Group Works to Save Exotic Pines: STOP is on Grassroots Mission to Prevent State From Cutting Wispy, Invasive Trees
Posted on: Monday, 14 May 2007, 09:00 CDT
By Melanie Marquez, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.
May 14--ANNA MARIA ISLAND -- The Australian pine has found an ally.
For a tree that has no natural pests in Florida and spreads quickly, growing five to 10 feet a year, it may seem like the wispy, needle-tossing pine doesn't need help to survive.
But plans to cut down at least 10 of them along the Palma Sola Causeway and five in Anna Maria has a group of island residents speaking in defense of the Australia-native, boasting of its shade and oxygen production.
They call themselves STOP, or Stop Taking Our Pines, and their grassroots mission to keep Australian pines on public land from meeting untimely deaths has them contacting elected officials and seeking support. Their petition has 900 signatures.
"Our goal is to have the opportunity to preserve what we have," said Marsha Lindsey, an Anna Maria resident who helped start the group in 2004. "And to stop the indiscriminate eradication of Australian pines in the name of beautification, which is a relative term. We think they are beautiful."
The state has a different opinion, classifying the tree as an invasive exotic, the kind of plant that takes over an environment and prevents native habitats from flourishing. The state prohibits planting the tree and in many cities, permits for removal are free.
STOP focuses on taxpayer-owned land, seeking an end to publicly-funded removal of the tree, calling it part of the ambience of the island.
The city of Anna Maria budgeted $3,000 to remove five Australian pines in Gulf Front Park, which its environmental committee decided were hurting the dune they inhabit. 
Members of STOP consider the shade the trees provide as essential for enjoying the beaches, especially in the summer. And the urbanized style of the island keeps the trees from spreading too much.
"I think they're already beautiful," said Susan Hatch, an island resident for 23 years and member of STOP. "I don't want $300,000 spent to make it what someone else thinks is beautiful."
Leslie Atkins owns property on the island, a place she has visited for more than 30 years. She sees the trees as a part of Anna Maria, non-natives that should be welcomed like the tourists that visit the island each year.
"It's an emotional issue," Atkins said. "This is part of our heritage."
Want to know more?
STOP can be contacted by mail at:
P.O. Box 1011
Anna Maria, FL 34216
 

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