Dear Commissioners,
I urge you to support the resolution to accept the Special Area Study and move forward with Staff recommendations for Scenario #1, the Local and State Conservation Easements
I would not support Scenario #2, the development scenario
I thank the Lee family for their long years of stewardship, and their efforts to keep the land as working lands under conservation easements— and hope we as a county do all we can in support of obtaining the various funds necessary for the easements so that scenario can play out.
I also urge that any easements in which the county has a voice, to ensure that land management practices that promote biodiversity of plants and animals, and management practices such as holistic planned grazing, silvopasture, polycultures, and soil building, are included in allowable practices.
The table on slide #18 rates key attributes of this land such as aquifer recharge and wildlife habitat as 3 and 4. Attributes such as ecological quality and community diversity that rate as 1, have the potential, with holistic management/ agroecological practices, to become 3 & 4, since the underlying key conditions are there.
I support Staff recommendations for the golf course and its management. It must be under the strictest management practices that support bird and pollinator habitat— especially in terms of minimizing any chemical use of all sorts— fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides.
In addition, using cisterns as part of stormwater management and irrigation use mentioned in the recommendations should be explored since there is a commercial building and a cluster of houses with a lot of roof footage — as UF/IFAS notes, you can collect 600 gallons of water per 1000 sq ft of roof in a 1” rain.
Metering of any groundwater use/ wells should be required and water use minimized as staff has noted
This is a major jewel in the Emerald Necklace so vital to our county’s resilience, water quality and supply, capacity to deal with volatile conditions as climate destabilizes , and ecological integrity. Working lands such as this are an endangered species that must be protected. They form the backbone of our wildlife corridors and refuge for the non human creatures without whom we will not survive, as well as being so vital to us humans.
Thank you
Nancy Deren
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