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CCLAAC Outreach Committee Minutes 03/24/2021 - Draft March 24, 2021 1 MINUTES OF THE CONSERVATION COLLIER LAND ACQUISITION ADVISORY COMMITTEE OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING Naples, Florida, March 24, 2021 LET IT BE REMEMBERED, the Conservation Collier Outreach Subcommittee in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 3:00 P.M. in REGULAR SESSION at Administrative Building “F”, 3rd Floor, Collier County Government Complex Naples, Florida with the following members present: CHAIRMAN: Brittany Patterson-Weber Michael Seef (via Zoom) Michelle Lenhard (via Zoom) David Corban (via Zoom) Gary Bromley (Excused) Thomas Iandimarino (Excused) ALSO PRESENT: Summer Araque, Conservation Collier Program Coordinator Molly DuVall, Environmental Specialist Mitchell Barazowski, Environmental Specialist (via Zoom) Melissa Hennig, Sr. Environmental Specialist (via Zoom) March 24, 2021 2 The meeting was held via Zoom and personal attendance in the Board Room. The meeting was called to order at 2:00 P.M. Roll call was taken and a quorum was established. 1. Acceptance of Agenda The Subcommittee accepted the Agenda as presented. 2. Review of Minutes from September 18, 2020 The Subcommittee reviewed and approved the minutes of the September 18, 2020 meeting as presented. 3. Election of Subcommittee Chair Ms. Lenhard nominated Brittany Patterson-Weber for Chairman of the Subcommittee. No other nominations were tendered and Ms. Patterson-Weber was declared Chairman. 4. Old Business (none proposed as of the publishing of this agenda) None 5. New Business a) Target Protection Areas (TPA’s) Cycle 10 Ms. Araque presented the report “Conservation Collier Future Acquisition Strategies” and provided on historical perspective on the TPA’s which were first developed during Cycle 1 in 2002. She noted: • In addition to those parties eligible to nominate parcels for acquisition consideration, the County identified lots in certain geographic areas where owners should be contacted by US mail to determine if they are interested in selling their land to the County. • For example, during Cycle 2, 758 owners were contacted and in Cycle 3, 871 were mailed the information. • Recently, staff conducted a GIS evaluation of lands and developed updated maps identifying approximately 98,000 acres of land for consideration in future acquisition Cycles. • Each area identified is unique given its geographic location, individual environmental characteristics, the proximity of wildlife habitat, wildlife corridors, flow ways, pressure from development, etc. • One priority should be those contiguous to existing Conservation Collier or other County lands. Another would be those located in urban areas as defined by the County’s Future Land Use Map (FLUM). Ms. Duvall provided a detailed overview of the individually mapped areas including their number of parcels, total acreages, environmental characteristics, etc. Mr. Corban left the meeting at 3:00 p.m. After the presentation, the following was noted during Subcommittee discussions: • Approximately 1100 - 1200 parcels are included in the mapped areas and it would be beneficial to prioritize the number of owners to be contacted due to limitation of staff time to be dedicated to the endeavor. • The Ordinance governing the program outlines 5 criteria which may provide guidance to the Committee on their priorities. March 24, 2021 3 • Contiguous parcels should be a primary consideration and investigation should continue on the feasibility of establishing a mechanism where these properties may be purchased outside a Cycle, similar to the multi parcel project endeavor ongoing within the program. The Committee reviewed the TPA’s as proposed by staff and provided recommendations noting all maps should be amended as necessary to eliminate any parcels currently proposed for, or under development and those already protected from development through other means. . Meredith Budd, Florida Wildlife Federation and Brad Cornell of the Audubon of the Western Everglades provided comments for consideration during the review. TPA’s Associated with Existing Preserves Dr. Robert H. Gore, III Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 417; Total Acreage - 938; Average Acreage - 2; Maximum Acreage – 