Bear Point Mitigation Bank

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aerial drone view of wetlands in Bear Point - St. Lucie County, Florida

aerial drone view of trails and pier inside Bear Point - St. Lucie County, Florida

Aerial map of Bear Point Mitigation Bank showing the 317-acre preserve outlined in yellow along the Indian River Lagoon. Detailed text description available below. — Bear Point Mitigation Bank

Location aerial view & preserve boundary

View Map Text Description

Overview

This aerial satellite image shows the Bear Point Mitigation Bank, a 317-acre mangrove saltwater marsh preserve located on a peninsula extending into the Indian River Lagoon near Fort Pierce, Florida.

Preserve Boundary

The mitigation bank boundary is clearly outlined in yellow, encompassing the majority of the peninsula. The preserve consists primarily of mangrove forest and saltwater marsh habitat, appearing as dense green vegetation with some areas of exposed marsh (visible as reddish-brown patches).

Geographic Context

**West:** The Indian River Lagoon borders the entire western edge of the preserve, with shallow tidal waters visible along the shoreline.

**East:** Residential waterfront developments and marina facilities are visible adjacent to the preserve boundary.

**North:** The preserve extends to the northern tip of the peninsula.

**South:** Additional wetland areas and development transition zones.

Inset Location Map

A small inset map in the upper right corner shows St. Lucie County's outline (highlighted in yellow) with a red star indicating the Bear Point Mitigation Bank's location within the county, situated along the eastern coastal area.

Address

2601 S Ocean Dr, Fort Pierce, FL 34949
Coordinates: 27.438548, -80.291458

Source: St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District

The Bear Point Mitigation Bank offers secure and beneficial environmental credits that help to improve the health of the Indian River Lagoon. It is a St. Lucie County mangrove saltwater marsh that has operated successfully along the Lagoon near Fort Pierce since 2003.

Details

Managed by St. Lucie County and the St. Lucie Mosquito Control District, the 317-acre Mitigation Bank has been restored and enhanced to provide compensation for unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources in this region of Florida. The bank, permitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sells Mangrove Forested credits valued by the ecological value of the Mitigation Bank. The funds collected are used to preserve and maintain wetland habitat to sustain the ecological and hydrological functions of the Indian River Lagoon.

Service Area

The primary service covers the barrier islands and mainland Indian River waterfront from the Sebastian Inlet on the north to the St. Lucie Inlet on the south. As of summer 2019, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection allows credits to be purchased in some cases for wetland impacts outside the primary service area.

Bear Point Mitigation Bank Credit Purchase/Reservation Procedure

A request by email is required to initiate agreements for Bear Point Mitigation Bank credits. Submit to Lauri Heistermann, Executive Assistant, St. Lucie Mosquito Control, at Lauri.Heistermann@stlucieco.gov.

The following information must be included in the written request:

The number of credits being requested (credits are sold/reserved in tenths of a unit only)
If the credit is being purchased or reserved
The type of credit being requested (State, Federal or Dual)
Project name

Once the request is received, it will be forwarded to the County Attorney’s Office to initiate a Purchase/Reservation Agreement.

Once completed, the Purchase/Reservation agreement will be sent to the requester for execution. Four (4) original agreements will be required to be submitted to the County Attorney’s Office, with payment, for final execution and the Board of County Commissioners’ approval.

Payment Calculations

Purchase Price

Dual Credits - $45,000.00/tenth of a credit
Federal or State Credits - $22,500.00/tenth of a credit

Reservation Price

Dual Credits - $11,250.00/tenth of a credit
Federal or State Credits - $5,625.00/tenth of a credit

The purchase price is based on the annual appraised value of each credit, which is $225,000.00. The reservation price is 25% of the total cost of the credit.

Once the agreement has been fully executed and approved by the Board of County Commissioners or the County Administrator, the agreement will be issued a contract number, and a fully executed copy will be forwarded to the requestor.

The requester should submit copies of the applicable state and/or federal permits to the Mosquito Control Department to debit the appropriate ledgers. The permitting agencies will consider the mitigation requirement complete once the agencies’ ledger(s) have been debited.