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Agenda 09/27/2016 Item #16D 2
16.D.2 09/27/2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recommendation to accept the Conservation Collier 2015 Annual Report and Provide the Board of County Commissioners and public with an update on the Program's past activities. OBJECTIVE: To provide an update to the Board of County Commissioners (Board) and public on the Program's current and past activities. CONSIDERATIONS: A November 2002 County-wide referendum approved the Conservation Collier Program to acquire environmentally sensitive land. Ordinance 2007-65, as amended, provides direction for the Conservation Collier Program. A seven member Board-appointed advisory committee, the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (CCLAAC), makes recommendations to the Board on management and programs. Section 12.6 of the Conservation Collier Ordinance requires an annual report to the Board of County Commissioners for the purpose of updating the Board and the public on Program activities. At the April 11, 2016 meeting of the CCLAAC, members made several revisions and at the July 18th meeting, voted unanimously to forward the revised 2015 Annual Report to the Board of County Commissioners. Please see this Report for a map of property locations and a full report of past and current activities. Also included is a summary of the results of a benchmark study to determine the use by other Counties Conservation entities in Florida of 501-c-3 non-profit/Conservation Land Trusts (CLT) to manage their programs. As funding for acquisitions has ceased, there is no call to the public for proposals. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no growth management impact associated with this item. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: The Conservation Collier Implementation Ordinance (Ord. No. 02-63, as amended) requires "an annual public meeting for the purpose of updating the Board of County Commissioners and the public and for soliciting proposals and applications." Accordingly, no legal issues are presented by this executive summary, which requires majority support for Board acceptance. - JAB RECOMMENDATION: That the Board accepts the attached 2015 Conservation Collier Annual Report as presented. Prepared by: Alexandra Sulecki, Principal Environmental Specialist, Parks and Recreation Department ATTACHMENT(S) 1.Annual Report 2015 FINAL2 (PDF) I Packet Pg. 851 16.D.2 09/27/2016 COLLIER COUNTY Board of County Commissioners Item Number: 16.D.2 Item Summary: Recommendation to accept the Conservation Collier 2015 Annual Report and Provide the Board of County Commissioners and public with an update on the Program's past activities. Meeting Date: 09/27/2016 Prepared by: Title: Operations Analyst—Parks&Recreation Name:Natali Betancur 08/03/2016 8:45 AM Submitted by: Title: Division Director-Parks &Recreation—Parks&Recreation Name: Barry Williams 08/03/2016 8:45 AM Approved By: Review: Parks&Recreation Alexandra Sulecki Level 1 Originator Add Reviewer Completed 08/03/2016 8:47 AM Parks&Recreation Ilonka Washburn Level 1 Originator Add Reviewer Completed 08/03/2016 10:19 AM Parks&Recreation Barry Williams Level 1 Originator Add Reviewer Completed 08/04/2016 2:23 PM Public Services Department Amanda O.Townsend Level 1 Originator Add Reviewer Completed 08/05/2016 12:05 PM Public Services Department Hailey Margarita Alonso Level 1 Division Reviewer Completed 08/08/2016 4:24 PM Public Services Department Steve Carnell Level 2 Division Administrator Review Completed 09/09/2016 3:50 PM County Attorney's Office Jennifer Belpedio Level 2 Attorney of Record Review Completed 09/13/2016 2:33 PM Office of Management and Budget Valerie Fleming Level 3 OMB Gatekeeper Review Completed 09/13/2016 3:45 PM County Attorney's Office Jeffrey A.Klatzkow Level 3 County Attorney's Office Review Completed 09/14/2016 9:44 AM Budget and Management Office Ed Finn Level 3 OMB 1st Reviewer 1-4 Completed 09/16/2016 9:27 AM County Manager's Office Nick Casalanguida Level 4 County Manager Review Completed 09/18/2016 8:59 PM Board of County Commissioners MaryJo Brock Meeting Pending 09/27/2016 9:00 AM I Packet Pg.852 I 1 Conservation Collier Annual Report June 2016 2 Table of Contents I. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Table 1. Preserve Category Matrix ........................................................................................................................ 5 2. CCLAAC –Members, Summary of meetings and Actions for 2015 ................................................................... 6 3. Program Lands Acquisition Status .................................................................................................................... 8 Table(s) 2. Good Deals, Land Donations and Monetary Donations .................................................................... 9 4. Program Land Management Status ................................................................................................................. 10 Alligator Flag ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Caracara Prairie .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Gordon River Greenway ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Logan Woods.......................................................................................................................................................... 14 McIlvane Marsh ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 Nancy Payton ......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Red Maple Swamp ................................................................................................................................................. 20 Winchester Head Multi-parcel Project ................................................................................................................ 25 5. Program Financial Status ................................................................................................................................. 26 Table 3 – Summary of Conservation Collier Financial Activity for FY15 ....................................................... 27 Table 4 – Comparison of Planned versus Actual Fund Balance ........................................................................ 27 6. Conservation Collier Programs, Events, and Community/Educational Outreach .......................................... 28 Pepper Ranch Hunt Program ............................................................................................................................... 28 Caracara Prairie Preserve Hunt Program .......................................................................................................... 28 Pepper Ranch Guided Hike Program .................................................................................................................. 28 Pepper Ranch Florida Sunflower Festival ........................................................................................................... 28 Social Media ........................................................................................................................................................... 28 6. Mitigation Programs ......................................................................................................................................... 29 7. Partners .............................................................................................................................................................. 29 9. Grants ................................................................................................................................................................... 30 8. Volunteers .......................................................................................................................................................... 31 9. 2016 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................. 32 10. Exhibits .......................................................................................................................................................... 33 Exhibit A. 2015Map of Conservation Collier Program Lands .......................................................................... 33 Exhibit B – Conservation Collier Program Public Amenity Work Plan and Preserve Category Matrix ..... 34 Exhibit C. ................................................................................................................................................................ 39 Exhibit D. Final Report – Cooperative Agreement between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Collier County – Agreement No. 401815J021 .................................................................................................................. 40 3 I. Executive Summary In accordance with the Conservation Collier Ordinance, as amended (2007-65, Section 12.6), there will be an annual meeting to update the Board of County Commissioners (Board) and public on the Conservation Collier Program. The following annual report is intended to serve as the update to the Board and public. The Conservation Collier Program is responsible for implementing the mandate of the electorate of Collier County as provided by public referendum votes in November, 2002, and again in November, 2006 confirming that mandate, to levy a 0.25 mill ad valorem property tax for a period not to exceed 10 years for acquisition, protection, restoration, and management of environmentally sensitive lands in Collier County for the benefit of present and future generations. Conservation Collier has now implemented its mandate for 13 years. In March 2013, at the ten year mark, the ad valorem tax levy ceased. During this time 4,040.84 acres meeting program criteria were acquired in 19 different locations for a cost of approximately $103.9 million. A total of $47,332,251 was bonded for use in property acquisition, via bonds in 2004 and 2008, with both bonds now retired. Since 2011, when the general buying ceased, an additional 11 parcels, or 42.38 acres, have been added to the inventory from donations and good deals for a current total of 4,083.22 acres, with 17 of the donation and good deal acres being added during calendar year 2015. Of the 19 acquired Conservation Collier properties, fifteen (15) have approved Final Management Plans (FMP) and four (4) have approved Interim Management Plans (IMP). Twelve (12) Conservation Collier preserves are currently open or opening shortly for public use in categories 1 through 4 with signs, trails and benches installed. The cost for management of all preserves for FY 2015 