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Tampa Electric and the EcoSphere Restoration Institute restored more than 70 acres of wetlands along Newman Branch Creek near the Florida Conservation and Technology Center by removing exotic vegetation, stabilizing 575 feet of shoreline and creating a new tidal‑creek habitat for fish and oysters.
The project permanently protected the area with a 100‑acre conservation easement, with more than 120 TECO volunteers. It earned the Outstanding Contribution to the Community award at the Hillsborough County City‑County Planning Commission’s 43rd Annual Planning & Design Awards.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Youth Conservation Center staff will lead student field trips to the site.
– Staff Reports, Florida Politics