered she did not have a permit to cut down 8,250 square-feet of the protected trees.
The $10,000 collected from the Safety Harbor violator was placed in a tree bank trust fund, which the county uses to buy trees and restore damaged or illegally cut foliage. Davis said there is about $35,000 in that fund.
"It is disappointing to see these mangroves trimmed," Clark said. "Nevertheless, this is a state law and as long as homeowners are current with the rules and regulations, we need to focus our attention to the true violations that are occurring out there."
- Times reacher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.