After extensive discussion, the Surplus Lands Committee of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Governing Board sidestepped preliminary staff recommendations to declare lands surplus at the Potts Preserve tract in Citrus County and Annutteliga Hammock tracts in Hernando County. Lands at both sites (64 acres at Potts Preserve and over 1000 acres at Annutteliga Hammock) represented some of the largest land surplus decisions yet proposed by the district staff.
Audubon Florida Director of Advocacy Charles Lee raised issues and stated concern about both proposals, suggesting that even in light of the information provided by staff, each was premature and that other courses of action should be considered prior to declaring the properties surplus and subjecting them to possible sale.
In the case of Potts Preserve, district staff indicated that the land to be declared surplus and sold was difficult to manage because of trespassing and intrusion by off road vehicle users who had turned part of a marsh into a “mud bog” for ORV recreation. This incompatible use occurred during the dry decade of years which seemed to come to a close with heavy rains in the Summer of 2012. The land today is a marshy lake with heavy wading bird activity; the ORV abuse has been curtailed by normal water levels.
District staff complained about management costs and lack of cooperation from the Citrus County Sheriff’s office in deterring trespassers. The staff concept was to declare the site surplus and put it in the hands of a private owner who could fight with the trespassers. Under this scenario, it is possible the district might have retained a conservation easement over part of the property. Audubon urged that a higher level effort be engaged in to gain cooperation from the Sheriff’s Department before any surplus designation was even considered. Several board members chimed in supporting that proposition, including paying off-duty deputies to assist SWFWMD personnel if necessary. A motion by SWFWMD board member Jennifer Closshey directed staff to pursue these other options, and was passed unanimously.
Annutteliga Hammock presented a much more complex issue. This large acquisition area, a former “mega-parcel” under the Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever programs consists of several larger parcels of land up to about 300 acres in size, and thousands of subdivision lots, of which only a modest percentage have been purchased by the district. The land was originally proposed for purchase to complete a wildlife corridor important to the Black Bear, to protect a high water recharge area, and a variety of protected species including animals and plants which require scrub and sandhill habitat. The “checkerboard” of small lots is regarded as unmanageable, and the prospect of “filling in the blanks” with new purchases seems bleak under the current situation where there is no actively funded state land purchase program. Staff proposed to sell one large parcel, several hundred small lots, and to trade the bulk of the small lots in effort to exchange lands or buy lands to fill in a much smaller wildlife corridor near the center of the Annutteliga Hammock tract.
Charles Lee made a presentation for Audubon, pointing out that the conservation community including Audubon is deeply engaged in the Water and Land Legacy Campaign to place a Constitutional Amendment on the 2014 ballot which would have the effect of re-starting the state’s land purchase programs, and that if successful, this initiative could result in purchase of the remaining lots. Lee also suggested that while a consolidation plan for the scattered lots in part of the tract might make sense ultimately if no purchase funds are available, a strategic plan for a land-trade mechanism needed to be developed before surplus designation was considered. On this item also, several board members indicated agreement with this approach, and a motion by board member Jennifer Closshey passed unanimously directing staff to provide more details on the proposed land trade plan before recommending future action.
The board members, through their own analysis, and without any public comment, also rejected in part and approved in part a surplus proposal for small parcels at the Pansaoffkee Outlet Tract, and approved without controversy declaring surplus small parcels isolated from larger conservation land tracts at the Flying Eagle Preserve and Green Swamp East tracts.
Charles Lee commented:
“I think everyone in the room was impressed by the excellent deliberation by both staff and board members of the District in reaching these decisions. While the staff made initial recommendations for surplus, the process was deliberative, and public comments were openly sought and considered as the district reached a decision.”
