Agenda Item Name:
Title
Addition of certain land conservation projects to the Alachua County Forever Active Acquisition List.
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Presenter:
Charlie Houder / (352) 264-6804
Description:
Request the Board of County Commissioners approve the addition of Lake Santa Fe - Bryson and Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson land conservation projects to the Alachua County Forever Active Acquisition List (Full Price List). Addition of these projects to the Active Acquisition List, authorizes staff to: obtain title work and appraisals, negotiate price and terms with the owner, and execute an option contract.
The execution of any option will be brought back to the Board for consideration.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
1. Approve the addition of Lake Santa Fe - Bryson property on the Active Acquisition List as a Conservation Easement. (Full Price List)
2. Approve the addition of Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson property on the Active Acquisition List as a Fee Simple Acquisition. (Full Price List)
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Prior Board Motions:
None
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
Cost Estimates for Acquisition & Stewardship: $935,209 (Exhibit 3)
Due Diligence - Operation: 021.41.4160.537.31.00 - 6184160
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Background:
As with all of our conservation lands, if accepted as an acquisition, this property will go through the vetting process for the Registry of Protected Places.
On January 23, 2020, Mr. Bryson nominated the subject property to the Alachua County Forever Program. On February 27, 2020, the Land Conservation Board placed the ~90.56 acre Lake Santa Fe - Bryson property on the Priority Pool as a conservation easement.
The Bryson property consists of one parcel (18389-005-000). The parcel is located in eastern Alachua County, on the Bradford County line. It is adjacent to the Suwannee River Water Management District’s Santa Fe Swamp Conservation Area, and is approximately one mile east of the Lake Alto Swamp Strategic Ecosystem. The property is due north of the Fisher, Fisher and John’s property, which connects Hickory Pond with Little Lake Santa Fe, and is on the Active Acquisition List.
The Bryson property is a mixture of basin swamp, basin marsh and dome swamp in the Santa Fe Swamp, with a small area of mesic flatwoods and approximately 45 acres of improved pasture. The Santa Fe Swamp is designated as part of the Santa Fe River System, an Outstanding Florida Waterway. Together, Lake Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Swamp serve as the headwaters for the Santa Fe River. Twenty-three acres of the Outstanding Florida Waterway occur on the Bryson property.
The property has about 1,400 feet of a canal located on it that leads to Little Lake Santa Fe. This canal was dug in the 1970’s for boat access to the lake. The property also has two structures on it: one is a 1,976 square foot home, and the second is a small storage pole barn.
Seen on the property, were State-threatened species of hooded pitcher plants and blue herons, in addition to Federally-threatened wood storks and Florida sandhill cranes. Overall, approximately 20 additional species of birds were observed on the site visit. The landowner has observed Florida Black bear, American alligator, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, water moccasin, coral snake, softshell turtle, snapping turtle, bobcat, sirens, river otter, Mississippi kites osprey and others. Very few exotic plants seen on the property during the site visit. (Exhibit 1)
On February 25, 2020, Mr. Wayne Jefferson nominated the subject property to the Alachua County Forever Program. On May 28, 2020, the Land Conservation Board placed the 293-acre Lake Santa Fe - Jefferson property on the Priority Pool for fee simple acquisition.
The Jefferson property consists of one parcel (18381-000-000). The property is located in eastern Alachua County, generally between Lake Alto and Little Lake Santa Fe. More specifically, the western boundary of the parcel is along County Road 1471 and the eastern boundary includes portions of Hickory Pond. The land is also within the Lake Santa Fe Project Area designation. Together, with the Fisher, Fisher and John’s property, which is on the active acquisition list, these two parcels make a potentially significant ecological connection between Lake Alto Preserve and Lake Santa Fe.
The Jefferson parcel supports a variety of habitats including, wet flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, remnant sandhill, blackwater stream, cypress dome swamps, basin swamp, basin marsh, clastic lake and swamp lake, overall in good condition.
Found on the property, the State Threatened rainlily and three commercially exploited plants: needle palm, royal fern and cinnamon fern. Wildlife species observed include bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, pine warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, white tailed deer, gopher tortoise and black racer. Over all, the exotic plants seen on the property were diverse, but in low densities. (Exhibit 2)
Comp Plan Reference:
Policy 6.0 Land Conservation Program within the Conservation and Open Space Element, states “Establish and maintain a land conservation program for the purchase, preservation, and management of natural areas and open space to complement the regulatory approaches identified in other section of this element.”