ATVs damage inland marsh areas at Guana Reserve

Dan Scanlan

Guana Reserve officials have begun repairing damaged inland marsh areas of the huge state park in South Ponte Vedra Beach. They're also seeking the public's help repairing other vegetation areas near the beach.

Park officials had problems with people running four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicles through marshy areas. But thanks to new warning signs and increased St. Johns County Sheriff's Office patrols, ATVers have learned they could be ticketed for leaving deep ruts in the sensitive areas.

"We were not aware this was happening," said Forrest Penny, the reserve's stewardship coordinator. "It was in a remote area and it was reported by the Sheriff's Office, brought to their attention by other citizens who saw the activity and knew it was not good for the marsh."

No motorized vehicles are allowed within the 677-acre reserve. But recently, neighbors living along the route to the marsh called police to report ATVs running in the muddy trails and along the shallow estuaries along an inland part of the park. About 600 feet of marsh grass were destroyed, officials said.

Destroying the marsh grasses kills off nurseries for white shrimp, red drum and blue crab, and disrupts a marshland's ability to filter pollutants and buffer coastal areas from storm damage. The state recently installed signs at the head of park trails telling visitors Florida statutes forbid vehicle access, as well as placed poles to mark places where access is prohibited.

"The Sheriff's Office was unable to do any enforcement until we posted the signs," Penny said. "Once we did that, they started to write citations. ... It seems to have been effective in curtailing the activity."

Marsh grass plugs dug from adjacent areas were transplanted in the damaged site. Checkups show restoration efforts appear to be working.

Meanwhile, Guana officials need the public's help repairing the coastal strand vegetation between oceanfront sand dunes and the bush and tree cover of the maritime hammock west of Florida A1A.

Preserve officials are looking for historic photographs of that part of Guana as well as the rest of Northeast Florida's coastline from Jacksonville Beach to Daytona Beach. The photographs need to show vegetation, the dune line or the A1A corridor. The date and location of each image is helpful. No personal information will be released.

Photographs can be shared via e-mail with Guana biologist Matt Love at matt.love@dep. state.fl.us, or brought to Guana's Environmental Education Center at 505 Guana River Road in south Ponte Vedra Beach to be scanned. The owner's name and contact information should accompany each submission.

--

Source: http://jacksonville.com/community/shorelines/2010-01-13/story/atvs_damage_inland_marsh_areas_at_guana_reserve

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites