Natural Resource Value of Edison Farms/Agripartners
Through Research and Science
Presented by: Jessica Stubbs, Natural Resources Specialist
• Almost 4,000 acres
• Within Estero Bay watershed
• East of I-75 between Bonita Beach Road and Corkscrew Road
• Contiguous with CREW to the east
Introduction to Edison Farms
Introduction to Edison Farms
• Over 3,500 acres of wetlands
• Approximately 425 acres of undisturbed, native uplands
• FPL easement and some disturbed land in the southeast corner
Introduction to Edison Farms
• Majority of wetlands consist of cypress
• Contains Hydric Pine Flatwoods – underrepresented natural community
• Uplands are mostly dry prairie and pine flatwoods
Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of Edison Farms
• Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value• Florida Forever Ranking• Lee County Master Mitigation Plan• Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP)• Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Water Quality• Estero Bay Impaired Waters List• Estero Bay TMDLs and BMAPs• Southwest Florida Feasibility Study (SWFFS)• Lee County Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) Study
• Hydrology / Water Supply• Lee County DR/GR Study• Dover Kohl Study• SWFFS
• Wood Stork Protection• South Florida Multi Species Recovery Plan for Wood Storks• Wood Stork Recovery Plan• Wood Stork 5 Year Review• Prospects for Southeast Lee County Report
• Large Mammal Protection• How Much is Enough? Landscape-scale Conservation for the Florida Panther• 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
Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of Edison Farms
Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
Florida Forever Ranking
• Board of Trustees approved priority list March 2010 - “Group A”
• ARC recommended priority list June 2010 - #3 in “Partnerships and Regional Incentives Projects”
Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
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
Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP)
• Strategic Habitat Conservation Area
• Biodiversity Hotspots• Rare Species Habitat
Conservation Priorities• Under-protected Natural
Communities• Ecological Greenways• Wetlands
Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Statement
• 5 ensembles for future development and preserve areas
• All ensembles show Edison Farms as “preserve”
Water Quality
Estero Bay Impaired Waters List
• Most prevalent impairment is DO with TN and/or TP being the causative pollutant
• Also have Fecal Coliform impairments
Water QualityEstero Bay TMDLs
and BMAPs
• Future TMDLs – credit to load reductions?
• Imperial River BMAP credit?
• SWFFS identifies DO as vital to protecting downstream resources
Water Quality
Lee County DR/GR
• Restoring flowways• Wetlands naturally
filter nutrient pollution
Hydrology / Water Supply
Lee County DR/GR
• DR/GR area = high aquifer recharge
• 2 well field protection areas
• Groundwater connections
Hydrology / Water Supply
SWFFS• Focus on
water storage
• Corkscrew watershed received the highest score for surface water hydrology
Wood Stork Protection
• South Florida Multi Species Recovery Plan
• Wood Stork Recovery Plan
• Wood Stork 5 Year Review
• Prospects for Southeast Lee County Report
Large Mammal Protection
• Kautz et al Study• Florida Panther
Recovery Plan• Edison Farms is 100%
Primary Panther habitat
Large Mammal Habitat
• Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System
• SHCA for “umbrella species”
Wildlife Habitat and Corridor Protection
• SWF EIS• Everglades
Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Proposal
• Coastal Conservation Corridor Plan
• Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System
Public Acquisition of Edison Farms is Vital
• 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 nomination as a high priority acquisition project
Questions?
Jessica Stubbs Jennifer [email protected] [email protected]
(239) 403-4231 (239) 325-2661
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