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CCLAAC Agenda 02/02/2022AGENDA CONSERVATION COLLIER LAND ACQUISITION ADVISORY COMMITTEE February 2, 2022, 1:00 P.M. Commission Boardroom W. Harmon Turner Building (Building “F”), Third Floor All interested parties are invited to attend, and to register to speak. Individuals who would like to participate in person must complete and submit a speaker form. Members of the public who would like to participate remotely, should register HERE to fill out the online speaker registration form. Remote participation is provided as a courtesy and is at the user’s risk. The County is not responsible for technical issues. Individuals who register online will receive an email in advance of the public hearing detailing how they can participate remotely in this meeting. For additional information about the meeting, please call Summer Araque at (239) 252-2979 or email to: ConservationCollier@colliercountyfl.gov 1. Roll Call 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Approval of January 5, 2022 Meeting Minutes 4. Old Business A. Acquisition Cycle 10 Update – Status of Active Acquisition list 5. New Business A. Preserve Updates B. Review of Cycle 11 Timeline 6. Coordinator Communications A. BCC Items B. Committee Member Application(s) C. Proposed revisions to ICSR Scoring Form D. Miscellaneous Items 7. Subcommittee Reports A. Lands Evaluation & Management – Chair, Bill Poteet – next meeting April 21, 2022 B. Outreach – Chair, Brittany Patterson-Weber – next meeting February 15, 2022 C. Ordinance Policy and Rules –Chair, Vacant - last meeting July 28, 2021 8. Chair and Committee Member Comments 9. Public General Comments 10. Staff Comments 11. Next Meeting – March 2, 2022 12. Adjourn ****************************************************************************************************** Committee Members: Please notify Summer Araque at 252-2979 no later than noon Friday, January 28, 2022, if you cannot attend this meeting or if you have a conflict and will abstain from voting on an agenda item. January 5, 2022 1 MINUTES OF THE CONSERVATION COLLIER LAND ACQUISITION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING Naples, Florida, January 5, 2022 LET IT BE REMEMBERED, the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 1:00 P.M. in REGULAR SESSION at Administrative Building “F”, 3rd Floor, Collier County Government Complex Naples, Florida with the following members present: CHAIRMAN: Bill Poteet VICE CHAIRMAN: Michele Lenhard Michael Seef (via Zoom) Gary Bromley Brittany Patterson-Weber Thomas J. Iandimarino Hannah Rinaldi David Corban (via Zoom) Karyn Allman ALSO PRESENT: Summer Araque, Conservation Collier Program Coordinator Jennifer Belpedio, Assistant County Attorney Molly DuVall, Environmental Specialist Christal Segura, Environmental Specialist January 5, 2022 2 Any persons in need of the verbatim record of the meeting may request a copy of the video recording from the Collier County Communications and Customer Relations Department or view online. I. Roll Call Chairman Poteet called the meeting to order at 1:00 P.M. Roll call was taken and a quorum was established with 7 Members present in the Boardroom. Ms. Lenhard moved to allow Mr. Corban and Mr. Seef to participate in the meeting via Zoom due to an extraordinary circumstance. Second by Ms. Patterson-Weber. Carried unanimously 7 – 0. (Mr. Corban joined the meeting at 1:08 p.m. after Item #IV.A). II. Approval of Agenda Ms. Lenhard moved to approve the Agenda. Second by Ms. Rinaldi. Carried unanimously 8 – 0. III. Approval of December 9, 2021 Minutes Ms. Lenhard moved to approve the minutes of the December 9, 2021 subject to the following change:  Page 3, Speakers - from Eric Folk to Eric Foht Second by Mr. Iandimarino. Carried unanimously 8 – 0. V. New Business Mr. Iandimarino reported that he was resigning from the Committee at the end of the meeting to pursue a career opportunity outside the region. A. Selection of Committee Chair Ms. Lenhard nominated Bill Poteet for Chairman of the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee. There were no further nominations. Ms. Lenhard moved to close nominations. Second by Mr. Seef. Carried unanimously 8 – 0. Mr. Poteet retained his position of Chairman of the Committee. Selection of Committee Vice Chair Ms. Rinaldi nominated Michele Lenhard for Vice-Chairman of the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee. There were no further nominations. Ms. Patterson-Weber moved to close nominations. Second by Ms. Rinaldi. Carried unanimously 8 – 0. Ms. Lenhard retained her position as Vice Chairman of the Committee. Mr. Corban joined the meeting at 1:08 p.m. January 5, 2022 3 B. Recommend Appointments for Committee Members Expiring Ms. Araque reported that there are 2 open seats on the Committee with Michele Lenhard, Hannah Rinaldi and Ron Clark filing the necessary applications for consideration. She provided an overview of Mr. Clark’s