Perico Preserve is a Manatee County jewel. But this gem wouldn’t have become a reality without the vision and determination of a few key individuals who captured the attention of and created opportunities for the citizens to make it a reality. In 2007, Manatee County purchased the property and, under the leadership and direction of the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, the Parks and Natural Resources Department began the process of restoring ecological function and making improvements to the site for passive public recreation. After an intense process involving numerous local partners, the Perico Preserve Restoration Project showcases the high-quality results that can be achieved when local leadership and restoration practitioners commit to implementing a state-of-the-art restoration plan.
The original historic habitats at Perico Preserve were a mixture of wetland and upland habitats including mangrove swamps, pine flatwoods and coastal scrub. It might be hard for a recent resident to appreciate such a habitat since so much of it has been lost to development. In documents that preceded the development of Perico Island, it is revealing how much was lost, including over 100 acres of grass flats. This kind of environmental loss highlights why preserving places like the Perico Preserve is so important.
Manatee County Parks and Recreation staff, led by Director Charlie Hunsicker and then-Division Manager for Ecological and Marine Resources Damon Moore, did extensive research on the historic nature of the site to determine restoration goals.
This coastal property provided all the necessities for early inhabitants of the area and there is evidence of a once-existing Native American mound. As the population of Manatee County grew, natural resources on the site provided timber and the once dense forest of pines was harvested. Farming began almost a century ago, intensified over time, and resulted in the loss of rich native plant and animal diversity.
Before 2007, the site was poised for development and sat fallow for nearly a decade, giving way to invasive exotic plant species. With the county’s acquisition and decision to restore the site for ecological values, water quality and recreational purposes, the landscape of Perico Preserve was put on a course back to its original state. A visit to this restored habitat will give you a taste of the real Florida and demonstrate why projects like this are so important to present and particularly future generations.
Bring a sense of wonder, but don’t bring your dog. The preserve was planned as a bird sanctuary and pets are not allowed in an effort to protect native birds.
To learn more about this special place consult the following links:
Nestled just off the edge of Perico Bayou, a slender body of water that connects Tampa Bay and Palma Sola Bay, Perico Preserve would appear to the unversed as an extension of the wetlands that rim Perico Island.
The island, and hence the preserve, were named after one of its earliest residents, Perico Pompon, a Cuban fisherman who operated a rancho on the island in the early 1840s. By the 1880s settlers had established numerous homesteads on the island. Those early settlers established fruit farms and grew oranges, pineapple and guava. The island was also home to a large fish camp.
Eventually, a wooden bridge (recreated at Robinson Preserve) was built to connect the island to the nearby community of Palma Sola. A post office was established on the island in 1891 and a hotel was built that offered boat excursions to take advantage of the area’s bounty of game and fish. In the early 1920s, a bridge was built that connected Perico and the mainland to Anna Maria Island. The new bridge increased traffic and tourism to Perico, which grew into a popular destination for tourists eager to explore the region.
Since the 1960s, Perico Island has been the setting of many legal battles between developers and residents who wish to maintain the natural resources of the island. One of those battles resulted in a compromise between the developers of Perico Island and Manatee County which led to the purchase of the property where the preserve sits.
The transformation of Perico Preserve from farmland to the beautiful mix of habitats that can be seen today is a story of recreating a coastal wetland that resembles historical Manatee County. A review of the 1970s-era environmental assessment of the impacts of future development (now in place) points to the importance of preserving as much land as possible.
Next week, I’ll talk about the transformation of farmlands to Perico Preserve and those responsible for this Manatee County jewel.
Robinson Preserve, from Perico Preserve, across Perico Bayou. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Pokeweed - Cindy Lane | Sun
Muhly grass - Cindy Lane | Sun
Lily pond at Perico Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Gopher tortoise, with bird nesting island in background - Cindy Lane | Sun
Estuary shallows - Cindy Lane | Sun
Camouflaged crab - Cindy Lane | Sun
Butterfly and bee - Cindy Lane | Sun
White egret - Cindy Lane | Sun
Saltbush - Cindy Lane | Sun
Pied-billed grebe - Cindy Lane | Sun
Mangrove - Cindy Lane | Sun
Mangrove butterfly - Cindy Lane | Sun
Perico Preserve is a former 176-acre farm that dated back to the 1930s. A vegetable stand operated into the 1970s at 11700 Manatee Ave. W., where the preserve entrance is located.
A 1.5-mile shell and boardwalk trail leads to a bird blind, designed for birdwatchers and photographers, a Monet-like pond, with water lilies and a bridge, and the bird rookery island, the main feature of the preserve.
Shaded swing benches overlook fresh and saltwater marshes. Dry uplands provide habitat for relocated gopher tortoises. Shady trails are comfortable for summer walkers.
From a boardwalk, visitors can see Robinson Preserve across Perico Bayou; the two preserves create a wildlife corridor for many species of animals and birds.
To protect wildlife, dogs are not allowed at Perico Preserve, and bicycles are limited to certain areas; both are allowed at Robinson Preserve.
BRADENTON – As duck hunters prepare for the opening of season on Nov. 23, they say they want to assure residents surrounding Perico, Neal and Robinson Preserves that they are not at risk.
Last season, and during this year’s early nine-day season in September, preserve neighbors complained to Manatee County commissioners about safety concerns after hearing gunshots at dawn and dusk.
“It ruffles my feathers,” said Polk County resident Travis Thompson, a waterfowl guide, charter fishing captain, host of a podcast and an occasional hunter at Perico Preserve.