totaled $314,875.56. This funding accomplished management actions on acquired preserve properties as described in approved land management plans and as prioritized by the CCLAAC and approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Management activities for FY 2016 are expected to cost approx. $313,200 and include ongoing maintenance for most preserves. Grants in the amount of $67,700 ($53,000 GRG & $14,700 NPP) were received to fund land management during 2015. Many of the established preserves will see reductions in cost this year as initial management and public access work has been completed. Public activities at preserves in 2015 included adult and youth hunts, a festival, and guided hikes. Activities planned for 2016 include two festivals, educational days with area college students, and volunteer-led hikes on selected seasonal weekends. During 2015, there were several changes made, initiated and contemplated for Program operations. These included revising the Conservation Collier Ordinance (2002-63, as amended) to reduce the number of members on the Advisory Committee, initiating an amendment to the Land Development Code (LDC 3.05.07, H.1.f. iii. a and b.) regarding offsite preservation, and 4 utilizing an Intern to research whether operations under the current County Program could be enhanced by changing the program to a 501c3 non-profit/Land Trust. Conservation Collier worked with an intern with the University of Florida Environmental program this past year who provided research as part of her internship. The focus of the intern’s research was to benchmark other Counties Conservation entities in Florida to determine their use of 501©3 non-profit/Conservation Land Trusts (CLT) to manage their programs. A table is shown in Exhibit C that summarizes the benefits and disadvantages of CLTs. Identified was an issue of accountability to Sunshine Laws, as CLTs are private entities are not subject to these laws. An advantage that CLTs have with public programs is that they can fundraise and spend funds on extra items public program are unable to budget. In addition, the intern’s research revealed that there was no evidence of a county program that had been converted into a private, tax-exempt organization in the United States. However, a survey of Florida Counties revealed that several counties have began to co-exist with private non-profit “friends groups” to avail themselves of the ability of these non-profit groups to fundraise on behalf of the preserved lands. These examples demonstrate that private organizations work in tandem with county officials and provide a network in which to solicit funds, yet maintain transparency of a public program. The Division thanks the work of Gabriella A. Passidomo and her completion of her work with Conservation Collier in furthering her studies at the University of Florida in Environmental Sciences. Conservation Collier preserves have been categorized to identify what public uses are currently available (approved as part of the Annual Report, 10/23/12 16D4). Table 1 describes these categories and identifies corresponding preserves. Please accept this report on the activities of Conservation Collier during calendar year 2015. 5 Table 1. Preserve Category Matrix Preserves Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 Primary Use Preserves: easily accessible with public amenities and parking Intermediate Use Preserves: few to no amenities, limited parking, primitive trail system Neighborhood Preserve: no onsite parking or amenities other than benches, trails and picnic tables Seasonal Use Preserves: may have parking and trails but will be closed during seasonal rainfall months Resource Protection/Resto ration Preserves: currently no public access due to lack of physical or legal access or where there are unsafe conditions for public 1 Alligator Flag X 2 Camp Keais X 3 Caracara Prairie X 4 Cocohatchee Creek X 5 Freedom Park X 6 Gordon River Greenway X 7 Logan Woods X 8 McIlvane Marsh X 9 Nancy Payton X 10 Otter Mound X 11 Panther Walk X 12 Pepper Ranch X-currently seasonal, off season by appt. 13 Railhead Scrub X 14 Red Maple Swamp X 15 Redroot X 16 Rivers Road X 17 Shell Island X 18 Wet Woods X 19 Winchester Head X 6 2. CCLAAC –Members, Summary of meetings and Actions for 2015 The primary purpose of the CCLAAC, as defined by the Conservation Collier Ordinance, has been to assist the Board in establishing an Active Properties Acquisition List with qualified purchase recommendations consistent with the goals of Conservation Collier. During 2014, the CCLAAC held Six (6) CCLAAC meetings. As the Program transitioned from acquisition into management, an amendment was made to the Conservation Collier ordinance (2014-18) to redirect the scope of the CCLAAC to land management and programs and to reduce monthly meetings to a quarterly schedule. In late 2014, enough members had resigned due to conflicts, or because their terms ended, that the Committee was left without a quorum. As a result, the Conservation Collier ordinance was amended again in early 2015 (2015-16) to reduce the number of members on the CCLAAC from 9 to 7 during non-acquisition phases, which also reduced requirements for a quorum from 5 to 4. Currently, there are 7 active members. Membership of the CCLAAC is intended to be comprised of broad and balanced