NORTH PORT, Fla. — A new division created in the city of North Port to help preserve natural resources has set its goal on preventing the loss of green spaces where possible.
The division has been working with developers to preserve natural areas before and after construction in a bid to save the green spaces.
With a population of 80,000, North Port is one of the fastest-growing cities across the country and is only expected to grow even more, according to city officials. This outlook has not only become a point of concern to both county and city leaders but also to some residents
"I think the way the roads are being developed in light of what we see coming in tens of thousands of new homes and people in probably the next five years, it doesn't look like the infrastructures been properly accounted for," said Randy Waldron, who lives in North Port.
An increase in permits for land clearing and tree removals to make way for more housing developments is a sign of this growth.
That's why the newly created natural resources division is trying to get ahead and make sure developers commit to protecting and preserving the environment.
"[We are trying to make sure they consider] factors like soil stabilization wind protection [and] shade," said Stefan Kalev with the natural resources division of North Port. "We have a huge issue with the heat island effect throughout rapidly developing communities, preserving trees helps in so many ways."
One of the jobs of this new division is to deal with invasive species such as the Brazilian pepper plants. While they look like ordinary plants and their red seeds decorative, city officials say they are growing everywhere and creating a problem for the environment.
"Some of these species out-compete our native species," Kalev said. "They take over [and] change the function of a habitat."
"I know this is a problem," Waldron said. "We've got a problem in our backyard right now with it and across the street. I understand that the birds are the culprit taking the seeds and planting them elsewhere."
The division is also pushing for more environmentally sustainable tree planting efforts to act as a balance to the growth and change.
"I would like to see birds, I would like for all of us to breathe cleaner air, see less erosion, see less pollution," Kalev said.
Funding for the natural resources division is coming from permitting fees paid by developers.