Pinecrest's Village Council took up a resolution Tuesday, July 14, that would authorize professional ecological restoration of the 2.9-acre pineland preserve at Coral Pine Park, contracting with the Institute for Regional Conservation for Phase 1 of the work.

The resolution, listed on the council's agenda, would authorize the village manager to sign a contract with IRC, a Delray Beach-based nonprofit that specializes in restoring South Florida's imperiled pine rockland ecosystems. The vote outcome had not been posted to village records at publication time.

The preserve sits inside the nine-acre park at 6955 SW 104th St. Pine rocklands are fire-dependent ecosystems of slash pine and exposed limestone, home to more than 20 species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. An estimated 98 percent of South Florida's original pine rockland has been lost to development and fire suppression, according to the South Florida Wildlands Association.

IRC brings direct local experience. Under a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant running through 2026, the nonprofit has improved ecological function on roughly 400 acres of pine rockland in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, according to its project records. Since 2023, IRC crews have been restoring five acres at Coral Reef Park in neighboring Palmetto Bay, a separate facility where the work focuses on invasive species removal and native understory replanting.

The contract value and detailed Phase 1 scope of work were not included in the published agenda materials.

The council's action follows a separate improvement project at Coral Pine Park completed with a ribbon-cutting Friday, April 24, that added pickleball courts, a multipurpose room, and improved walkways.

Residents can contact the council at [email protected] for updates on the contract's status.

Coming up: The Village Council holds a budget workshop Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 9 a.m. in the Inspiration Room at Pinecrest Gardens.