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“I’m not going to shoot across their house, but I didn’t ask them to build their house there, either,” he said, pointing to increasing development as the problem at the root of what some call incompatible land uses.
“The contention we’re feeling is the development encroaching on wild places,” he said.
Coastal areas, including the perimeters of county preserves bordered by residential developments, attract ducks and duck hunters. But hunters who follow the rules are not placing residents at risk, Thompson said.
“There is some concern about a stray bullet hurting someone. I understand someone being scared when they hear gunfire. But waterfowl hunters are bound by law to steel shot, which loses its efficacy at 60 yards,” unlike a bullet from a rifle, he said. “On a migratory species, you are constrained to only having three shells in your gun.”
If hunters are not following the rules or are shooting over their homes, people should report them to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) or local law enforcement, he said.
“I understand that people who live near the water do not like to be woken by gunshots,” Tampa duck hunter Peter Arcuri agreed. “The thing is though, that even though they live close to the water, they do not own the water. The general public owns the water. Duck hunters are free to duck hunt on public water just as much as fishers are allowed to fish, jet skiers are allowed to jet ski, and so on and so forth. People have been duck hunting in these waters for years; long before houses and apartments were ever there. Someone could say, ‘Why can’t you just go someplace more secluded? Why do you have to hunt right next to a neighborhood?’ Trust me, all hunters would love to hunt someplace more secluded, but those places are getting more and more hard to come by in Florida. 1,000 people move to Florida a day and developers are doing all they can to develop every square inch of our state. People that move here and live on the water need to understand that duck hunting, as long as it’s done in a safe and legal manner, is something that will continue to take place on public water.”
Hunters also contribute to the survival of native duck species, Thompson said.
“Hunters love ducks more than anybody,” he said, adding that they must purchase state and federal stamps to hunt, which fund wildlife management efforts.
And hunters target feral mallard ducks in preserve areas, a non-native species that otherwise could take over the native mottled duck population, he said.
“A lot of hunters are in tune with the environment, and through their fees they pay for environmental work,” agreed Ann Paul, a biologist with Audubon’s Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries.
“We live in a much more highly, densely developed area than we ever have before, and I think local leaders need to take this up to make sure that people are safe while providing opportunities for hunters,” she said. “We need to find the right balance for today’s world.”
Thompson suggests that all who share coastal areas avoid “demonizing” each other.
“One-sixth of the year you might hear a gunshot at sunset,” he said. “Look at the grand scheme of things. That hunter’s family may have been hunting there for 50 years.”
The next duck season is Nov. 23 through Dec. 1, followed by Dec. 7 through Jan. 26, according to the FWC.
PERICO ISLAND – The early duck hunting season – nine days that ended Sept. 29 – revived concerns about the safety and peace of mind of residents in densely-populated Perico Island developments.
“One day, I noticed gunshots by Perico Apartments and Perico Bay Club to my west,” Perico Island resident Tom Hughes said. “There’s not a heck of a lot of space between my building and the water,” where hunters often are concealed.
“It makes me a little nervous,” he said.
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When Hughes lived in the Adirondacks, people sometimes were killed in hunting accidents, he recalled, adding that a friend’s dog was shot and killed by a bear hunter.
“I never hike during hunting season,” he said. “It’s perilous.”
Hiking is the main draw at Perico Preserve on Perico Bayou, Neal Preserve on the Intracoastal Waterway and Robinson Preserve on the Manatee River and Palma Sola Bay.
Nearby residents, including Hughes, complained last year to Manatee County commissioners that shotgun blasts at the preserves wake them at dawn, disturb their sunsets and upset people who have seen dead ducks fall from the sky.
The county’s environmental officials who oversee the preserves have no law enforcement powers to regulate hunting, according to Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and Bradenton Police Department officers have told Hunsicker’s staff and The Sun that they can do nothing to stop legal hunting at the preserves, even at Perico Preserve, designed to attract bird nesting.
Hunsicker suggests that hunters use Duette Preserve, a preserve that allows hunting in less-populated east Manatee County. Hunters say ducks don’t frequent Duette, preferring Perico, Neal and Robinson preserves, which are bordered by water.
“As they continue to develop this little area, out of necessity, if you’re going to be hunting, you’re going to be hunting closer and closer to human habitations,” Hughes said. “In the not-too-distant future, it’s going to be problematic.”
The next open duck season is Nov. 23 through Dec. 1, followed by Dec. 7 through Jan. 26, according to the FWC.
PERICO BAYOU – A film crew followed about 75 volunteers on the last day of National Estuaries Week Saturday as they worked in Perico Bayou, laying oyster shells collected by local restaurants for recycling.
The scenes are slated for a documentary, “Unfiltered: The Truth about Oysters,” which will spotlight the history of oysters from Chesapeake Bay to Apalachicola Bay, including farming efforts, research studies at Florida A&M University, Florida State University and the University of Florida, and the local Gulf Coast Oyster Recycle and Restoration Project.
Oyster shells from local Chiles Group restaurants are now in Perico Bayou, forming new oyster beds. – Manatee County | Submitted
The project, a partnership between START (Solutions To Avoid Red Tide), the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department and the Chiles Group restaurants, recycles oyster shells collected from restaurants, sun-cures them at Perico Preserve and “plants” them, creating new oyster habitats at Perico and Robinson Preserves.
The project is designed to clean area waters, decreasing nutrients that feed red tide and blue-green algae.
Oysters siphon water through their bodies to obtain food, cleaning the water by removing excess nutrients. With each oyster filtering up to 50 gallons of water per day, every acre of restored oyster reef filters nearly 40 million gallons of water each day, according to the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department.
