EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
Cape Coral has experienced extensive environmental alteration. The community began as a land sales development of 103 square miles, or 65,920 acres, under the control and management of the Gulf American Land Corporation in the late 1950's. The City has since annexed several parcels to bring the total land area to 119 square miles or 76,160 acres.
Once an area of wetlands, pinelands, and oak-palmetto hammock characterized by plentiful wildlife, numerous ponds and marshes interspersed among pines and palmettos, and large expanses of mangroves and native vegetation, much of Cape Coral has been leveled, filled, and drained. The major change has been the general replacement of natural drainage systems by an extensive network of freshwater and saltwater canals.
As a result of the massive clearing operations, natural land features have been significantly altered. Most seasonal ponds, marshes, and streams have been filled and large stands of pines and palmettos have been cleared.
These extensive alterations in the natural landscape have produced an extremely limited natural resource base, both in terms of quantity and quality. That fact alone greatly increases the value of the remaining resources. With Cape Coral's rapid growth, development pressures, unless adequately managed, will continue to adversely affect the remaining environmental resources. These pressures will be intense. Between 1996 and 2006, Cape Coral added an estimated 70,827 new residents. Few municipalities in the United States experienced a proportional increase of this magnitude. This growth rate is expected to continue. The 2015 population for Cape Coral has been forecasted as 187,456.
WILDLIFE IN CAPE CORAL
Although the Cape Coral area has been greatly disturbed by development it still contains a wide assortment of fish and wildlife. Cape Coral's waterways are home to numerous salt and freshwater fish species including snook, spotted seatrout, redfish, bass and bream. Other inhabitants of the waterways include a variety of shellfish; alligators and the endangered manatee. Bird life is abundant along these waterways, especially among the mangrove stands and salt marshes in the western preservation lands. The southern bald eagle, osprey, roseate spoonbill, great blue heron and the brown pelican are just a few examples of the many birds found in this area. The terrestrial communities have been the most disturbed by growth, but on any given day one may possibly see animals and birds such as raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, bobwhite quail, white ibis and ground doves. In addition to the bald eagle, terrestrial communities in Cape Coral are also home to some creatures which are endangered or potentially endangered including the burrowing owl, gopher tortoise, and the eastern indigo snake.
Recognizing the importance of its environmental resources, the City will continue to work with all State and Federal agencies in enforcing their rules and regulations concerning rare and endangered species. The City currently monitors protected species for the state and provides information outlining the developer's responsibilities when a site is affected by a nest of one or more of these species. Staff also examines sites and confers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) and/or the U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service prior to granting land use approvals that would affect environmentally sensitive areas. Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a local non-profit organization that assists the City with burrow maintenance and obtaining GPS coordinates for burrows located within the City. Beyond working with State, Federal, and local organizations, the City’s Land Use and Development Codes include provisions for the protection of wildlife and sensitive habitat. This can be accomplished through such methods as buffering, down zoning, the clustering of dwelling units and scheduling construction outside of critical reproductive periods. Preservation and enhancement of the environment is vital, and the City of Cape Coral realizes that it must work diligently towards accomplishing this goal.