When most people visit places like Alafia River State Park or Edward Medard Conservation Park, they likely don’t realize they are standing on land that was once mined for phosphate. Across Southeastern Hillsborough County, a similar transformation is underway as The Mosaic Company works to restore thousands of acres of former mining property into wetlands, wildlife habitat and conservation land.
During a recent media tour, Mosaic representatives provided an inside look at the lengthy process required to reclaim land after mining operations end. The restoration effort encompasses approximately 4,000 acres of preservation, enhancement and reclamation areas near County Road 39 and State Road 674, east of Wimauma and south of Lithia. While mining itself may last only a portion of a property’s history, reclamation can continue for decades as restored lands are monitored and evaluated against regulatory performance standards.
Long before mining begins, companies must submit detailed reclamation plans showing regulators what the property will look like once mining is complete. According to Jackie Barron, senior manager of stakeholder relations and advocacy communications for The Mosaic Company, restoration is built into the process from the beginning.
“Before we ever touch or turn over a single piece of dirt, here’s what it’s going to look like when we’re all said and done,” Barron said.
Modern reclamation standards require far more than simply planting vegetation after mining concludes. Laura Morris, superintendent of reclamation compliance for The Mosaic Company, explained that today’s requirements stem from regulations designed to ensure mined lands are restored rather than abandoned.
“The rule came in 1975 and said, ‘OK, you can’t just mine it and leave it open cut,’” Morris said.
Today, reclamation projects must meet strict standards involving wetlands, native vegetation, wildlife habitat and long-term ecological performance.
“For every wetland acre that is impacted for mining, you have to put back the same acres,” Morris said. “We have to put back 10 percent more.”
Even areas that appear healthy and support wildlife may not satisfy every requirement established during the permitting process. At one point during the tour, Morris pointed toward a thriving section of habitat and remarked, “That beautiful patch that you guys were taking pictures of, … that would not be releasable.”
According to Morris, reclamation is measured by environmental performance rather than appearance, requiring years of monitoring before land can be released from regulatory oversight.
The timeline itself is one of the most surprising aspects of the project. According to Mosaic officials, portions of the current land donation effort are still being completed nearly three decades after the original agreement was reached.
“So, we’re 30 years in. … 30 years. That’s a long time,” Morris said.
The long-term nature of the project reflects the time required to establish functioning wetlands, mature forests and sustainable wildlife habitat.
Chuck Pons, reclamation compliance specialist for The Mosaic Company, said the project includes approximately 4,000 acres of preservation, enhancement and reclamation areas.
“When you put the preservation, enhancement and reclamation, it’s around 4,000 acres,” Pons said.
The acreage includes wetlands, uplands, pine habitat and wildlife corridors that are already supporting native species and helping reconnect large areas of conservation land throughout Southeastern Hillsborough County.
Even after vegetation becomes established, the work continues.
“Then you have to maintain basically every year,” Morris said.
And perhaps the simplest explanation for why reclamation takes so long came while discussing forest recovery: “Trees don’t grow overnight,” Morris said.
For Pons, seeing the finished product provides a unique sense of accomplishment.
“My finished products, I’m a little more proud of than neighborhood, neighborhood, neighborhoods,” he said.
Many Hillsborough County residents already enjoy reclaimed phosphate lands without realizing it, including parks and conservation areas that were once active mining sites before undergoing similar restoration efforts.
“There are areas that you drive by all the time that you don’t know that were mined and reclaimed,” Morris said.
That may ultimately be the goal of reclamation itself. When the work is successful, the mining disappears from view, leaving behind wetlands, forests, wildlife habitat and public lands that can serve future generations long after the phosphate has been removed.
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