“More oysters mean cleaner water, and cleaner water promotes more oysters,” Education Division Manager Aedan Stockdale said. “These oysters will provide food and habitat for fish, which will, in turn, attract a diversity of birds and other animals as well as provide recreational and commercial opportunities for people.”
Oysters are increasingly threatened, according to film producer Chucha Barber.
From left, Chucha Barber, Josh McLawhorn and Hope Childree are working on a film about oysters that will feature the Gulf Coast Oyster Recycle and Restoration Project in Manatee County. – Cindy Lane | Sun
“Oyster cultivation dates back hundreds of years,” she said. “The most consumed live animal in the world is now experiencing global decimation. When harvested, both the animals and the habitat (the shells) are removed from nature.”
Barber hopes the film will spread the oyster recycling idea nationwide.
“There isn’t anything like this in Apalachicola,” she said.
BRADENTON – Blue-green algae persists in Robinson and Perico Preserves, and has caused its first fish kill.
“Blue-green algae and brown algae have become pervasive in the Lower Manatee River, Perico Bayou and Perico Preserve, resulting in a modest fish kill, primarily mullet, as a result of heavy algae bloom concentrations,” according to the latest report from the Manatee County Environmental Protection Department.
Manatee County crews skimmed and contained floating blue-green algae mats near Robinson Preserve’s waterway connection to the Manatee River and directed it back into the river on an outgoing tide, according to a recent email update to county commissioners from Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources department.
From left, Will Robinson, for whose family Robinson Preserve is named, Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore and Congressional Rep. Vern Buchanan were among several officials at Robinson Preserve on Monday to see the algae bloom up close. Carol Whitmore | Submitted
“A floating turbidity boom, normally set in place to protect surface waters from turbidity and sedimentation, was deployed under the footbridge at that tidal connection to keep additional floating algae mats from coming back into the preserve on the incoming tides. This will not prevent all algae mats from entering the preserves from other Manatee River or Perico Bayou connection points, however, this will reduce the algae coverage in what the media has photographed to be the worst places where algae build-up has occurred,” according to Hunsicker.
“These efforts will have a positive effect on reducing the build-up of additional algae in the preserve and reduce, but not prevent, the accumulation of additional marine detritus which will continue to degrade at the bottom of many of Robinson’s internal waterways linked by tides to the outside bays and Manatee River,” according to Hunsicker.
Non-toxic algae blooms were detected in 18 water samples along the Manatee River in June, according to a Friday, June 28 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) report.
Parts of the river, and Robinson Preserve, which borders it to the south, are “experiencing a large bloom of the cyanobacteria species Aphanizomenon flos-aquae,” which so far has tested non-toxic, according to the report. No samples were taken off Anna Maria Island this week.
Red tide did not show up in any water samples in Manatee County last week, according to the Friday, June 28 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) report.
Filamentous cyanobacteria (Lyngbya-like) was first detected in Holmes Beach waters on Thursday, May 9 in Anna Maria Sound at Key Royale and in the Intracoastal Waterway south of Grassy Point, and in Palma Sola Bay near San Remo Shores.
The algae found in Manatee County waters are not the same species that has plagued Lake Okeechobee, the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa, according to DEP.
Blue-green algae can be blue, green, brown or red and emit a foul, rotten egg odor caused by the production of hydrogen sulfide gas, according to DEP, which advises staying out of water where algae are visible as specks, mats or water is discolored pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. Additionally, pets or livestock should not come into contact with the algal bloom-impacted water, or the algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline.
Even non-toxic blooms can harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water column and reducing the amount of light that reaches submerged plants, according to DEP.
The growth of blue-green algae typically increases in the spring and summer months when water temperatures and daylight hours increase.
To help keep algae growth at bay, Florida law bans the use of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers during the rainy season, June 1 through Sept. 30.
Report algae blooms to DEP at 855-305-3903. Report fish kills to FWC at 800-636-0511.
BRADENTON – Manatee County would have to petition the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to establish “no hunting” zones, according to a memo by County Attorney Mitchell Palmer.
Residents bordering Perico Preserve on Perico Bayou and Neal Preserve on the Intracoastal Waterway are among those who have recently complained to county commissioners that shotgun blasts from hunters disturb them, particularly at sunrise and sunset.
Hunters have countered that they are within their legal rights to hunt in those areas if they abide by the FWC’s hunting regulations.
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Commissioners asked Palmer to research the issue last month.
Manatee County no longer has any ordinances in place that restrict or regulate hunting; they were repealed in order to comply with Florida Statute §790.33, which gives the state sole authority to regulate firearms, including the discharge of firearms and the taking or possession of wildlife, according to Palmer’s Feb. 7 memo.
Only the FWC can establish a bird sanctuary, where hunting is prohibited, or a restricted hunting area, where hunting is prohibited unless authorized by an FWC permit, according to the memo.
The county can petition the FWC to establish such areas, and, if successful, would be responsible for posting the boundaries and enforcing the regulations.
FWC considers petitions for bird sanctuaries and restricted hunting areas at its July and January meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for July 17-18.
The repealed county ordinances formerly prohibited hunting – or the use of lights to facilitate hunting – on or from any highway, street or public road in the county, prohibited the discharge of firearms in certain areas west of U.S. 41 and regulated the use of shotguns for hunting in specified areas. Former ordinances also regulated concealed weapons permitting and the use of firearms at target practice ranges, according to the memo.
County ordinances continue to address hunting in Duette Preserve, where hunting is allowed, but any conflicts with the state’s hunting regulations are resolved by state law.