representation of the interests of Collier County citizens, including: • Environmental, land management, and conservation interests • Agricultural and business interests • Educational interests • General civic and citizen interests throughout the county. Members serving in 2015 and their backgrounds and areas of expertise are: • William Poteet, Jr. – Chairman (Business Interest) Re-appointed for a fifth term in March 2014, Mr. Poteet is a local Realtor and business owner who has been a member of the CCLAAC since its inception in March 2003. He has served as Chairman of the CCLAAC since August 2005 with unanimous re-election as Chair each year. He also served as a member of the Outreach Subcommittee and as Chairman of the Ordinance, Policy and Rules Subcommittee during active acquisition. Mr. Poteet is an outstanding leader, assisting with the development of many Program policies. He was recognized as an Outstanding Advisory Committee Member of the month in March 2007. • Clarence Tears, Jr. - (Environmental and Conservation Interest) Re-appointed to a second term in April 2013, Mr. Tears had been the Director of the Big Cypress Basin /South Florida Water Management District since October 1996, until he retired in early 2014. He was responsible for the management of water resources for the public’s health, safety, and welfare in Collier and northwest Monroe Counties with experience spanning more than 24 years. Mr. Tears has served in numerous positions of community leadership including graduate of Leadership Florida, Chairman of Leadership Collier Class of 2001, Chairman Lake Trafford Restoration Task Force, and appointment to the Immokalee Area Master Plan Committee and 951 Horizon Study. He an active member of the US Air Force Reserves with more than 25 years of service. Mr. Tears‘s appointment ended Feb. 11, 2016. 7 • Tracey Dewrell – (Business Interest) Re-appointed to a second term in April 2015, Mr. Dewrell is a real estate and general litigation attorney and the managing partner in Dewrell and Sacks, LLP. Mr. Dewrell has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1998 and is also admitted to practice in GA, where he is a registered arbitrator. He is the author of the Federal Bar Review of Florida (1998-2008) and the Georgia Foreclosure Investors Report, a statewide publication of mortgage foreclosures with investment analysis maintaining over 1800 monthly subscribers. He is also chairman and CEO of U.S. Title Insurance Corp, a national provider of title insurance and escrow services. Mr. Dewrell has experience in land appraisal, a strong interest in conservation and land management. • John Hamilton Burton II - (Agriculture and Business Interest) Re-appointed in February 2013, Mr. Burton is currently a Broker Associate with Premiere Plus Realty in Naples. He is a native Floridian, and has been a local resident for over 30 years. His background is in commercial and residential real estate as well as the landscape nursery industry. His skills include areas like contract negotiations, construction and appraisals. He studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Florida, Warrington College of Business and is active in the Naples Area Board of Realtors. Mr. Burton’s appointment ended Feb 11, 2016. • Susan Calkins – (Education Interest) Ms. Calkins was appointed in January 2015. She is currently retired, having been previously employed as a professor of anthropology and sociology. Ms. Calkins taught courses in Eco-Tourism for Macomb College and the Hodges Center for Lifelong Learning. She is a volunteer for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and the Community Foundation. She was actively engaged with the Conservation Collier Program at its conception, and has been engaged through the years of its operation, many times providing input to the County Commission on issues and properties. • Patricia Sherry - (General Civic/Citizen Interest) Appointed in April, 2015, Ms. Sherry comes to Conservation Collier from a background of civic engagement. She served on the Town Council and Sewer Commission in her home state of Connecticut where she owned her own Insurance Agency, gaining experience with government operations and property acquisitions. Locally, Ms. Sherry has served 2 years on the Waste Water Authority in Naples, where she worked with many land issues, and has served on the Board of the Friends of Fakahatchee and on the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce Action Committee. 8 • Michael Seef – (Environment-Education Interest) Mr. Seef was appointed to CCLAAC in September 2015 to fill a vacant term through February 2017. He is a retired consultant/analyst who worked with major businesses like Quaker Oats and McDonnell Douglass, and also the Federal Government in Housing and Urban Development. Locally, Mr. Seef is a Board member of various environmental and educational organizations and is a Master Naturalist volunteering for CREW and Audubon. He has managed the Clam Pass Guide educational program and has volunteered in environmental educational programs in Australia and Japan. In his own residential community, he has managed the preserve and has instituted Florida friendly landscaping, butterfly gardening and ponds management. The Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (CCLAAC), was reduced to seven (7) members when active acquisition phases are not in place. Ordinance 2015-16, approved by the Board on 2/10/15 (Agenda Item 17E) reduced the CCLAAC membership from nine members to seven during periods when active acquisition is not taking place. Members now meet quarterly and focus on management and programs. 