Manatee County removed another island Australian pine tree by surprise.
But this one might not be controversial.
Manatee County information outreach manager Bill Logan told The Islander June 17 the county authorized the tree’s removal June 13 due to safety concerns after county staff discovered it was rotting from the inside and showed signs of other damage.
The tree was located on the north side of Manatee Public Beach, 4000 State Road 64 and Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
Since Australian pine trees are classified as an invasive species in Florida, the county did not need to obtain a permit from the city to remove the tree.
It’s not the first time the county has removed Australian pine trees on the island.
The county has removed almost 200 of the trees to accommodate paved parking lots at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach and has plans to remove another 140 as part of redeveloping Kingfish Boat Ramp in Holmes Beach, so the issue is a sore spot for local officials, as well as residents.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth wrote in a June 17 text message to The Islander that she had yet to receive a response to the city’s concerns about preserving the Kingfish pines, in which blue herons nest.
However, Titsworth said the county’s removal of the rotting pine at Manatee Public Beach “makes sense” since it was a safety concern.