Save This Land

As money runs low,  Conservation Charlotte switches focus from purchasing land to maintaining and developing existing preserves.

"We trundled down the wilderness path between groves of old pine, patches of water oak and then a grove of cabbage palms. I had to get out and walk. I don't know if it is the soul, the psyche or just the body settling into a comfortable match of the tranquility emanating from a quiet open space surrounded by the canopy of pines and pin oaks, the mangroves bordering pond and creek or the turning a bend upon an open field with infinity of blue sky overhead. There are no sounds of cars or air conditioners, no people's voices or dogs barking. It is the definition of tranquility. The body seems to settle into nature's quiet rhythm."

—Derek Dunn-Rankin, President of the Charlotte Sun, recounting his visit by golf cart to Thornton Key Preserve, a Conservation Charlotte acquisition. Charlotte Sun, April 20, 2008.

In the fall of 2006, Charlotte County voters approved a millage increase that enabled the county to purchase "environmentally sensitive" lands. Less than three years and five acquisitions later, the program known as Conservation Charlotte faces an uncertain future.

The vote authorized the Board of County Commissioners to annually levy up to two-tenths of a mill over 20 years, with the proceeds paying off bonds sufficient to raise up to $77 million. Plummeting property values and construction falloff have put a damper on that initial projection. Nearly $52 million in bonds has been issued. Approximately $47 million is financing the acquisition of five sites, leaving nearly $5 million unencumbered.

Bonding capacity won't increase unless property values and construction recover or the county seeks a millage extension. Neither is likely in the current economic climate. Furthermore, there's some concern that the existing millage will fall short of producing enough money to pay the bonds' annual principal and interest

The $5 million still available can't be used to pay down existing debt. It can only be used to purchase additional lands and must be spent within two years to meet bonding regulations. It also can't be used to maintain the five acquired sites. Consequently, the county has to rely on general fund money and other sources to pay the estimated annual maintenance cost of $93,000.

As of March, further purchases were on hold. The focus is more on maintaining the five sites and developing public uses where possible.

How the Program Works

Anyone can nominate a tract of land for consideration. The site is reviewed by the seven-member Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee, an advisory body appointed by the county board. The committee is provided assessments of the site's qualifications by county staff, led by Andy Stevens, natural resources manager, and a consultant, Wildlands Conservation of Venice.

There are several criteria for site selection:

• Importance to animal habitats and native plant life
• Connection to existing areas of protected natural habitat, thus restoring or conserving a wildlife corridor
• Past preservation of the site's ecosystem, thus requiring minimal, if any, restoration
• Potential problems in managing the site, such as adverse impacts on neighboring land or the site itself, trespass issues and fire prevention and control
• Importance to the area's water quality

The committee can reject a proposed site or recommend it to the county board. If the board accepts the recommendation, independent appraisals are sought and negotiations with the site's owner begin. If a price is agreed on, Stevens and the committee devise a plan for preserving the site and providing accessibility to the public.

The Five Sites

Shell Creek Preserve includes 370 acres of rare native habitats along Shell Creek. The creek is a major source of drinking water for the city of Punta Gorda and unincorporated parts of the county. Protecting it will help preserve the water quality and provide an important link in a regional wildlife corridor, according to Conservation Charlotte's Web site.

The 85-acre Buck Creek Preserve is one of the largest areas of unprotected native habitat remaining on the Cape Haze Peninsula. This preserve includes a mix of flatwoods and mangrove swamp and provides habitat for a variety of animals, including gopher tortoises, eagles and wading birds.

Deep Creek, 450 acres adjacent to the Peace River, features a mix of flatwoods, forested wetlands, marshes and mangrove swamp. The potential exists for the northern portion of the site to provide habitat for the protected scrub jay.

Thornton Key Preserve consists of 35 acres in the middle of Thornton Key, an island in Lemon Bay. The importance of this site is to preserve increasingly rare coastal upland habitats, according to the Web site. Its hardwood wetlands contain rare plant species and provide habitat for migratory birds.

Prairie Creek Preserve is made up of 1,603 acres of upland habitats, including scrubby and pine flatwoods and palmetto prairies. Prairie Creek, a tributary of Shell Creek Reservoir, runs through the center of the property and serves as a source of drinking water for Punta Gorda and unincorporated parts of the county. This preserve provides habitat for several wildlife species, including scrub jays, gopher tortoises and eastern indigo snakes.

The consensus among county commissioners, staff and the Oversight Committee is that the five acquired sites were worthy of being selected. Stevens called the sites "environmental jewels."

However, the process of selecting those sites was sometimes controversial. For instance, Prairie Creek Preserve, formerly known as the Ryals Ranch, was purchased for more than $26 million, half the bond proceeds total. While appraisals suggested the $16,500-per-acre price tag was fair, adjacent property subsequently sold for much less per acre.

The county paid too much for that land, said Commissioner Bob Starr, who was elected to the board last fall and is now its liaison to the Oversight Committee. In order to make the unspent $5 million go farther, he wants staff and the committee to work harder to find matching state grant money.

The Future of Conservation

Starr said he doesn't see the need to ask voters to extend the millage for future land purchases. "Frankly, there isn't much left in the county that needs acquiring," he said. Besides, he added, if a site is truly environmentally sensitive, developers wouldn't be clamoring to build on it anyway.

Indeed, it's estimated that more than a third of the county's land mass is already under some form of conservation, but most of that is located in three areas: state buffer preserve around the harbor, Babcock Ranch and the Cecil B. Webb Wildlife Management area. Charlotte Conservation sites account for less than one percent of that acreage.

Starr said the county should focus on managing the five sites. To save money, he hopes to persuade environmental groups to volunteer to help maintain them by removing invasive species and the like. He also would like to see the public given greater access to and use of the lands where environmentally feasible. Presently, all sites include hiking trails. Shell Creek Preserve has two shelters, and Thornton Key offers a dock for boaters. Starr suggests creating primitive campsites for starters.

"Let's try it," he said. "If it works, we can look at more elaborate public uses, like canoe liveries and concessions, run by private enterprise so the taxpayers wouldn't have to pay for it. That would be a great attraction to our area."

Commissioner Adam Cummings, Starr's predecessor as board liaison to the Oversight Committee, and Jim Cooper, former Oversight Committee chair, disagree with Starr over the number of environmentally sensitive lands that still need protection from development.

"There are still a lot of parcels that would be good to get, like near Rotonda [on the Cape Haze peninsula] and along Burnt Store Road," Cummings said. "The more valuable the land becomes, the greater the pressure to allow building on it. [Developers] can figure ways to develop it.

"If just residential development plans on the books now in Charlotte County move forward, we could see our population increasing from 152,000 people to as many as 800,000, roughly the population of Tampa. The numbers are just staggering and will require extensive new infrastructure."

As for matching state funds, "I don't think anyone knows how much is available," Cooper said. "It's highly competitive."

The county did receive some state funds for the Buck Creek site two years after purchasing it. Through its Florida Forever conservation land-buying program, the state provides funds to local governments to acquire and preserve lands for natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. The money is distributed through a number of agencies and programs, such as the Florida Communities Trust and Southwest Florida Water Management District. A spokesman for the trust said its share for 2009 has been allocated and funding for 2010 is uncertain.

Still, Conservation Charlotte's consultant, Dave Sumpter, executive director of Wildlands Conservation, believes the program can get a piece of the Florida Forever pie again. Regardless, "$5 million is $5 million," he said, referring to the county's unencumbered acquisition funds. "With real estate values what they are today, that will buy what $10 million would have yesterday."