3. Program Lands Acquisition Status As of the January 26, 2011 Board meeting (Agenda Item 10B), Conservation Collier has not been conducting active acquisition or ranking cycles. However, at the same time that the Board suspended future ranking cycles, the opportunity to approach the Board with “very good deals” was provided. Additionally, the Collier County Land Development Code (LDC) section 3.05.07, H.1.f. iii. a. and b., provides the opportunity for developers’ offsite native vegetation retention requirements to be met by monetary payment or by land donation to Conservation Collier (among other qualified entities). During 2015 and into early 2016, a total of 16.83 acres with an assessed value of $576,964 were accepted/acquired and monetary donations in the amount of $214,074.55 were received for acquisition and land management. The tables below show the breakdown of those values. 9 Table(s) 2. Good Deals, Land Donations and Monetary Donations Good Deals: The following property was acquired during 2015. Owner Acres Location Assessed Value Board Approval/Date and Item Number Date Closed Cost CDC Land Investments 7.51 Gordon River Greenway $458,500 10/13/15 – 16D2 11/10/15 $400,000 Total 7.51 $485,500 $400,000 Land Donations: The following land donations under the Offsite Preservation option in the Land Development code (LDC 3.05.07, H.1.f. iii. a. and b.) were accepted by the Board during 2015 and early 2016: Owner Acres Location Endowment Provided Assessed Value Board Approved /Item Number Date Closed Mandalay Place 1.14 Winchester Head $3,544.45 $11,856 3/10/15 – 16D8 4/14/15 Mercedes Benz 2.5 Red Maple Swamp $9,737.50 $8,000 6/19/15 – 16D2 7/1/15 Collier 36 2.26 Red Maple Swamp $8,802 $8,000 3/24/15 – 16D5 5/1/15 Legacy Estates 1.14 Red Maple Swamp $4,440.30 $3,648 7/17/15 – 11D 12/16/15 Willoughby Place 1.14 Winchester Head $4,440.30 $7,114 10/13/15 – 16D1 11/16/15 Lane Park PPL 1.14 Winchester Head $19,608 $7,114 3/8/16 – 16D9 Pending Total 9.32 $55,013.55 $91,464 Monetary Donations: The following monetary donation was accepted by the Board during early 2016. Owner Donation Amount Board Approved/Item Number Date Received Earmark St Peters Catholic Church* $163,502 1/12/16 – 16D2 2/8/16 none Total $163,502 *Donations through the LDC section 3.05.07, H.1.f. iii. a. The Land Development Code off-site vegetation retention provision provides the criteria and process for land and endowment donations. Two approved multi-parcel projects, Winchester Head (aka North Golden Gate Estates (NGGE) Unit 65) and Red Maple Swamp (aka NGGE Unit 53) are active in accepting donations. In July 2015, after accepting 6 land donations, the Board directed staff to review the current endowment donation amount with the Conservation 10 Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (CCLAAC) and the Development Services Advisory Committee (DSAC) for recommendations to amend the LDC to increase the long-term management endowment. That process is currently ongoing with a proposed amendment to the LDC expected to reach the Board for review and approval in early summer 2016. 4. Program Land Management Status Properties are presented alphabetically. All photos and maps shown were created and taken by Program staff unless otherwise indicated. Preserves are categorized for public use in the following manner: Category 1 – Primary Use Preserve; easily accessible with public amenities and parking. Category 2 – Intermediate Use Preserve; few to no amenities, limited parking, primitive trails. Category 3 – Neighborhood Preserve; no onsite parking or amenities other than benches, trails and picnic table. Category 4 – Seasonal Use Preserve; may have parking and trails but will be closed during seasonal rainfall months. Category 5 – Resource Protection/Restoration Preserve; currently no public access due to lack of physical or legal access or where there are unsafe conditions for the public. Alligator Flag – 7875 Immokalee Road, North Naples. This 18.46 acre preserve is located on the north side of Immokalee Road across from Gulf Coast High school. It was acquired in July 2006 at a cost of $4,960,000 or $268,741 per acre. It is open to foot traffic between dawn and dusk during dry season. This is a Category 4, seasonal use preserve. The preserve floods in the summer and there is no dedicated parking and no restroom, but it does have an approximately 1 mile long established trail system and resting bench. Visitation at this preserve is mostly from surrounding residents and from the nearby schools. The preserve manager is working to engage Gulf Coast high and middle schools for environmental study at the preserve. This preserve is representative of several of the typical habitat types in Collier County, including seasonally flooded cypress-pine-cabbage palm, cypress wetlands and pine flatwoods. Seventy-eight species of plants have been identified growing on the preserve, including 4 species protected by the State of Florida (3 bromeliads and 1 fern). Many species of wildlife have been recorded on the preserve, including wetland dependent and migratory bird species, black bear, deer, raccoon, and snakes. The preserve is also suitable for foraging by the state and federally endangered wood stork, and is home to the state threatened Big Cypress fox squirrel. This preserve provides outfall to the Immokalee Road canal for an identified flow way connecting with the adjacent 160-acre Olde Cypress PUD preserve, to larger preserve areas coming to the north, and the 60,000 acre Corkscrew Marsh Complex to the northeast. 