credentials as he was not present. Ms. Lenhard and Ms. Rinaldi addressed the Committee on their desires to be reappointed to the Committee. During discussion it was noted all 3 candidates are qualified however Ms. Lenhard and Ms. Rinaldi should be reappointed based on their record of service on the Committee. Mr. Iandimarino has announced his resignation which creates another opening and Mr. Clark may apply to fill the vacancy. Ms. Patterson-Weber moved to recommend the Board of County Commissioners re-appoint Michele Lenhard and Hannah Rinaldi to the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee. Second by Mr. Iandimarino. Carried unanimously 9 – 0. C. Preserve Updates Ms. Araque provided the PowerPoint “Conservation Collier Preserve Update” for informational purposes and reported the following: Rattlesnake Hammock – Wildlife cameras installed on site by FStop Foundation captured photos of a Florida Panther. Subsequently, a female panther was captured in the area based on a report by a property manager and was collared by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for research purposes. Staff will be monitoring the activity of the panther through a database. The work continues to provide public access to the site. Pepper Ranch – The preserve is now open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with reservations available for camping on site. Based on existing conditions, the horse and bike trails are anticipated to be available for use by the end of January and the Park Ranger is on site. Staff presented year end photos from the various preserves captured on cameras installed by volunteer Tom Mortensen. The Committee noted:  An Eagle Scout project is slated for the Robert H. Gore, III Preserve.  Consideration should be given to installing additional signage on the roads leading to the Robert H. Gore, III Preserve to help the public locate the site – Staff reported that additional signage was installed in the area and the Committee noted the Lands Evaluation and Management Subcommittee will review the issue to determine if any signs need to be added to identify the location of the site. Speaker Meredith Budd, Florida Wildlife Federation reflected on the importance of collared panthers and there now are 4 collared cats in the area which provide invaluable data on their activities. IV. Old Business January 5, 2022 4 A. Acquisition Cycle 10 Update Ms. Araque provided the draft Executive Summary “Recommendation to approve the tenth Conservation Collier Active Acquisition List (AAL) and direct staff to pursue projects recommended within the A-Category in sequential order spending no more than $14,065,100 within Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Fund (172), and direct staff to start accepting applications for Acquisition Cycle 11 following a similar timeline to Cycle 10.” She noted:  That the ranking list approved by the Committee will be forwarded to the BCC for consideration during their January 25, 2022 meeting.  Public Notice will be issued so more than one Member of the Committee may attend the meeting however Members should not discuss any business that may come before the CCLAAC to avoid a Sunshine Law violation.  The BCC during review of the item, may make changes to the ranking list should they so desire. Ms. Lenhard recommended consideration be given to changing the approved ranking list and move some of the B-List properties to the A-List. The recommendation is based on the estimated cost of all parcels currently on the A-List being less than the funds available for purchase of properties in Cycle 10. Some Members agreed on the concept, while others were not in favor. Ms. Araque expressed concern on taking such action as the item is not on the Agenda and lacks public notice. During Committee discussion, the following was noted:  The applicants and public are not present at today’s meeting to provide comment on the item.  It may be beneficial to retain the extra funds to allow for purchase of the preserve expansion parcels which may become available during the year.  Such an action may set a precedent for other property owners who filed applications during Cycle 10 and were not ranked on the A-List to come forward and request changes after the fact.  