Policy Committee Report July 28, 2006 Amended 8/25/06 items (Tosohatchee), Genetic Breeding and Native Plants, and new addition Fred George Basin Conservation Project
To: FNPS Board of Directors for Mtg. 8/26/06
From: Co-chairs Annie Schmidt and Kim Zarillo
Date: 8/25/06
A telephone conference call was held with policy committee members on 8/23/06 resulting in amending some recommendations and adding new ones that were brought forward since 7/28/06.
The policy committee is getting organized and working on a few activities listed below:
Organizing a committee operational structure ( when and how we can best meet and what tasks committee members are willing to do)
outreach to potential committees members
existing policy committee activities and methods of getting them accomplished
instructions for bringing issues to committee will be developed
timing of issues and responses
developing a five year policy action plan
In the interim, Annie and I had a conference call with Shirley to discuss some items brought to the Society that needed immediate attention. A summary of each item and our recommendation to the board is provided next. Information sent from Karina and sources used for background are noted.
Hometown Democracy Referendum
Action
We recommend that a brief statement about the petition and a link to the referendum webpage be given to members chapter directors on the FNPS web page, the Sabal Minor, and to who may decide to sponsor it and/or share information in their newsletters and/or chapter websites. While some may feel the referendum is worth supporting we believe the FNPS mission statement is more restricted to native plants and plant communities and the proposed referendum is very broad in scope. The Paw Paw Chapter of FNPS has endorsed the petition drive see
http://www.floridahometowndemocracy.com/Background
A petition to place a statewide referendum on the fall 2006 ballot to allow citizens a vote on local comprehensive plan amendments in hopes that it will help achieve better growth management. Organizers of the petition asked FNPS to endorse the referendum.
Babcock Ranch
Action
We recommend to the board that the Society remain impartial in the Babcock Ranch project. It is a growth management issue that FNPS could be involved in if the merits were greater than the project. However, we agreed that it is in all likelihood a better outcome (density and on site preservation) than would be allowed if it where done piecemeal. There isn't a consensus among legal experts as to whether it still requires a DRI or not. The week of July 24, 2006 the Sierra Club settled their law suit with the developer to limit sprawl by placing the development on one side of the highway instead of on both the north and south sides of the highway.
Background (Taken from TNC press release email and a Statement By Dick Cuda President Of Babcock Florida Company about the history of the sale, the proposed development, and the Sierra lawsuit.)
The 91,500 acre Babcock Ranch has a vast amount of land in its natural state. The Babcocks arranged for State ownership of the 45,000 acre Babcock Webb Preserve. The FL legislature approved purchase of 70,000 acres of the Babcock Ranch on May 5, 2006 for $310 million dollars that will come from the Forever FL fund (Signed by Gov. Bush in June 2006). The Babcock family reasons for selling –Tax laws are so onerous that the family cannot and will not sell the land. Only the stock of the Babcock Florida Company is available from the Babcock family shareholders. Population growth and development pressures would inevitably divide up the land into separate developments all over the ranch. So, once again, the Babcock family sought to have the State of Florida purchase the Babcock Florida Company stock to gain ownership and public control of all 91,500 acres of the Babcock Ranch land and its enterprises. However, the State of Florida said it was prohibited by law from purchasing the stock of a private company and could not afford to acquire the land at the amount required to give the Babcock family a fair price and also pay the onerous corporate tax which might result.
So, after years of trying, all efforts for public and public/private acquisition failed and ended. The family was then approached by scores of developers. None of them had any plans to preserve the ecosystem which the Babcocks had kept intact. Then along came Syd Kitson, who had the financial backing and skill set to purchase the company stock at the price and terms the family could accept.
Equally important, Syd Kitson had a vision, like the Babcock family, to preserve most of the ecosystem intact in its natural state. The Babcock family members agreed to sell their shares of stock of the Babcock Florida Company to the Kitson group.
For a solid year since that agreement, Syd Kitson and his team have worked every day almost around the clock to create a financially feasible plan for the future of Babcock Ranch that everyone could embrace. Citizens and governmental officials were consulted in Lee and Charlotte Counties and in Tallahassee. Through this long process of public input and approval, a plan developed for clustering a self sufficient, self-sustaining "new town" in less than 20% of the total ranch at the Southwest corner so the State and Lee County could purchase 80% (74,000 acres) of the most pristine natural ecosystem and complete the public lands corridor from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico where 28 endangered species of wildlife nest, rest, feed and breed.
The "new town" as designed in this workable plan is absolutely essential to provide the economic engine to make possible an affordable sale price of the land to the State and Lee County, in addition to the funds necessary for new roads and schools and public infrastructure, creating a supply of affordable housing and paying the purchase price to the Babcock family shareholders and taxes.
