Florida's Turnpike Enterprise

Operating Environmentally Like a Business

By Lauren J. Linares,
(954) 975-4855, x1212
Environmental Mitigation
Manager, Florida’s Turnpike

If you look beneath the invasive plants that cover much of Florida’s landscape, you may be lucky enough to discover an enduring natural gem.

That’s what Turnpike staff did in early 1994, when they were searching for likely areas to replant slash pines destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. A sliver of Turnpike land at a Miami-Dade County interchange was overrun with noxious weeds. But, hidden among the exotic plants, were shimmery native silver palms, a small holly-type plant (which turned out to be quailberry – a state-threatened species), and a number of other intriguing flora.

With the help of experts, the Turnpike learned this and another interchange on its right-of-way are remnants of pine rocklands, a globally imperiled ecosystem that occurs nowhere else in the world. Now, years later, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has a well-entrenched record of restoring this and other ecologically sensitive areas as part of its environmental stewardship program.

title page of manual (see link at bottom of page): Florida's Turnpike Enterprise - Environmental Stewardship Practices - Roadway Maintenance

page 2 of manual (see link at bottom of page): Agressively eradicate invasive/nuisance plants - The problem vine Old World Climbing Fern, Lygodium microphyllum, is the latest plant under Turnpike attack. Below, a harvester removes aquatic species

page 8 of manual (see link at bottom of page): Recognize, track, & protect wildlife activities on the right-of-way - Sandhill cranes often nest in or near Turnpike ponds. If necessary, mowers skirt around nests until chicks hatch (below). - Staff kept an eye on a pileated woodpecker constructing a nest cavity (right), and a duck family (below).

Other priorities include protecting listed plants and wildlife, identifying natural wildflower stands, aggressively removing invasive plants, and thinking environment in landscape design and practice. In doing so, the Turnpike fulfills its role as a responsible land steward; and its goal to be characterized as a transportation agency of environmental excellence.

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is an experiment resulting from legislative action and Governor Bush’ emphasis on reinventing government. The Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation also expects “The Enterprise is an experiment in governance. I expect the Turnpike System to be operated like a business from within the Florida Department of Transportation.” It is expected that the Enterprise will become a laboratory for change and innovation within the Department. This represents 600 miles of roadway and 80% of all toll facilities in Florida.

page 4 of manual (see link at bottom of page): Restore and maintain important ecosystem fragments - Only a few thousand acres remain of South Florida's pine rocklands, a globally imperiled, fire-dependent ecosystem that supports plants found nowhere else in the world. The Turnpike is working with Miami-Dade County Natural Areas Management to restore and preserve this priceless habitat on the right-of-way.

page 5 of manual (see link at bottom of page): Document and protect listed plants - Share data with interested partners, such as the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, and researchers. - Federally endangered scrub lupine (Lupinus aridorum) - State endangered man-in-the-ground (Ipomoea microdactyla) - Federally threatened Florida bonamia (Bonamia grandiflora)

FYI: The model Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise posts its environmental stewardship practices at: www.dot.state.fl.us/turnpikepio/EMO/EMO.html.