The brush was not the issue. Only the trees are mangroves. They are very slow growing, which is why the high fine.

"Those mangroves will take two or three decades to grow back. It is imperative the judicial system support laws to protect these critical habitats," Arrington said.

Mangroves, a spindly tree the state has protected since 1985, act as a nursery for sea life, filter water and reduce erosion.