Invasive Exotics Removal

Preserving The Native Habitat

Invasive species eradication is an important component of the land conservation and preservation initiatives undertaken by Vulcan Materials Company. There are estimates that invasive species cause losses of $120-billion annually in the United States. The risk is particularly high in Florida because of its temperate climate.

Removing and controlling invasive species are complex endeavors. At the Vulcan Ft. Myers facility, crews implement standard operating procedures in order to minimize the threat of invasive or non-native species. These procedures involve the use of mechanical equipment (i.e. mulcher) guided by manpower and technology.  The appropriate use of herbicides is also implemented along with the long term use of prescribed burns.

Equipment Operator Jeremy Aughenbaugh

In Ft. Myers, approximately 2,400 acres of Vulcan owned or leased land will be under invasive species control in the next five years. Such land management practices are also in place at the Vulcan facilities in Miami, Witherspoon and Grandin.

“It’s really important to use the science and technology that we have to make sure nature is responding the way we expect it to,” said Lori Sanville, environmental manager for Vulcan. “Invasive species like melaleuca and Brazilian pepper trees choke Florida’s native plants and can ruin an entire ecosystem,” Sanville said. “It is an ongoing, intensive project.”