Duck hunting season ended on Jan. 27; hunting season for wood ducks resumes on Sept. 22.
PERICO ISLAND – Manatee County officials are considering establishing a “no motorboating” zone in Perico Bayou to address complaints from neighboring residents about duck hunting near Perico Preserve.
The move would further protect seagrasses from prop scarring while discouraging duck hunters from taking motorized boats into the bayou, Charlie Hunsicker, director of the county’s Parks and Natural Resources Department, told county commissioners on Jan. 29.
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Residents bordering Perico Preserve on Perico Bayou and Neal Preserve on the Intracoastal Waterway are among those who have recently complained to commissioners that shotgun blasts wake them at dawn, upset people who have seen dead ducks fall from the sky and disturb their quiet enjoyment of sunsets.
At Perico Preserve, built to attract birds, the boardwalks end at the bayou where hunters are hunting, Hunsicker said, placing hunters and preserve visitors too close to each other.
“It’s important for local governments to set limits,” he told commissioners.
“Any person who recreationally discharges a firearm outdoors, including target shooting, in an area that the person knows or reasonably should know is primarily residential in nature and that has a residential density of one or more dwelling units per acre, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.” – Florida Statute §790.15 (4)
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) allows hunters in or on state waters to shoot ducks on the wing in season with the appropriate equipment and training.
Although the FWC has the sole authority to regulate the state’s wildlife, Florida law allows local governments to regulate boating activity on navigable waterways subject to FWC approval, Manatee County Attorney Mitchell Palmer told commissioners, citing a Jan. 18 memo by Assistant County Attorney Anne Morris.
Restricting motorized vessels would still allow johnboats, kayaks, canoes and rowboats in Perico Bayou, Hunsicker said, adding that the plan requires a public hearing.
Beyond preserves
The hunting issue is not restricted to west Bradenton’s preserves.
The bird life in Doug Richards’ neighborhood near Wild Oak Bay on Sarasota Bay “is almost like the Serengeti,” he told commissioners.
“It’s just a beautiful, beautiful scene” until duck hunters appear, he said.
“We need a more appropriate way to balance the interests,” like limiting hunting to within a “respectable” distance of homes, he suggested.
No hunters addressed commissioners at the meeting.
“We share the residents’ concerns,” Hunsicker said. “Unfortunately, our solutions available to us at Perico are not necessarily available to the Sarasota Bay shore.”
The City of Bradenton has an ordinance in effect prohibiting the discharge of firearms in the city limits, which gives some protection to city residents, he said.
It is a misdemeanor under Florida Statute §790.15 to discharge a firearm in the vicinity of or over residentially zoned property, defined as one dwelling per acre or more, Palmer said, adding that residents should report the activity to law enforcement.
“There is no hunting allowed in Florida state parks,” Hunsicker said, suggesting that the county preserves of Perico, Neal and Robinson “should be treated in the same fashion.”
Duck hunting season ended on Jan. 27; hunting season for wood ducks resumes on Sept. 22.
BRADENTON – Duck hunters say they have just as much legal right to enjoy their favorite outdoor recreation as the people who use Perico Preserve and Neal Preserve.
Residents of neighborhoods bordering the preserves and people who walk and bike in them are complaining to Manatee County Commissioners about the unexpected gunshots of duck hunters after two stories in The Sun uncovering the activity near Perico Preserve, a bird sanctuary, and nearby Neal Preserve.
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– Cindy Lane | Sun
Commissioner Misty Servia has expressed concern about duck hunting, while commissioners Betsy Benac and Priscilla Whisenant Trace, both hunters, have noted that hunters have rights.
The county attorney’s office is researching the issue and will be rendering a legal opinion on the commission’s options, County Attorney Mitchell Palmer told commissioners last week.
Hunting is not allowed in county preserves, except for Duette Preserve in east Manatee County. However, duck hunters can legally shoot birds on the wing while standing or boating in state waters bordering preserves if they are properly licensed, trained and armed with the right weapon and ammunition in season, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
“I live next to the west side of Robinson Preserve. Hunters were blasting like crazy this morning. At one point 24 shots were fired in succession.” – Deborah Trivin
“A ridiculous idea!! That is no place for hunting…how stupid!!” – Bethany Bryant
“Shooting in near vicinity of houses and people walking or riding in the preserves is insane.” – Alexander Pearlie Hammers
“Just because a waterfowl hunter is pursuing game near a county preserve does not make him an unethical hunter,” Evan Laskowski wrote The Sun. “If he has the proper licenses, uses steel shot or an alternative to lead, does not shoot before legal shooting hours, does not shoot over his bag limit of ducks and retrieves his game then he should not be labeled as unethical. I agree there are plenty of unethical hunters but that label should not be given to people who are trying to enjoy time in the outdoors by participating in a legal activity.”
Joseph Walters wrote on The Sun’s Facebook page that “… shotgun shells used for bird hunting pose literally almost no threat. They are being fired on an upward trajectory. The load of the shells is small diameter pellets with a small lethality window if they follow established laws regarding firing weapons within set distance of homes. Even if somehow the load were to reach the residential neighborhood it would not have enough kinetic energy to pose any threat of death or bodily injury.”
“The Florida law states that hunting is allowed if shooting in the opposite direction of buildings/homes. Your uneducated fears are not warranted,” Jeffrey Carter posted in response to comments including Deborah Trivin’s “I live next to the west side of Robinson Preserve. Hunters were blasting like crazy this morning. At one point 24 shots were fired in succession,” Bethany Bryant’s “A ridiculous idea!! That is no place for hunting…how stupid!!” and Alexander Pearlie Hammers’ “Shooting in near vicinity of houses and people walking or riding in the preserves is insane.”