The properties assigned to the B-List automatically are returned for consideration in the next Cycle unless the owner withdraws the application filed with the program. Speaker Meredith Budd, Florida Wildlife Federation supported the concept of changing the list as a specific amount of funds were allocated to the acquisition of properties for Cycle 10. Jennifer Belpedio, Assistant County Attorney recommended the ranking list not be altered as it was developed previously at a public meeting in accordance with the Ordinance governing the Committee. Changes at this point at today’s meeting may be problematic, if not legally, the appearance of such an action taken by the Committee. During further discussions options to address the issue absent of the Committee re-ranking the parcels may include adding language to the Executive Summary on the observation so the BCC is aware of the concept of re-ranking the parcels in question and moving them to the A-List or Members appearing to provide comment when the BCC hears the item. January 5, 2022 5 Chairman Poteet polled the Committee with 6 Members in favor of retaining the current Acquisition Ranking List and 3 in favor of amending the list (Ms. Lenhard, Ms. Rinaldi and Mr. Seef). Ms. Araque provided the “Real Property Management Procedures from 8-14-08 and 8-23-21 (RMSP & WH parcels) changes” for informational purposes. She provided an overview of the document which outlines the guidelines for acquisitions of the Conservation Collier properties by the County. VI. Coordinator Communications A. BCC Items Ms. Araque reported: 1/11/22 – Consideration contracts for purchase of lands in Red Maple Swamp and Winchester Head. 1/25/22 – Consideration of a contracts for donation of land in Red Maple Swamp and review of the Cycle 10 Ranking List B. Miscellaneous Items Ms. Araque noted that Members should be aware there will be a change in the format of the meeting packet beginning with next month’s meeting. VII. Subcommittee Reports A. Lands Evaluation & Management – Chair, Bill Poteet – Next meeting April 21, 2022 B. Outreach – Chair, Brittany Patterson-Weber - Next meeting February 15, 2022 The meeting will include discussion on the Cycle 11 Target Protection Areas and the representatives from the City of Naples and Marco Island should be notified of the gathering in case they wish to provide input on the matter. C. Ordinance Policy and Rules - Chair selected, Tom Iandimarino - Last meeting July 28, 2021 The meeting may include a review of the “scoring form” to determine if any changes are necessary to the process. VIII. Chair Committee Member Comments Chairman Poteet requested that any member wishing to serve on a Subcommittee to contact Staff. IX. Public General Comments None X. Staff Comments Ms. Araque:  Thanked staff for their work in developing the documentation necessary for convening the Ranking List meeting in December.  Recognized Mr. Iandimarino’s service to the residents of Collier County.  Notified the committee that the December meeting will commence at 4:00 p.m. January 5, 2022 6 XI. Next Meeting Date February 2, 2022 There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by order of the chair at 2:23 P.M. Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee _________________________________ Bill Poteet, Chairman These minutes approved by the Board/Committee on ______________________________________ as presented _____________ or as amended ______________. CONSERVATION COLLIER CYCLE 11 ACQUISITION TIMELINE Reviewed by CCLAAC Date #### A. ACQUISITION CYCLE 11 - PROPOSED TIMELINE  January 25, 2022 BCC: Request BCC direction to start a Cycle 11 with Budget Policy  After January 25: Start accepting applications from landowners  February 15, 2022: Outreach subcommittee: creates Target Protection Mailing Areas (TPMA)  March CCLAAC: Review of TPMA & Biennial Report  April/May BCC: TPA Resolution and Annual Report to BCC for review and approval  May/June 2022: Letters sent to property owners in TPMAs  July 31, 2022: Deadline for application from property owners  March – October 2022: Staff evaluates properties where an application has been received.  As early as March and through November 2022: Staff will bring properties to the CCLAAC for their review.  December 5 or 7, 2022: CCLAAC ranks properties to create the Cycle Active Acquisition List  January 2023: BCC reviews the ranking of the Cycle Active Acquisition List o During this meeting, the Board will advise staff to move forward on acquiring properties on the A-list B. BACKGROUND OF PROPERTY ACQUISITION The following outlines the process as it has been done in previous acquisition cycles prior to the 2020 Referendum. Staff and CCLAAC are not proposing any revisions to this process; the existing process will continue to be followed for acquisition cycles moving forward. Properties are selected in three ways to be ranked during a Cycle: 1. Properties within the Target Protection Mailing Areas that have been identified during that Cycle and meet the Conservation Collier criteria 2. By citizen nomination of a property 3. By property owner application. For options #1 target properties and #2 nominated properties, only property owners who respond positively to staff inquiry will have their lands further evaluated for possible purchase. For option #2, any citizen can also nominate a property for acquisition, and the owner will be contacted. The Program will only work with willing seller property owners for acquisition. There have been nine (9) Cycles since the inception of the Conservation Collier Program. *Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (CCLAAC) members cannot nominate properties. C. SUMMARY STEPS OF ACQUISITION CYCLE PROCESS 1. Target Protection Mailing Areas a. Outreach subcommittee recommends target mailing areas to CCLAAC b. CCLAAC proposes target areas to Board of County Commissioners (BCC) CONSERVATION COLLIER CYCLE 11 ACQUISITION TIMELINE Reviewed by CCLAAC Date #### c. Target areas are reviewed by the BCC which adopt a resolution with their determination on land areas to target. d. Letters are sent to property owners in the target areas to solicit willing sellers. 