If the "new town" proposed by Kitson and currently approved could not be developed and marketed, another developer would, in the alternative, surely scatter development all across the natural landscape and fragment the ecosystem forever. The Sierra Club's challenge to the Kitson plan for the preservation of the bulk of the Babcock Ranch is disappointing because that organization did not actively participate in the process to create the Kitson plan and facilitate State ownership of 74,000 acres of the Babcock Ranch, yet it has brought an administrative proceeding which appears to be designed to spoil the transaction at this late date. The recently signed Babcock Preservation Act and the State's appropriation of $310 million for purchase of 80% of the Babcock Ranch, tie the State funds to the approval of the Kitson plan.
This administrative proceeding, initiated by the Sierra Club and any appeals that follow seriously jeopardizes the availability of these funds to bring into State control 80% of the Babcock Ranch. The Kitson plan, which has been endorsed by Lee and Charlotte counties, and championed by Governor Bush as well as the vast majority of the State's other environmental organizations, is the last opportunity to preserve the bulk of the Babcock Ranch and avoid fragmented development of the property.
We continue to support the legislatively-approved Kitson plan, but time is running out. We urge the Sierra Club to withdraw its appeal so the Babcock Ranch will not be subdivided and developed. By idea that stopping the Kitson plan will mean the State could purchase any or all of the land is badly mistaken and untrue. If Mr. Kitson and his partners are unable to move forward, Babcock Florida Company has a back-up offer from a developer, and the opportunity for public purchase will be gone forever.
Tosohatchee Reserve (The Reserve)
8/23/06 update from Agenda Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund August 1, 2006 - Substitute Page
Substitute Item 5 Multi-Agency Management Lease l Managing Agency Designation1
William Beardall Tosohatchee State Reserve
DEFERRED FROM THE JUNE 13, 2006 AGENDA
REQUEST: Consideration of (1) a 50-year multi-agency management lease for the William
Beardall Tosohatchee State Reserve; and (2) designation of Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission as lead manager on the lease.
Summary FL Cabinet voted to approve a 50 year lease of Tosohatchee State Reserve subject to 46 hunting days, all recreational uses and fees remain the same, the land is to be managed as intended in the original purchase under the EEL program, and a review of management activities in 2013 (See BOT080106.pdf pages 10-13 for a summary of the property’s history).
Action Observe land management practices and document for review.
7/28/06 Action
Per Kim I have asked Walter Taylor to provide the language for our request and forward it to Shirley for transmittal. He knows the park better than anyone. I think Shirley’s statement is too vague.
Shirley sent a letter on behalf of FNPS to FW stating the membership concern about possible changes to the Reserve and requested consideration regarding management.
7/28/06 Per Karina- Gerri Linsay with the FWC left a message today stating the FL cabinet approved the transfer and that a cap on hunting days will be written into the lease. It is not clear whether the cap will be the existing number of hunting days that exist now or a different number of days as the cap. Because of our earlier written concerns, she has asked if this will suffice for the concerns we raised and invited us to comment on if we would like any other information added. The catch is everything will be finalize/deadline for comment is August 1st.
*Shirley: Do you have an official statement?
*My recommendation from earlier correspondence would be to answer with the following:
The major concern of the Florida Native Plant Society is that the balance between protection of natural resources and recreational activities and their correlating intensity can too easily be changed in the future. The Florida Native Plant Society recommends that you can incorporate a written commitment in regards to the management of the land to maintain the natural resources in their current or improved state and a commitment to maintain the current balance of recreational uses into the lease/official record of the transfer.
Background
The issue is the transfer of Tosohactee Reserve management from the oversight of Florida Parks to FWC. The move is perceived by FNPS members as a threat to the future land management priorities of the Reserve for ecological function versus for the purposes of game and hunting.
Big Bend Development
Action
We recommend that either Karina or we (Kim) contact 1,000 Friends of Florida to find out what they may be doing about this development and then make a decision as to how we would proceed. Developing through an aquatic preserve should be a concern for the Society. We can also post the related news articles on the policy committee link. The Society may want to join the efforts of 1,000 Friends of Florida or the Wildlife Federation. This may be a good issue to request Earthshare dollar support.
Background
7/06 Per Karina The "Big Bend Development" refers to a proposed development called "Magnolia Bay" in Dekle Beach (300 miles East of Pensacola) in an area called 'Boggy Bay'. I was keeping track of this because it has state wide governmental policy changes potentially at stake. The development proposes a 7-foot-deep channel 2 miles long and 100 feet wide through the Big Bend Seagrass Aquatic Preserve, the state’s largest aquatic preserve (and one of the largest stretches of uninterrupted sea grass in North America).