“So we can mow down marshes and mangroves to build homes in wetlands but we can’t duck hunt public waters for a 45-day season?” – Kevin Kunze
“It’s called a harvest. Like people have been doing for centuries.” – Jeffrey Carter
“You’re likely now living in an area that was formerly wild. Duck stamps that all waterfowl hunters must purchase are used to fund the protection of the remaining areas of the exact same type of area your neighborhood now occupies.” – Joseph Walters
“Thank you for the article! I have been looking for a new place to bring all of my friends to come hunt!” – Joe Pulido
The conflict is not confined to neighborhoods near preserves.
Suzanne Wright, of Wild Oak Bay, which borders Sarasota Bay, told Manatee County commissioners last week that she confronted two hunters in her neighborhood, the second time this month that officials have heard from the public about the issue.
“Duck hunting on Sarasota Bay – I never dreamed that would ever take place,” she said. “We have boaters and kayakers and fishermen, and where the hunters were there are a lot of fishermen.”
Her neighbor, Stuart Smith, reported his concerns last week to the legislative assistant for Florida Rep. Will Robinson, for whose family Robinson Preserve is named. Meagan Hebel had not heard about duck hunting near the preserves, but promised to contact the FWC and investigate, he said.
“People don’t know that they’re not in danger,” Smith said, adding that he hopes the county will act wisely to balance the competing uses.
“I believe the issue in Manatee County boils down to a conflict between different user groups,” Laskowski wrote. “The waterfront homeowners understandably don’t want to be woken up early in the morning to the sound of gunshots. Kayakers and hikers do not want to feel unsafe in the preserve. Hunters want a place to participate in their recreational activity. Unfortunately, as our shorelines become more and more developed the vast unpopulated hunting land the county officials speak of dwindles.”
“Hunters need to understand that a little respect and courtesy goes a long way. They should not be hunting within feet of someone’s sea wall even if they legally can,” he wrote. “People also should be aware it is illegal to harass, threaten or interfere with a hunter who is legally hunting.”
Sunday, Jan. 27 is the last day of duck hunting season, which this season was from Nov. 17 to 25, 2018 and from Dec. 8, 2018 to Jan. 27, 2019. Florida hunters can target several other bird species, including geese, crow and dove, seven months out of the year.
MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners heard the first volley of complaints from residents about duck hunting near county preserves bordering neighborhoods at a land use meeting on Jan. 10.
“Residents have endured shotgun blasts beginning as early as 6 a.m. and going on all day,” said Mark Lorenze, who answers panicked phone calls from neighbors as chair of the security committee at Perico Bay Club.
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Mark Lorenze
People using the walking trails at Perico Preserve also are alarmed by the unexpected gunshots of duck hunters, he said.
“The preserves were set up to attract and protect wildlife, including the waterfowl these hunters seek to kill,” he said, adding that studies show that loud noises scare birds off their nests, leaving the eggs unprotected.
“It doesn’t make sense to allow hunters to kill birds at the edges of these preserves meant to protect them,” he said. “Birds can’t see boundary lines.”
The Anna Maria Island Sun exposed the hunting activity on Dec. 1, 2018 at Perico Preserve, a bird sanctuary just across Perico Bayou from Robinson Preserve.
Hunting is not allowed in the preserves, except for Duette Preserve in east Manatee County. However, duck hunters can legally shoot birds on the wing while standing or boating in state waters bordering preserves if they are properly licensed, trained and armed with the right weapon and ammunition in season, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Timothy Hinds.
Residents of Wild Oak Bay were astonished to find out hunting is legal near their homes, said Stuart Smith, a resident of the community on Sarasota Bay near Bayshore Gardens.
Stuart Smith
On Dec. 26 and 27, dozens of shots were fired by duck hunters in the neighborhood, he said.
“Clearly we have some loopholes to close,” said Smith, who plans to discuss the issue next week with Florida Rep. Will Robinson, for whose family Robinson Preserve is named.
Land development codes have tools to prohibit neighborhoods from incompatible uses, Smith said, suggesting the commission pass an ordinance prohibiting hunting in urban residential neighborhoods, using the county’s existing urban development zone boundary line to allow hunting to the east of the line, in less populated areas.
“This is the right thing to do,” Smith said. “It’s common sense. It’s time. All it takes is the will to do it.”
“I’m very disheartened today to hear that ducks are being shot” near county preserves, Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia said.
“People could get hurt. Bird rookeries are in danger,” she said, suggesting the commission address the issue at a future meeting with input from the county attorney’s office.
Commissioner Betsy Benac said she has hunted ducks in Michigan, but does not “recall ever seeing a house while hunting.”
Any regulations considered should address where hunters can or cannot hunt, not regulate guns, she said.
The incompatibility of guns, preserves and densely populated neighborhoods worries Charlie Hunsicker, the county’s Parks and Natural Resources director, who has asked the county attorney’s office to study the commission’s options.
“We are researching it and there will be some information forthcoming hopefully in the near future,” Commissioner Stephen Jonsson said.
The duck hunting season lasts until Sunday, Jan. 27, according to the FWC.
PERICO ISLAND – Perico Preserve, a bird sanctuary, is not the only county preserve where duck hunters are shooting easy prey.
Since duck hunting season resumed on Dec. 8, residents bordering nearby Neal Preserve say they are hearing gunshots too, and they want law enforcement and local government officials to take notice and act.
