Mangroves on Your Waterfront: Why the Rules Are Different

If you own waterfront in Edgewater, Oak Hill, New Smyrna Beach or anywhere along the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon, there is a fair chance you have mangroves on your shoreline. They are the shrubby trees with the arching prop roots or the pencil-like breathing roots sticking up from the mud at the water's edge.

People call us to "trim the mangroves" the way they would call about a hedge. We do not, and neither should anyone else who does not hold the specific qualification for it. Mangroves are regulated by the state in a way no other tree on your property is, and the penalties for getting it wrong are serious.

What the law is

Florida regulates mangrove trimming and removal under the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act, administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and, in some areas, delegated local governments. The Act covers the three native mangrove species (red, black and white) and applies on private property, not just public land.

The short version:

• Removal of mangroves generally requires a permit, and permits for removal are not routinely granted for view or convenience.
• Trimming is allowed within limits without a permit in some cases, and requires a permit in others, depending on the height of the trees, the width of the shoreline being trimmed, and how much is being cut.
• Who trims matters. Beyond certain thresholds, trimming must be done by a Professional Mangrove Trimmer, a designation with its own qualification requirements under the Act.
• Trimming that leaves the mangroves defoliated, cuts them below a certain height, or removes them altogether is a violation, and the property owner can be held responsible even if a contractor did the work.

We are not giving you the thresholds here because they are specific, they have been revised over time, and they are the kind of thing you should read from the state directly or hear from a Professional Mangrove Trimmer. The point is that "trim the mangroves" is a regulated act, not a landscaping chore.

Why the state cares

Mangroves hold the shoreline together. Their roots trap sediment, break wave energy and reduce erosion, which is the practical reason a waterfront owner should want them. They are nursery habitat for the fish the lagoon is known for. They filter runoff. And they are slow to establish and quick to lose, which is why Florida stopped letting people clear them.

For a homeowner with a seawall, the mangroves in front of it are doing part of the wall's job. Take them out and the wall takes the full load. We discussed shoreline trees more generally in Trees on a Seawall or Riverbank.

What a general tree service can and cannot do

We prune and remove oaks, pines, palms and everything else on a waterfront lot, right down to the shoreline. We do not trim or remove mangroves, and we will say so on the estimate. If you have mangroves that you believe need trimming, we will tell you to contact a Professional Mangrove Trimmer or the DEP and get the rules for your specific shoreline before anything is cut.

A tree service that offers to take out your mangroves along with the rest of the job is either unaware of the law or ignoring it, and in either case the violation lands on the property owner. That is a good test of a contractor, and it belongs on the list in How to Vet a Tree Service.

What you can generally do

Rules vary and this is not legal advice, but the things that are generally not restricted:

• Removing dead mangrove branches and debris
• Trimming other vegetation (Brazilian pepper, for instance, which is invasive and often mixed into mangrove stands) as long as the mangroves are not damaged in the process
• Maintaining an existing dock, walkway or access path that was permitted

Brazilian pepper is worth a note: it invades mangrove shorelines and it should come out, but removing it from inside a mangrove stand without harming the mangroves is careful work. See Brazilian Pepper and Other Invasive Trees You Should Remove.

Identifying what you have

Red mangrove has the arching prop roots that make the tree look like it is standing on stilts, and long dangling seed pods. It grows closest to the water.

Black mangrove has the pencil-like breathing roots (pneumatophores) coming up from the mud around it and leaves that are often crusted with salt on the underside.

White mangrove grows farthest from the water, has rounded leaves with two small glands at the base, and usually no visible specialized roots.

Buttonwood is often called a mangrove and grows with them, but it is not one of the three regulated species. It is still a native worth keeping.

If you are not sure what is on your shoreline, that is a question for the DEP or a mangrove trimmer, and it is worth answering before anything is cut.

Frequently asked questions

Can I trim mangroves to restore my view?

Trimming for view is what the Act regulates most closely. Some trimming may be allowed within limits; clearing for a view is not. Get the current rules from the state before cutting anything.

The mangroves were there when I bought the house. Are they still protected?

Yes. Protection does not depend on when you bought or whether a previous owner trimmed them.

Can you remove the oak that is growing among the mangroves?

Usually yes, if it can be done without damaging the mangroves, and we will plan the access and the rigging around that. We will tell you if it cannot.

Who enforces this?

The Florida DEP, or a local government it has delegated authority to. Complaints often come from neighbors and from aerial imagery.

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ArboristRX works on waterfront lots along the Indian River, Mosquito Lagoon and the Halifax, from Oak Hill to Ormond Beach, and leaves the mangroves to the people licensed to touch them. Call (386) 444-5959 for everything else on the shoreline.