Mitigation Park Offsets Environmental Concerns

RSW receives ACI-NA 2004 Environmental Achievement Award

As a greenfield airport construction project, the new Midfield Terminal at Southwest Florida International Airport (built on 4,700-acres) was predicted to impact about 640 acres of wetlands.  To ensure no net loss of wetlands occurred, the Lee County Port Authority created a preserve known as the Southwest Florida International Airport Mitigation Park.

The success of the program was recently acknowledged by winning one of two Airports Council International-North America 2004 Environmental Achievement Awards.

At 90% complete, the restoration and preservation of 7,000 acres of abandoned farm fields comprising Mitigation Park will effectively offset environmental impacts associated with the Midfield Terminal program. Incorporating 733,000 new native plants as well as 117,000 cubic yards of rich organic mulch trucked from the Midfield Terminal construction site, Mitigation Park is home to deer, the endangered Florida panther and wood storks, the threatened Florida black bear, as well as other threatened and endangered animals.

Mitigation Park project manager, Lisa Miekley from DMJM Aviation, has had the responsibility of overseeing the creation of the 7,000-acre Mitigation Park. Lisa noted, “Melaleuca trees and other exotics were removed, native species were planted and wetlands were created to return the land to its original condition and preserve it.”

Over the next three years, Lisa will supervise the maintenance of the park ensuring exotic and invasive plants do not return, new vegetation thrives, and wildlife continues to flourish.  For Lisa, Mitigation Park has been a dream come true project. “I’ve loved working outdoors and seeing how our work has improved the environment. This has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” stated Lisa.