On opening day, “They were out in Spoonbill Bay again blasting away,” Perico Bay Club resident Mark Lorenze said. “What they don’t take into consideration is the disruption of hundreds of unit owners.”
While hunting is not allowed in the preserves, duck hunters can legally shoot birds on the wing while standing or boating in state waters if they are properly licensed, trained and armed with the right weapon and ammunition, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Timothy Hinds.
The Thanksgiving week hunting season left Perico Preserve visitors and nearby residents shaken to hear gunshots near the dense residential neighborhood of Perico Island condos.
Resident Elsbeth Frischmann said that she heard shots morning and evening that week.
Since the season reopened, “It’s mostly on the weekends, early in the morning, around sunrise,” said a neighbor who did not want to be named, adding that a check of the neighborhood security camera has not yet identified a hunter.
Red shows where gunshots have been heard during duck hunting season at Perico Preserve and Neal Preserve this fall.
Across Manatee Avenue (SR 64) and to the west, “Hunters bang away on the small bay, called Spoonbill Bay on some maps, directly adjacent to us on the west side between our units and the Neal Preserve,” said Lorenze, chair of the security department at Perico Bay Club. “When the hunters’ guns begin firing, my phone rings off the hook.”
Part of Perico Island is in Bradenton, which has an ordinance against discharging a firearm within city limits, according to Bradenton Police Department Capt. Brian Thiers.
Other parts of Perico Island fall under the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. Thiers recommends that residents hearing gunfire call 911, whose dispatchers can decide which agency should respond.
County environmental officials who oversee the preserves have no law enforcement powers, said Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department, asking that hunters use Duette Preserve, a county preserve that allows hunting in less-populated east Manatee County.
The current duck hunting season lasts until Sunday, Jan. 27, according to the FWC.
Part of a true sportsman’s enjoyment of any sport is knowing you have won or lost while playing by the rules.
Florida’s duck hunting rules say that you can shoot at a duck on the wing during season, if you have a license, training, the right weapon and ammunition, and you’re on permitted lands.
Hunting is prohibited on Manatee County preserves, except for Duette Preserve.
But a few hunters are pushing the boundaries of the law, shooting at birds from the perimeter of Perico Preserve, disturbing neighbors and people in the preserve.
People enjoying some quiet time in their backyards feel compelled to go indoors when they hear gunshots, not knowing what’s going on. After all, in an age of mass shootings, gunshots don’t necessarily indicate hunting.
Photographers capturing a rare shot of a roseate spoonbill lose it when shotguns are fired.
Children ask their parents what that loud noise is as they walk the trails of Perico – it’s hard to explain to a child that it’s gunfire, and we have to leave now, even though we just got here.
It’s not what county environmental officials intended when they spent taxpayer money to restore Perico in a way that would attract birds to nest.
It’s not what teachers told schoolchildren who helped plant native vegetation intended to provide habitat for birds.
It’s not what the volunteers who do cleanups in the preserve signed up for – stumbling over duck carcasses with the breast meat removed.
With Duette Preserve offering hunting, why would any hunter with a sense of fair play choose to disturb and possibly endanger people at Perico and the bordering neighborhoods?
To have an unfair edge in a game invalidates the game.
Cheating a bird that doesn’t understand boundary lines is unfair at best, and arguably indefensible.
But frightening people into running for their cars when they were looking forward to a few precious moments in nature is downright foul.
PERICO PRESERVE – It’s a cool, sunny, Thanksgiving weekend day and you’re walking along the path at Perico Preserve looking at the butterflies and being thankful that there’s no red tide in the preserve when a shot rings out.
Four pelicans flush from the mangroves.
Another shot.
Two white egrets fly away from the sound.
Two more shots – then silence.
First Place
Lucy Morgan Award for In-Depth Reporting
2019
– Cindy Lane | Sun
A few moments later, doors slam on a dark pickup truck parked on Perico Isle Circle, just outside the preserve boundary, the engine starts, the tires squeal, and it’s gone.
What is happening at the preserve, created by Manatee County as a bird sanctuary?
According to county environmental officials, state wildlife officials, and neighbors of the preserve, duck hunting season is happening.
The season closed the last day of the Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25, and reopens again on Saturday, Dec. 8, ending Sunday, Jan. 27.
Third Place
Environmental Writing
2020
“The last thing people are thinking is, ‘Maybe I should wear an orange vest on the boardwalk.’ ” – Charlie Hunsicker
It’s a constant frustration to county environmental officials, who have no law enforcement powers, said Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department.
For seven months out of the year, between August and February, it is legal to hunt 28 bird species in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); each species has specific dates designating its season.
The juxtaposition of a densely populated neighborhood, a preserve that was built with birds in mind, and hunters shooting at the birds is worrisome at best, and tragic at worst, Hunsicker said.
“I am surprised we still allow hunting against residential neighborhoods in the name of sport where a catastrophic convergence of families and their pets meets up with people who appear in camouflage,” he said.
The county does not oppose hunting outright, Hunsicker said.
“We’re supportive of a well-managed hunting program like the one at Duette Preserve,” he said. The preserve is in east Manatee County, which is more sparsely populated than Perico Island, and offers hunting for deer, turkey, hog, quail and other species.
However, he said, “It’s contradictory that as long as you’re standing in state submerged land, you can hunt wherever you want. I hope there will never be an incident as a result.”
Robinson Preserve, from Perico Preserve, across Perico Bayou. – Cindy Lane | Sun
“Diametrically opposed activities can only be resolved in tragedy if both sides are not careful,” Hunsicker said. “The last thing people are thinking is, ‘Maybe I should wear an orange vest on the boardwalk.’ ”
Is it legal?