8. Discussions occurred noting given the large number of small acreage parcels identified within the map, it may be prudent to segregate the targeted area and prioritize lands contiguous to, or in close proximity to the existing preserve and concentrate on the outlying parcels at a later date. Revise the map providing for a phased approach for acquiring the parcels based on their proximity to the existing preserve lands. Nancy Payton Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 77; Total Acreage – 353; Average Acreage – 4.5; Maximum Acreage – 16.75. Revise the map to include all the adjacent parcels on the westerly side and the larger parcels on the easterly side as they would not be a priority at this point in time. Caracara Prairie Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 20; Total Acreage – 467.5; Average Acreage – 23; Maximum Acreage – 143. Water protection area Map to remain as proposed. Pepper Ranch Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 40; Total Acreage – 2,069; Average Acreage – 51; Maximum Acreage - 651. Map to remain as proposed. Railhead Scrub Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 8; Total Acreage – 108; Average Acreage – 13.5; Maximum Acreage – 76. Map to remain as proposed. McIlvane Marsh: Total No. of Parcels - 11; Total Acreage – 67.5; Average Acreage – 6; Maximum Acreage – 331. Map to remain as proposed. March 24, 2021 4 Rivers Road Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 655; Total Acreage – 6.7; Average Acreage – 97; Maximum Acreage – 121. Potential wildlife corridor implications in the area Map to remain as proposed. Panther Walk Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 373; Total Acreage – 587.4; Average Acreage – 1.5; Maximum Acreage – 6.26. Discussion occurred noting the targeted area contains parcels lying within a wildlife corridor and adjacent to preserve lands of the proposed Immokalee Road Rural Village. These lands are located in the northwest area of the map and are not contiguous to the Preserve, however it would be beneficial to prioritize them based on their enhancement of wildlife movement in the area. Map to be revised prioritizing those parcels lying in the northerly and westerly portion of the targeted area which provide a wildlife corridor connection to the Immokalee Road Rural Village Planned Unit Development preserve lands. Gordon River Greenway: Total No. of Parcels - 13; Total Acreage – 40; Average Acreage – 3; Maximum Acreage – 9.6. Low priority area Map to be revised to encompass only the northerly parcels. This TPA should be considered a low priority. Shell Island Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 34; Total Acreage – 38.5; Average Acreage – 11; Maximum Acreage – 65. Map to remain as proposed. Rattlesnake Hammock Preserve: Total No. of Parcels - 37; Total Acreage – 235; Average Acreage – 6; Maximum Acreage – 77. Map to be revised removing the outlying parcels. Other TPA’s Cocohatchee Bay: Total No. of Parcels - 2; Total Acreage – 172.05. Map to remain as proposed. Parcels Adjacent to Naples Botanical Garden: Total No. of Parcels - 3; Total Acreage – 71.4; Average Acreage – 23.8; Maximum Acreage – 31. Map to remain as proposed. Parcels Adjacent US41/SR29 Marsh: Total No. of Parcels - 19; Total Acreage – 6281; Average Acreage – 330; Maximum Acreage – 671. Map to remain as proposed. The Committee recommended the following TPA’s be a priority as indicated below: March 24, 2021 5 1. Railhead Scrub Preserve. 2. Nancy Payton Preserve. 3. Panther Walk Preserve. 4. Robert H. Gore, III Preserve. 5. Pepper Ranch. Ms. Araque noted the maps will be amended as recommended and brought forth to the full Committee at the April meeting. A Resolution would be developed for consideration by the BCC before the letters are disseminated to the identified landowners in the TPA’s. 6. Chair & Subcommittee member comments None 7. Coordinator Updates None 8. Set Next Meeting Date and Agenda Next meeting TBD 8. Adjournment There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by order of the chair at 5:10 P.M. Conservation Collier Outreach Subcommittee ____________________________________________________ Brittany Patterson-Weber, Chairman These minutes approved by the Board/Committee on _________________ as presented ________ or as amended ___________.