Saving the Perdido Key Palm Trees in 90 days--This Is How We're Going to Do It

There are a number of palm trees like this one in Perdido Key that have grown into the wires of the FPL poles.  So we are working a better plan now to fix this condition--- rather than sending out a team of "Paul Bunyons" to cut them all down in one day's time.

After I got a jolting, late afternoon email Thursday--I started asking a lot of questions about a plan to cut down about 70 palm trees on Perdido Key.  Literally--that was what was planned.  a team of tree cutters were going to cut them all down, all 70 of them, in one day, before March 26th.  And last Thursday was the first I was told about it.

So of course my reaction was no way!

And subsequent to my blog post on the topic blowing-up like a nuclear explosion--- I was contacted by the media and several HOA group representatives. 

Studio 850 even came out and walked the site with me and posted about it. 

Everybody is looking for a way to dramatically lower the number of trees that need to be removed.

FPL started out by sharpening their pencils and re-evaluating their list.  They have since that time sent over a revised list that has a lot fewer trees slated for removal.  The initial list from last Thursday identified 70 trees for removal, the revised list, below, has 27 trees---a reduction of 43 trees to be taken and representing a 62% reduction of what they initially planned.  That was a really encouraging development.

But I'd still like to tray and save them all.

So I've subsequently spoken to an arborist, two lawyers, our natural resources director, our county administrator, a local FPL representative, and several media outlets on this matter.

And now a plan is taking shape that will allow the county to work with the HOA's and FPL to save even more of these trees by taking the issue in three stages as follows:

1.) --allow adequate time for any HOA that wants to remove and relocate a tree flagged for removal by FPL to do so within 45 days.

2.) --allow 45 additional days for the county to remove and relocate any of these palm trees flagged for removal by FPL if the relevant HOA decides not to relocate such trees

3.) --finally, will allow for FPL to remove any palm trees left after the 90 days slated for relocation.

FPL is in the driver's seat on this issue--that's been confirmed and they have the right to remove, cut back, or clear areas where they have easements in order to protect their lines.

My site visit Friday clearly illustrated the fact that several of these trees are, indeed, tangled into the lines.

So the win win of this story is that we now all know there is an issue, we will have time to deal with the issue, and at the end of it we will save a lot of trees and FPL's lines will be clear.

Win win.

Now we just have to do it.