During Thanksgiving week, Elsbeth Frischmann heard the guns a couple of times a day, morning and evening, for four or five days in her home at Perico Island Condos, which overlooks Perico Bayou, between Perico Preserve and Robinson Preserve.
“They were so close, the birds flew away,” including brown ducks and mallards, she said.
If there is no ordinance against discharging a weapon within a certain distance of residences, or within city or county limits, game officers can’t prohibit it, FWC Officer Timothy Hinds said.
If duck hunters are properly licensed and trained, if they use the right weapon, if they wade, kayak or boat into Perico Bayou, which is state-owned submerged land, if they target birds on the wing that are in season, and if they use the proper ammunition, they are within the law, he said.
Lily pond – Cindy Lane | Sun
“That’s legal for them to do as long as they’re not shooting towards houses or over houses or at power lines,” he said.
The proper weapon and ammunition for duck hunting is shotguns and birdshot, which does not travel as far as bullets, he said, but still falls, potentially on people.
“It would be very troubling to have bird shot raining down on their head,” he said. “It’s got to be done in a safe manner. It’s a populated area.”
Whether a bird can be targeted or not is all about boundaries, Hinds said.
“The birds are either in the preserve or not,” he said.
Birds that can be hunted in Florida during specified seasons
Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Hunters are not allowed to shoot into the preserve, but if their birds fall on the preserve they can retrieve them, Hinds said.
Hunters do come into the preserve to retrieve their prey, Hunsicker said; people find carcasses left behind after the breast meat has been carved out.
Is it fair to target birds living in a bird sanctuary when they fly outside its boundaries?
“Some of the best hunting land is near designated wildlife refuges because the populations are healthy there,” Hinds said.
For the birds
Perico Preserve opened on May 14, 2016 – International Migratory Bird Day – highlighting its purpose as a rookery.
– Cindy Lane | Sun
The 176-acre Manatee County preserve touts its bird sanctuary status in signage, prohibiting dogs, which are bird predators, and prohibiting bicycles in a portion of the preserve where bird nesting is encouraged. The county also built an island in a lake in the preserve with poles for osprey to nest in.
“We have a preserve that we’ve worked very hard to establish, and a bird sanctuary should not be available to anyone shooting guns, whether they’re near or on the property, because that is near the nesting we’re working hard to protect,” said Sandra Ripberger, of the Sierra Club Manatee-Sarasota Group, suggesting that a citizens watch group could be formed to monitor hunting.
Bradenton Beach-based Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Inc. releases rehabilitated birds at Perico Preserve, Gail Straight said.
“I’m not totally opposed to people hunting, as long as they’re eating what they’re hunting. My big problem is you’ve got people all over the place and kids playing and condos; one stray bullet could go through windows and cars,” she said. “There’s a million places you can go hunting for ducks.”
“It’s pretty dangerous to invite people into a preserve to walk and hike and observe wildlife and plant life and fire a firearm,” said Merrie Lynn Parker, with the Manatee Fish and Game Association.
Gopher tortoise – Cindy Lane | Sun
The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program has spent $8,000 to coordinate volunteer native planting events at Perico Preserve, said Darcy Young, director of planning and communications.
The Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) is funding exotic plant control on a parcel of land that will connect Perico Preserve with Robinson Preserve, spokeswoman Maya Burke said.
When TBEP was rewriting its comprehensive management plan in 2016-17, they included the issue of hunting near preserves, which was starting to happen in Hillsborough County.
“One of the strategies was the need to better understand and address it,” she said.
“At restoration projects, hunters use these areas, and hikers find it disconcerting,” Burke said. “Local governments are ill equipped to address these user conflicts. The region needs to work on this issue.”
No active initiatives exist to connect local law enforcement, FWC and preserve managers, she said.
Whose job is it?
The FWC’s law enforcement officers focus on game violations, Hinds said, and if there are any other legal issues, other law enforcement agencies have jurisdiction.
It’s not easy to know who to call to report gunshots near a preserve.
“It might take something tragic or a massive public outcry to prompt the Legislature to act.” – Michael Elswick, manager of the Manatee County Parks and Recreation Department
Frischmann contacted Damon Moore, with the county parks department, who looked into the issue.
He found that hunters are allowed to carry their guns into the preserve and even clean them on the picnic tables, as long as they don’t shoot within the preserve, where hunting is prohibited, Moore said.
The state has prohibited local governments from regulating firearms, so the county can’t say “no guns in the preserve,” said Michael Elswick, manager of Manatee County’s Parks and Natural Resources Department, adding that hunters have been observed in boats against the mangrove tree line firing over the water in Perico Bayou.
Mangrove – Cindy Lane | Sun
“We can prohibit hunting in the preserve, but not the carrying of firearms,” he said. “We’re waiting for someone to shoot onto private property” or be caught hunting in the preserve to call law enforcement.
Parts of Perico Island fall under the Bradenton Police Department’s (BPD) jurisdiction and other parts fall under the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), including Frischmann’s neighborhood. Her homeowners association has a video camera at the entrance of the condos that might have captured a license plate number of hunters parking in the neighborhood, but there have been no complaints filed, according to the office.
Mangrove butterfly – Cindy Lane | Sun
“If they’re discharging a firearm in a neighborhood, call 911, suggested BPD Capt. Brian Thiers. “They can tell whether you are in the city or county.”
