Treasure Island considers permanent protections for Elnor Island

TREASURE ISLAND — A largely untouched mangrove island that serves as a nursery for shorebirds could receive permanent protection under a proposal city commissioners will consider this week.

Elnor Island, a roughly 14-acre spoil island just east of John's Pass in Boca Ciega Bay, is owned by Treasure Island but largely unknown to most residents. The city describes it as an undisturbed shorebird nursery and says it is the only area within its heavily developed borders that has retained all of its native vegetation.

City commissioners will discuss placing a deed restriction on the islet — which has also been called Bird Island and Eleanor Island — during an Oct. 6 workshop.

The deed restriction would keep the island from being developed, potentially earning the city additional credit under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's community rating system. Those credits can help lower residents’ flood-insurance premiums.

The meeting materials do not specify what restrictions would be placed on the property.

The proposal follows confirmation from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that the state has no ownership interest in Elnor Island and that the city has full ownership of the property, documents show.

Staff also is asking commissioners for permission to work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and DEP on having Elnor Island designated as a Critical Wildlife Area. The city would develop a management plan for the island if officials determine it isn't already adequately covered by the management plan for the Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve.

Elnor Island has been the focus of city conservation efforts for more than two decades. A 2003 inspection found it was "inundated" with trash and debris, including mattresses and large wooden frames believed to have been dislodged from docks, documents show. The city organized cleanup efforts and pursued projects involving removal of invasive vegetation and restoration of wildlife habitat.

Today, the island contains some of Treasure Island's most significant remaining habitat. The city's environmental assessment says mangrove habitat within the city is largely confined to Elnor Island and the seagrass beds surrounding it. The island and nearby mangroves also provide nesting habitat for numerous bird species, including pelicans, herons, egrets and spoonbills.

Commissioners are being asked for direction at the workshop, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.