11 Camp Keais Strand Parcels - The Camp Keais Strand project constitutes 6 parcels totaling 32.5 acres within the Flowway Stewardship area of the Rural Lands Stewardship Area, south of Oil Well Road and east of Desoto Boulevard in Sections 31 and 32, Township 48 South, Range 29 East. These parcels were acquired between 2008 and 2009 for a total cost of $81,250 or $2,500 per acre. Three of the parcels are contiguous and three are non-contiguous. Because there is no legal access established to the properties and physical access to this area is dangerous and difficult, staff has not visited the properties other than to view them from above by airplane To the best of staff knowledge, the parcels are comprised of cypress forest, freshwater marsh and mesic pine flatwood vegetation communities. This is a Category 5 preserve. Most of the land in the vicinity is owned by large agribusiness in section sized parcels; however, within the two Sections where these are located, the parcels have been subdivided into 1to 80 acre parcels and are owned by private individuals and agencies. The Conservancy of SW Florida and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) also own parcels within this area. An Interim Management Plan (IMP) update was approved by the Board on 12/8/15 Agenda Item 16D9. The Conservation Collier Financial Plan does not provide for management of these parcels. The approved plan will be reviewed every 2 years for changes in conditions, and is in effect a monitoring plan until current conditions change. Caracara Prairie – 2320 Corkscrew Road. This preserve is located in the unincorporated northeast area of Collier County at the east end of Corkscrew Road at the Lee/Collier County boundary. This 367.7-acre preserve was acquired in December 2007 for $5,032,000, or $13,685 per acre. It was acquired in partnership with the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem (CREW) Trust, who contributed $300,000 toward the purchase price and is surrounded on 3 sides by CREW lands. This preserve is open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk for hiking and wildlife viewing. A three mile trail system connects with adjoining CREW Cypress Dome trails and parking, located approximately 1 mile north. Visitation at this preserve is moderate during dry season – approx 30 people a week- but low during the wet season. This is a Category 2, intermediate use preserve. The preserve contains three distinct native vegetation communities, prairie, depressional marsh wetlands and mesic pine flatwoods. The pastures provide habitat for native Florida wildlife species including the federally endangered Florida panther, state threatened Florida sandhill crane and the federally endangered crested caracara. This preserve is within Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) priority panther habitat. 12 The preserve has been included in the surrounding FWC Wildlife Environmental Area (WEA), a designation that permits recreational hunting. FWC oversees hunting in this area. In addition, this preserve is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Panther Mitigation Bank. All of the Panther Habitat Unit credits (PHUs) generated here were sold to the Solid Waste Department in 2014 for use as mitigation for the County Resource Recovery Park. This preserve currently has a cattle lease which is planned to be phased out over time. Eagle Scouts have provided hiking gates, tables, resting benches and an information kiosk. Cocohatchee Creek– 1880 Veterans Park Drive, North Naples. This 3.64-acre preserve is located along Veterans Park Drive just outside the entrance to Veterans Community Park off Immokalee Road in North Naples. It is a Category 2, intermediate use preserve. Parking, restroom facilities and handicapped parking are located at Veteran’s Community Park, a short walk from the preserve. A shell trail winds approximately 700 feet through the preserve to a picnic area under the oaks along Cocohatchee creek. The portion of the trail leading to the picnic area is handicapped accessible. Trash and recycle receptacles are provided. Visitation is approximately a dozen people a day. Two Eagle Scout projects have been developed here. The first is a seating area and the second is a viewing platform next to the creek. This preserve contains one of the priority plant communities targeted in the Conservation Collier ordinance: riverine oak. Remnant patches of upland scrub (another program priority) pine flatwoods and cabbage palm forest make up the remainder of the upland habitats. A portion of Cocohatchee creek is included within preserve boundaries. This small freshwater creek separates the preserve from the neighboring residential development and contains wetlands used by foraging wading birds. The preserve buffers and