The Florida native plant society FNPS is a group of dedicated professional volunteers consisting of scientists, engineers, artists and gardeners FNPS Promotes the Preservation, Conservation, and Restoration of the Native Plants and Native Plant Communities of Florida. We provide scientifically sound information on native plants, their habitats, the wildlife that depends on them, and their management and culture The proposal before you today will remove 22 acres of trees. Regardless, 22 acres of trees is a lot of trees. These are mature oaks. (Note: I have since seen the tree survey submitted by the developer. Just numbers, no species. The park area has 60 trees. The Phase 1 acrege has 190 trees.) There are many compelling reasons to preserve these trees – I will talk about only 4 of them in my limited time here: 1. Oxygen 2. Urban heat island effect is a city or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. 3. Reduce runoff 4. Sea Level Rise Wikipedia: Trees include a variety of plant species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. • Trees are primary producers – they get their energy from the sun and many animals depend on them for habitat elements of food, space and shelter. • Trees are living things. I will state that again because people don’t always understand the obvious. Trees are living things. • By the simple fact of growing, trees inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen, this process is called transpiration. • Respiration includes the movement of water as well. Trees act as filters to clean our air and water. 1. Oxygen: The Arbor Day Foundation (which gives the City of Bradenton the “Tree City USA” rating) states that “one mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a single growing season as 10 people inhale in a year” . How many trees are you removing? In the park alone 60 trees = oxygen for 600 people for a year. 2. Urban Heat Island: Trees reduce the urban heat island effect by the simple fact of growing. The main cause of the urban heat island effect is from the modification of land surfaces. Combined with this is the lack of evapotranspiration (for example, through lack of trees) in urban areas. With a decreased amount of vegetation, cities also lose the shade and cooling effect of trees, and the removal of carbon dioxide. 3. Reduce runoff – When it rains on mature canopy of trees, the leaves intercept the rainwater and also slow it down. The plants use the rain to grow. When it rains on a parking lot, all the water runs off into storm drains and from this site directly into the Manatee River and the connected estuary, which we depend on for the seafood we eat. Is the water clean when it runs off a parking lot? Of course not, it picks up whatever trash and oil happen to be on the surface. As I asked the Planning Commission – where are the LID elements of this plan. LID is Low Impact Development – stormwater management systems that increase water going into the earth rather than running off. Rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavement – not stormwater ponds. Utilizing your form-based code, you should be requiring this development to put these design elements in place to protect the Manatee River from excessive runoff due to the removal of trees and increased pavement and roof area. 4. Sea Level Rise – the last thing I will mention is Sea Level Rise. The elevation of Glazier Gates Park is around 10 feet. The elevation at the riverfront where the park is to be moved is about 2 feet. The soils are native in the current site of Glazier Gates park, the soils in the proposed site is fill. You are not going to grow oaks there successfully and this area could very likely be underwater in 50 years. The intrinsic value of the trees is that they are beautiful, they provide oxygen, shade, water uptake and respite for the weary. The trees provide habitat for songbirds, insects and small animals. Trees have provided creative inspiration for generations of children. We ask that you keep the trees intact and send this group back to the drawing board to keep Glazier Gates Park in place, as the founding fathers of Manatee Village Ezekial Glazier and Josiah Gates would insist on.