Hundreds of years ago, the Everglades stretched across 3 million acres from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, but today it is half that size, making mitigation essential to reduce the loss of healthy habitat. In the Everglades, mitigation begins when sawgrass marshes, forested islands, or open water are impacted by clearing or construction. Although the impact was kept to a minimum, some wetlands were filled to construct the rest areas along Alligator Alley, and this loss is being mitigated by restoring wetlands elsewhere in the Everglades. To offset this wetland loss, more than 350 acres of marsh taken over by nonnative plants are being transformed. Melaleuca and other invasive vegetation were removed, allowing native sawgrass to flourish. Invasive nonnative plants threaten the delicate balance of the Everglades, and species mentioned include Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, bischofia, torpedo grass, primrose willow, cattail, air potato, sungonium, and melaleuca, which was planted in South Florida for landscaping in the early 1900s and spread rapidly.