The City of Bradenton has an ordinance against discharging a firearm within city limits, referring to Florida Statute 790.15, he said, adding that BPD enforces that law.
If the agency gets a call on gunshots fired within the city limits near the preserve, they would respond, and also call FWC, he said.
“We rely on people to let us know,” MCSO Public Information Officer Randy Warren said. “Call us. Get a description of the vehicle. We can start a paper trail. We will put patrols out to look at it. Never hesitate to call law enforcement if something is of concern,” he said.
Law enforcement needs to make sure shooters are not doing something other than hunting, he said.
That prospect disturbs Hunsicker.
“How can you tell if it’s a shotgun or rifle? This bothers me to no end, knowing that most pistol or rifle rounds would carry a lethal trajectory into the surrounding homes of Perico and as far away as Flamingo Cay and traffic on State Road 64,” he said.
Regulations for an urban preserve like Perico should be different than for uninhabited or sparsely populated areas, Elswick said.
“You’re regulating the Ten Thousand Islands the same way you’re regulating a highly visited preserve,” he said, noting that hunting is a highly-charged issue with the gun rights lobby.
“It might take something tragic or a massive public outcry to prompt the Legislature to act.”
- Cindy Lane | Sun
White egret - Cindy Lane | Sun
Saltbush - Cindy Lane | Sun
Mangrove - Cindy Lane | Sun
Mangrove butterfly - Cindy Lane | Sun
Pied-billed grebe - Cindy Lane | Sun
Water lilies - Cindy Lane | Sun
Muhly grass, slash pine - Cindy Lane | Sun
Slash pine - Cindy Lane | Sun
Saw palmetto - Cindy Lane | Sun
Robinson Preserve, from Perico Preserve, across Perico Bayou. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Gopher tortoise, with bird nesting island in background - Cindy Lane | Sun
Less than five miles from Anna Maria Island, Robinson Preserve, Perico Preserve and the Neal Preserve protect nearly 800 acres of prime estuarine habitat. Manatee County has done an exemplary job of saving these and other coastal habitats from development. Through partnerships with other environmental groups and organizations, they have restored and enhanced conservation lands, creating havens for indigenous fauna and flora.
These resources are vital and intricately linked benefiting birds, wildlife and fish. Not only do these restored wetlands provide habitat and protection for juvenile fish, they also provide the shrimp, minnows and crustaceans they feed on a place to flourish.
Robinson Preserve, the first and largest of the three sanctuaries encompasses 487 acres that border Tampa Bay and Perico Bayou. The property has miles of channels and open water that provide unique opportunities for anglers and paddle sport enthusiasts. There are also miles of trails, paved and unpaved that welcome walkers, runners, bikers and bird watchers.
It’s a beautiful example of native Florida that almost wasn’t a reality. The property was originally slated for development, but due to market conditions and the cost of making the property suitable for housing, it became available for protection. In the beginning, 337 acres of disturbed farmland was converted to native habitat by Manatee County with the cooperation of Florida Communities Trust Florida Forever Program (FCT) as well as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Army Corps of Engineers, and Southwest Florida Water Management District (Swiftmud).
In 2012, an additional 150 acres were added to the existing preserve with the assistance of the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.
The Conservation Foundation, recognizing the popularity of the existing Preserve, came up with a creative solution to permanently conserve the additional acreage. With a grant from the Mosaic Company Foundation, the Conservation Foundation purchased the land and donated it to Manatee County. Manatee County then donated a perpetual conservation easement back to Conservation Foundation. This easement ensures that the land will always remain a natural park.
The 120-acre Neal Preserve is situated on the eastern shore of Sarasota Bay just south of the Manatee Bridge. Acquired in 2005, the site features coastal habitats including mangrove forests, salt terns and oak hammock uplands. The preserve has a 20-foot tall observation tower, shell trails and walkways through the mangrove forest.
This area is home to reconstructed burial mounds that were originally excavated in the 1930s by the Smithsonian Institute. The excavations revealed a site that was inhabited by an Indian culture from 3000 BC to 1400 AD.
The site also protects a rich bay shoreline with mangrove forests that provide habitat and protection for the bay inhabitants.
Like other county conservation sites, Neal Preserve was made possible by partnership. It began with assistance from the FCT, which contributed $3 million to help purchase the site. Swiftmud funded the habitat restoration and the FDEP with the assistance of the US Department of the Interior, Land and Water Conservation funded the construction of the parking lot, pavilion, signage, observation tower, trails and boardwalks. The Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay estuary programs brought together volunteers who became the hands on part of the restoration.
The most recent addition to protected lands, the 176-acre Perico Preserve was originally farm land that has been converted to a mix of coastal wetlands, scrub hills, seagrass lagoon, shorebird nesting island, a gopher tortoise relocation habitat and upland areas reminiscent of historical coastal habitat.
The preserve was planned to allow visitors to view and photograph birds and other animals. The site has a bird blind, one and a half miles of trails that wind through a forested hammock, fresh and saltwater marshes and uplands scrub. Benches, overlooks, bridges and even swings allow visitors an opportunity to connect with nature.
The Perico Preserve was constructed primarily as a bird sanctuary, although it supports a wide variety of wildlife. Dogs, with the exception of service dogs, are not allowed in order to give birds and the other wildlife the best chance of raising their offspring. The same applies to bikes that are only allowed on certain designated trails.
These three preserves provide a glimpse into a rich and diverse natural coastal habitat that once wrapped the whole coast of Florida. These areas provide a vital nursery for the birds, fish and other wildlife that make this part of Florida so special. The three preserves are open from sunrise to sunset seven days a week.
