Natural Resource Value of Edison Farms/Agripartners Through Research - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Natural Resource Value of Edison Farms/Agripartners Through Research and Science Through Research and Science

Presented by: Jessica Stubbs, Natural Resources Specialist

Introduction to Edi F

• Almost 4,000 acres

Edison Farms

,

• Within Estero Bay

watershed

• East of I‐75 between

Bonita Beach Road and Corkscrew Road Corkscrew Road

• Contiguous with CREW

to the east to the east

Introduction to Edi F Edison Farms

• Over 3,500 acres of

, wetlands

• Approximately 425 acres

f d b d

• f undisturbed, native

uplands

• FPL easement and some

FPL easement and some disturbed land in the southeast corner

Introduction to Edi F Edison Farms

• Majority of wetlands

j y consist of cypress

• Contains Hydric Pine

l d Flatwoods – underrepresented natural community

• Uplands are mostly dry

prairie and pine flatwoods

Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of Edi F Edison Farms

• Landscape‐Level Natural Resource Value

p

• Florida Forever Ranking
• Lee County Master Mitigation Plan
• Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP)
• Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Water Quality
• Estero Bay Impaired Waters List
• Estero Bay TMDLs and BMAPs

Estero Bay TMDLs and BMAPs

• Southwest Florida Feasibility Study (SWFFS)
• Lee County Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) Study
• Hydrology / Water Supply

y gy / pp y

• Lee County DR/GR Study
• Dover Kohl Study
• SWFFS

Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of Edison Farms

• Wood Stork Protection

Edison Farms

• South Florida Multi Species Recovery Plan for Wood Storks
• Wood Stork Recovery Plan
• Wood Stork 5 Year Review
• Prospects for Southeast Lee County Report
• Prospects for Southeast Lee County Report
• Large Mammal Protection
• How Much is Enough? Landscape‐scale Conservation for the Florida Panther
• Florida Panther Recovery Plan

Florida Panther Recovery Plan

• Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System
• Wildlife Habitat and Corridor Protection
• Southwest Florida EIS
• Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Proposal
• Coastal Conservation Corridor Plan
• Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System

Landscape‐Level Natural Resource Value p

Florida Forever Ranking Florida Forever Ranking

• Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees approved priority list March 2010 ‐ “Group A” d d

• ARC recommended

priority list June 2010 ‐ #3 in “Partnerships and p Regional Incentives Projects”

Landscape‐Level Natural Resource Value p

Lee County Master Mitigation Plan Lee County Master Mitigation Plan

• Acquisition of Edison Farms is Project #1 listed in Appendix B
• Identifies Biodiversity and Hydrogeology as key benefits
• Lee County Future Land Use (FLU) Map identifies Edison Farms

as an “Environmentally Critical Area”

Landscape‐Level Natural Resource Value p

Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project Identification Project (CLIP)

• Strategic Habitat Conservation

g Area

• Biodiversity Hotspots
• Rare Species Habitat

Rare Species Habitat Conservation Priorities

• Under‐protected Natural

Communities Communities

• Ecological Greenways
• Wetlands

Landscape‐Level Natural Resource Value p

Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Environmental Impact Statement

• 5 ensembles for future

development and preserve areas

• All ensembles show Edison

Farms as “preserve” Farms as preserve

Water Quality Q y

i d Estero Bay Impaired Waters List

• Most prevalent

impairment is DO with / TN and/or TP being the causative pollutant

• Also have Fecal
• Also have Fecal

Coliform impairments

Water Quality Q y

Estero Bay TMDLs and BMAPs and BMAPs

• Future TMDLs –

dit t l d credit to load reductions?

• Imperial River

BMAP dit? BMAP credit?

• SWFFS identifies

DO as vital to t ti protecting downstream resources

Water Quality Q y

/G Lee County DR/GR

• Restoring flowways
• Wetlands naturally

filter nutrient pollution filter nutrient pollution

Hydrology / Water Supply Supply

/G Lee County DR/GR

• DR/GR area = high

DR/GR area = high aquifer recharge

• 2 well field protection

areas

• Groundwater

connections connections

Hydrology / Water Supply y gy / pp y

SWFFS SWFFS

• Focus on

water storage

• Corkscrew

watershed watershed received the highest score for surface for surface water hydrology

Wood Stork Protection

• South Florida Multi

S i R Pl Species Recovery Plan

• Wood Stork Recovery

Plan Plan

• Wood Stork 5 Year

Review

• Prospects for

Southeast Lee County Report Report

Large Mammal Protection g

• Kautz et al Study
• Florida Panther

Recovery Plan

• Edison Farms is 100%

Primary Panther habitat

Large Mammal Habitat g

• Closing the Gaps in

g p Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System System

• SHCA for “umbrella

species”

Wildlife Habitat and Corridor and Corridor Protection

• SWF EIS
• Everglades

Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Proposal p

• Coastal Conservation

Corridor Plan

• Integrated Wildlife

Habitat Ranking System y

Public Acquisition of Edison Farms is Vital q

• Vast amounts of literature highlight

natural resource value

• Many reports recommend public

acquisition of the property

• Numerous partnerships for acquisition

exist

• Request CLASAC to forward this

i ti hi h i it nomination as a high priority acquisition project

Questions?

Jessica Stubbs Jennifer Hecker

jessicas@conservancy.org jenniferh@conservancy.org

(239) 403‐4231 (239) 325‐2661