In order for this development to move forward as proposed, government officials need to make variances and agree to change the existing aquatic preserve area definition.(per Kim aquatic preserves are state jurisdiction not local variance- this may need correction) Taylor County must change the rural zoning. The water district and the Army Corps must permit developing the wetlands of a "preserve" area, and the governor and Cabinet will have to approve the channel.
Groups such as 1,000 Friends of Florida, the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club oppose it. Recently, Causey and some friends stood at the Dekle Beach boat ramp and collected more than 200 signatures on an anti-marina petition.
I have attached (3) articles pertaining to this issue.
Genetic Breeding and Native Plants
Action
8/25/06 Recommend FNPS adopt findings of GEAC as reference for position on genetic breeding and native plants. Post GEAC white paper link on web for member reference. ESA Position Paper Submitted to the ESA Governing Board November 21, 2003
Accepted by the ESA Governing Board February 26, 2004 “Genetically engineered organisms and the environment: Current status and recommendations”
(
http://www.esa.org/pao/esaPositions/Papers/geo_position.htm)
7/29/06 At this time we recommend no action until further research.
Background
GEAC is an organization that is studying and publishing the negative impacts of cross-hybridization of genetically altered plants with native plants. The proposal for the agenda is to support this organization with a $100 membership.
SR 20 - Fowler's Prairie
Action
We would like Karina to contact the local chapter to see if anyone can review the site plan.
Background
SR 20 - Fowler's Prairie: This issue regards the proposed 4-lane widening of SR20 between Hawthorne and Interlachen (in the area of Fowler's Prairie and Little Orange Creek Ecosystem preserve) and the impacts to the hydrology and water quality. There is no opposition to the road widening only that it be planned and implemented with scientific data and master planning so that the preserve is not impacted but actually can enhance the hydrology of the wet prairie. Several environmental entities just want to make sure that the project happens properly.
8/25/06 Fred George Basin Conservation Project
Action
Recommend Society implement policy for Forever Florida land acquisition projects to be given a letter of support. Provide a letter of support for acquisition of Fred George Basin Conservation Project at this time. Copy information to Magnolia Chapter requesting additional letters of support.
Background
Misty Penton
Advocate/Founder
Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good 501 c 4 (ACCG)
317 E. Park Ave
Tallahassee, FL 32302
[email protected] 559-9661
I am writing to request a letter of support for the Save Fred George
Basin Conservation Project. Thank you for your interest and concern
for Florida's natural beauty and our quality of life which can only be
sustained by citizen protection of our natural resources.
The following is a short briefing on the Save Fred George Basin
Conservation Project in Leon County which encompasses some 160+/-
acres. This acreage includes: habitat for endangered species, aquifer
recharge (karst) areas, is adjacent to an active sinkhole and has
natural flood storage.
A proposed development has now turned into a conservation project with
the support of developers, property owners, and neighbors, Leon County
local government and public conservation groups. We are in the process
of applying for Florida Forever grants with the North West Florida
Water Management District, and the Florida Community
Trust program (DCA) for acquisition matching funds with Leon County.
We are requesting a letter of support from you saying our project is a
win-win example of public funds for 'the common good' . We are
applying for two grants, and the NWFWMD grant deadline (Florida
Forever) is September 25th! If there is any way to send a letter
(electronic pdf or I will come pick it up!) we can use it as soon as
possible. A simple draft letter is attached.
We've recieved commitments and/or letters of support (and are
so appreciative!) from Florida Audubon, Apalachee Audubon Society (our
local chapter), FPIRG, 1000 Friends of Florida, Blueprint 2000. An
official resolution, (passed unanimously by our local Ochlockonee
River Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors) to support
acquisition of these sensitive parcels, is a good overview/summary
from professionals:
Ochlockonee River Soil and Water Conservation District (ORSWCD)
Supervisors Resolution
Fred George Basin Resolution
Regarding the Ochlockonee River Soil and Water Conservation District’s
interest in the future of parcels 21-08-20-602-0000,
21-08-20-606-0000, and 21-08-20-604-0000 within the Fred George Basin
Whereas, The mission of the Ochlockonee River Soil and Water
Conservation District includes promoting and advocating conservation
practices and policies which will benefit the soil and water of Leon
County
Whereas, The Fred George Basin is a regionally important karst basin
with an active sinkhole.
Whereas, conservation of the listed parcels will provide permanent
areas important for natural flood storage and aquifer recharge.
Whereas, conservation of the listed parcels will protect habitat of
endangered species including, but not limited to, the American Wood
Stork and Gopher Tortoise.
Whereas, neighbors, property owners, and developers are currently
undertaking efforts to protect the sensitive areas through
conservation.
The Ochlockonee River Soil and Water Conservation District resolves to
support the use of the listed parcels for conservation.