2. Concurrently, landowners can contact Conservation Collier directly if they are interested in having their property considered for acquisition by the Program. 3. Applications are received from willing sellers 4. Staff completes a “desktop review” as applications are received and presents properties that meet at least 2 of the initial screening criteria to the CCLAAC at their next meeting 5. Properties recommended by CCLAAC go to the next level of review for an Initial Criteria Screening Report (ICSR). 6. Staff prepares an ICSR evaluating each property for review by CCLAAC. 7. Properties are ranked by the Advisory Committee for review and the final decision to acquire is made by the BCC. This process would continue with cycles typically occurring on an annual basis. Advisory Board Application Form Collier County Government 3299 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 800 Naples, FL 34112 (239) 252-8400 Application was received on: 12/29/2021 2:46:10 PM. Name: Ron Clark Home Phone: 239-389-7850 Home Address: 302 Stella Maris Dr. S. City: Naples, FL Zip Code: 34114 Phone Numbers Business: 239-777-0786 E-Mail Address: redfishron803@yahoo.com Board or Committee: Land Acquisition Advisory Committee Category: Not indicated Place of Employment: Retired US Dept. of the Interior - National Park Service, Big Cypress National Preserve employee How long have you lived in Collier County: more than 15 How many months out of the year do you reside in Collier County: I am a year-round resident Have you been convicted or found guilty of a criminal offense (any level felony or first degree misdemeanor only)? No Not Indicated Do you or your employer do business with the County? No Not Indicated NOTE: All advisory board members must update their profile and notify the Board of County Commissioners in the event that their relationship changes relating to memberships of organizations that may benefit them in the outcome of advisory board recommendations or they enter into contracts with the County. Would you and/or any organizations with which you are affiliated benefit from decisions or recommendations made by this advisory board? No Not Indicated Are you a registered voter in Collier County? Yes Do you currently hold an elected office? No Do you now serve, or have you ever served on a Collier County board or committee? No Not Indicated Please list your community activities and positions held: Former National Park Service Natural and Cultural Resource Management Division Chief at Big Cypress National Preserve since 1995. Prior to that a Minerals Management Specialist for the Preserve 1989- 1995. Of late a Senior Technical Advisor for the USAID International Technical Advisory Program at Tanjung Puten National Park on Borneo, Indonesia 2016-2019. Education: B.S. Resource Management Experience / Background As resource chief for the National Park Service I served as a specialist and senior principal advisor in the management of the Preserve’s natural and cultural resources, coordinating the aspects of those programs through a multi-disciplinary staff of professionals and technicians, responsible for directly or indirectly managing the Preserve's permitting, environmental compliance, monitoring, reclamation, minerals management, hydrology, wildlife management, ecology, restoration, archaeology, ethnography, graphic information systems, and invasive plant and animal programs. I also represented the Preserve as liaison to the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes, and other traditionally associated people. I wrote environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, biological assessments, and findings statements for plans of operations for mineral activities, development within the Preserve boundary, disturbed land restoration, and land use planning, in order to analyze potential for impacts to Preserve natural and cultural resources in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the Endangered Species Act; and evaluates environmental impact statements and assessments prepared by other federal agencies for projects that had potential to affect Preserve resources. Applicant Supplemental Information Applicant Name: Ron Clark Representation of Interests: Please explain your relationship with and business interests relating to the following topics. • Environmental and Conservation: I am a retired National Park Service natural and cultural resource manager where for 29 years I was responsible for