From Florida Task Force

“In some cases exotic vegetation is allowed to remain because it is historically accurate
and contributes to the character of a cultural landscape..."

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

The Nation's Southernmost Park

1845 - 1866

Construction of Fort

1861 - 1865

Civil War

1883

First dredge of the Channel area at Fort Taylor

1898

Spanish American War

WWl

Fort manned by National Guard

WWll

Coastal guns removed & replaced with anti-aircraft guns.

Introduction of the Australian Pine to Florida, brought from France by Dr. Walter T. Swingle, U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Explorer.

(Source: J. Wash Acad. Sci 15(14): 345-46, 1925 Australian Pines were widely planted in Southern Florida, due to their high tolerance for brackish water and salt spray. They were brought to Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades by developers to “soak up the swamps”.)

1910

The director of the Carnegie Laboratory on Loggerhead Key introduced Australian Pines to Fort Jefferson. These trees were planted at the Laboratory and propagated to Garden Key. (Source: Stoddart and Fossberg 1981, also NPS Bulletin- Dry Tortugas National Park by Tony Pernas, Brandon Gamble and Thomas V. Armentano, Winter 2001)

1914

Increased construction and expansion of the military base areas. First expansion of fill was done, trees potentially brought into the area at this time. Please see Appendix A, maps of Fort Taylor. 

1919

First expansion of Coverface area at Sally port since Civil War Era. Australian Pines are being extensively planted in Key West providing much needed shade, wind breaks and holding the sand and fill that are adding to the island from the first dredging projects. They are selected because they are able to thrive in a hot, salt water dominate area; grow fast and tall (average 20-30 feet in 2 years). 

1920

Australian Pines are “Naturalized” to Florida, very successful adaptation to harsh environments noted. Citation: Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 93:87-95 

1931 - 1940

Fort Taylor was used by the National Guard for summer training, complaints of the heat and mosquitos. Stories told of meals under “the trees” to cool off. 

1938 - 1939

FDR visits Key West Military Bases

1939 NOV 1

Reopening of Naval Air station Key West 

1940

First fill used to close causeway in, connecting it to the base. Used fill from Sub pens at Mole. Trees planted in area to create windbreak and to hold sand from erosion. By this time, the Australian Pine is one of the most widely planted trees in Florida. 

1941 - 1945

Soldiers housed in tents on the Parade Ground in Fort Taylor, according to military folklore, many soldiers had hammocks in the trees behind the fort in an attempt to escape the heat. In WWII era, the military spent more than $31 million dollars on construction and facility upgrades. 

1942

7th Naval District re-established Headquarters in Key West; German submarines sunk ships within sight of land, peaked in May 1942 with the loss of 42 ships off the Florida Coast. 

1947

Transfer of Fort Taylor from the U.S. Army to the U.S. Navy 

1951 - 1953

South side of former causeway to the corner of Osceola and Adair filled in and the North side of Fort filled in. 

1954 - 1975

Fort utilized as a Storage and Salvage Yard for the Navy 

1962

Cuban Missile Crisis

1964 - 1965

Park built with dredge material from ship channel dredging project

1965

Fill used from dredging the Harbor to accommodate larger ships to create boundaries that are seen today. Photo from shortly after fill completed, moat is not present. 

1968

Over the course of ten years, and under the leadership of Howard S. England, volunteers uncovered the largest collection of Civil War era armaments in the United States

1968 - 1976

Howard England excavations at Fort Taylor, removal of Australian Pines from the Parade ground and the North side of the Fort in 1972, due to large, deep roots and damage to brick structure and walkways. Although the Australian Pine is considered a “shallow root system” by virtue of not having a single tap root, these trees can make large root systems that will go as deep as necessary to find water. It is not unheard of for them to go 10’-15’ down and get into masonry. 

1971 maY 11

Fort Zachary Taylor placed on National Register of Historic Places

1973 Dec 7

Fort Zachary Taylor declared a National Historic Landmark

1976 sept 1

President Ford signed the transfer of  the property from the Department of the Interior to the State of Florida Park Service, creating Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, with the condition that the State should not change “the character of the grounds and structures.” 

1985

Officially became Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

1988

Moat placed along Fort walls, fill excavated from around the structure

1993

Key West Tree Commission (including the late Merilee McCoy) insisted the pines were not a pest in this location.  Mark Glisson, Director of the Bureau of Natural & Cultural Resources at the DEP, responded:  “Due in large part to the local community support for the shade they provide and to the fact that they are growing on fill and do not pose a serious threat of spreading, there are not current plans for wholesale removal of Australian Pines at Fort Taylor’s beaches."

2003

Old Town City Hall: Park Manager sponsored an open-forum to discuss a slow removal of pines in phases along with the addition of pavilions and natives to replace the pine's shade.  In the face of public outrage of a standing room only crowd, Park Manager said:  “We will not go forward if there is a major opposition to removal of the pines at Ft. Taylor."

2004

Trial area planted with natives.

2005

On June 15, Key West City Commission passed Resolution #04-13 which supports mature pines remaining at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and requested DEP to spare these magnificent trees.

2006

Monroe County Board of Commissioners passed Resolution #271-2006, urging the state of Florida to "designate the canopy of Australian pines at Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park as an exception to any exotic and invasive removal programs and initiate maintenance and controlled growth replacement programs."

2007

DEP cut down 99 Australian Pines, with plans to cut down 10% each year until trees were gone.

2008 - 2011

As a result of Save Our Pines receiving overwhelming public and political support the State of Florida DEP and State Rep. Ron Saunders signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 19th, 2008 allowing the Australian pines to remain.

At the request of Save Our Pines, DEP implemented a program of digital mapping for the pines, the conduct of annual condition surveys, and the issuance of annual reports.

DEP with the assitance of SOP began a pruning program for the nourishment and saftey of the pines.

DEP’s philosophy of resource management is natural systems management. Primary emphasis is on restoring and maintaining, to the degree practicable, the natural processes that shape the structure, function and species composition of Florida’s diverse natural communities as they occurred in the original domain. Single species management may be implemented when the recovery or persistence of a species is problematic provided it is compatible with natural systems management. Source: Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Unit Management Plan, Approved by State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, June 13, 2008

Save Our Pines tree adoption program inaugurated whereby patrons contribute towards the cost of maintaining our oversight of and communications about the health and future of the pines at Fort Taylor.

2012

Representative Holly Raschein succeeded Representative Ron Saunders as Florida District 120 Representative and reaffirmed support for the good work of Save Our Pines.

2015

Mayor Craig Cates proclaimed the third Sunday in March, this year being March 15, as “Save Our Pines Day in the Southernmost City of the Continental United States” and to be celebrated yearly. 

2018

Resolution No. 18-101 of the City of Key West, Florida, urging the State of Florida to allow replenishment and replanting of new growth Australian pines in order to maintain the shade canopy at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic Park was passed and adopted March 29, 2018.

2020

Resolution No. 20-066 The City of Key West supported an “Agreement for Cooperative Management” between the Florida State Park Service and Save Our Pines. However, it was never signed.

2021

Updated City and County resolution to make the Australian Pines at Fort Zachary Taylor Park an exemption to the invasive removal law.

Summary

The fill came in the 60’s and the pines grew to keep the fill intact. If not for the pines, the fill would have blown and washed away, just like the beach.

As the pines did their job of holding the fill to- gether, they also assumed an important part in shielding our Fort from the incessant pounding of Mother Nature.

As treasured veterans of the weather wars against the Fort, the pines should be honored, valued and preserved because of their cultural history and that they continue to fulfill their noble function of providing protection, shade and oxygen.