conserving, preserving, and conserving the natural, scenic, floral, faunal, and recreational values of Big Cypress National Preserve, a 729,000-acre piece of the greater Everglades ecosystem, an outstanding Florida water, and within Florida's Area of Critical State Concern. As Chief of the Natural Resource Division, I was the staff specialist who managed the functions of environmental science, environmental coordination, and specific environmental resource regulatory compliance for the Preserve. • Agricultural and Business: I have no relationship or business interests relating to agriculture or business. • Educational: Beyond my past association with cooperative universities (FGCU, U of Miami, U of Georgia, Florida International University, Yale University) for the purpose of conducting research within Big Cypress National Preserve, I currently have no current relationship with academia. • General Civic and Citizen: I continue to review planning documents open for public comment from state and federal agencies relative to Everglades restoration and recreational use of public lands. I am a past member of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Panther Recovery Team and offer comment on endangered species conservation plans. I have volunteered on a 6-year project that concluded in 2019 with the United States Agency for International Development, International Technical Advisory Program as a senior advisor in Indonesia at Tanjung Puten National Park on Borneo to assist in orangutan protection and recovery. Individual Member Expertise, Knowledge, or Interest: Please elaborate on any experience, knowledge, or interest you have in the following subjects. • Ecology: While in my past position with the Big Cypress National Preserve I was responsible for managing of the natural and cultural resources through an inter-disciplinary team of scientists and experts in the fields of environmental resource permitting, environmental compliance, wildlife and vegetation monitoring, disturbed site reclamation, oil and gas exploration and extraction, hydrology, wildlife management, ecology, restoration, archaeology, ethnography, graphic information systems, and invasive species management. • Conservation: I have participated on inter-disciplinary teams to develop conservation plans relative to Florida panther recovery, exotic plant removal, invasive alien wildlife control, sea turtle protection, and recreational use of public lands both here and in Indonesia. • Real Estate or Land Acquisition: I have participated in prioritizing land tracts within the Big Cypress National Preserve boundary for acquisition through the U.S. Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program to conserve irreplaceable lands and to protect areas to meet diverse conservation and recreation needs. • Land Appraisal: In identifying and prioritizing lands for acquisition within Big Cypress National Preserve, I have collaborated with the National Park Service Land Acquisition Office in Naples, Florida to assess land value based upon its environmental attributes, level of previous disturbance, reclamation or restoration potential, wetland values, invasive vegetation coverage, and public use recreation potential. • Land Management: As a member of the Big Cypress management team, I was involved in all aspects of land use and management of the 729,000-acre Preserve since beginning in 1989. Before then, I have held public land use management positions at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia, Qzark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri, Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland, Baltimore- Washington Parkway in Maryland, and temporary assignments in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming/Montana, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. • Eco-Tourism: Every National Park Service area both with the United States and Borneo I have worked within provides opportunities for eco-tourism as a part of their visitor experience. The most recent and relevant experience has been for Big Cypress National Preserve where I participated in preparing a Commercial Services Plan. Commercial services in this context involves provision of visitor services such as guided tours (fishing, hiking, boating), airboat and swamp buggy rides, and canoe rentals. The focus was providing revenue-producing visitor service opportunities to private companies while striking the balance between commercial use and resource protection. • Environmental Education: While environmental education was a function of a division I did not supervise, I did participate in preparing informational signs to be displayed at boat landings and along access trails to points of concentrated visitor use within Tanjung Puten National Park in Borneo. I also narrated the Park's educational film that is shown at that park's visitor centers to inform visitors of the natural history, threats, and recovery efforts for orangutans.