protects this creek, which flows north to the County’s only Outstanding Florida Water. The preserve is also home to several gopher tortoises, a state species of special concern. Freedom Park – 1515 13 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. This 12.5-acre preserve is part of the larger Freedom Park (50 acres total), formerly called the Gordon River Water Quality Park. After the County had acquired Freedom Park in 2004 under a Florida Communities Trust (FCT) Grant, the eastern 12.5 acres were sold to the Conservation Collier Program for $56,300. Freedom Park is associated with the Gordon River Greenway Corridor, a 2-mile ecological trail corridor centrally located within the Naples-Collier County urban area. Freedom Park is a category 1, primary use preserve One overall Land Management Plan was developed and approved by the Board and FCT for management of both Freedom Park and the Gordon River Greenway Park. The Freedom Park preserve portion is located on the eastern side of the park and encompasses natural wetlands. Responsibilities for this park are shared between the Parks and Recreation Department, Stormwater Department and Conservation Collier, as shown on the map. Conservation Collier benefits by the presence of onsite restrooms and parking maintained by Parks and Recreation. The Conservation Collier portion has a boardwalk on it that is also maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department. This preserve is well used by the public. Staff is placing people counters at the preserve and will be able to provide user numbers in the future. The habitat on the Freedom Park Preserve portion is freshwater tidal swamp with a small hammock containing a mix of wetland hardwood tree species and cabbage palms. Numerous wetland dependant bird species utilize the wetlands and listed wildlife observed includes Big Cypress fox squirrels, tricolored herons, little blue herons and snowy egrets. Gordon River Greenway – 1596 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. The 117.6-acre Gordon River Greenway Park is a signature property and partnership project including Conservation Collier, Parks and Recreation, SW Florida Land PreservationTrust, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples Zoo, Naples Municipal Airport and City of Naples. Conservation Collier’s portion is 50.51 acres at the south side of the Park. Joining with Parks and Recreation as one seamless project has enabled Conservation Collier to maintain the preserve qualities of the property, yet provide access via a paved trail and boardwalk, and access to parking, restrooms and other amenities that are not typically found on conservation lands. The Gordon River Greenway is a category 1 preserve, indicating it is a primary use preserve, easily accessible with public amenities and parking. There are over 2 miles of boardwalks and trails on the entire project with a third of a mile on the Conservation Collier portion. The initial 43-acre preserve property was acquired in April 2006 for a cost of $2,085,900, or $48,509 per acre. An additonal 7.51 acres was acquired in November 2015 for $400,000, or $53,262 per acre. The development of trails, boardwalks and construction added $1,755,496 for a total project cost of $4,241,396. The Park was opened to the public in November 2014 and is extremely popular with residents and visitors. No hard numbers on visitation have been developed but staff will be placing people counters here shortly and will be able to provide user numbers in the future. Habitats seen from the trail on the Conservation Collier preserve portion include the Gordon River, wetland hardwoods, scrub and mangrove forest. The 14 preserve is home to many species of native and protected wildlife including numerous species of wading birds, migrating bird species, alligators, gopher tortoises, Big Cypress fox squirrel and manatees. A 17-acre gopher tortoise preserve lies within the overall park, with a portion of that inside Conservation Collier’s portion. The preserve contains wetland mitigation areas where, after exotics are removed, staff will monitor native plant recruitment and potentially add supplemental plantings. In the summer of 2015, an Eagle Scout project and an FGCU work day, provided restoration plantings in upland areas where exotics were removed. Numerous listed plant species have been observed within the preserve area and are being routinely monitored. Initial archeological surveys discovered an historic spoil pile on Conservation Collier lands but it did not qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Collection of artifacts or disturbance of archeological or historical sites is prohibited. Interpretive signage for the Conservation Collier portion is in the development process. Logan Woods – 831 Logan Blvd, Naples. Logan Woods is a 6.78-acre preserve located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Logan Blvd. and Pine Ridge Road, about one mile east of I-75 at the Pine Ridge Raod exit. It was purchased in October 2005 for $711,983, or $105,012 per acre. The Transportation Department partnered with Conservation Collier to acquire future road Right Of Way both along Pine Ridge Road and Logan Blvd. Until this portion is needed for road expansion, it will be managed as preserve land. Logan Woods Preserve is a category 3 preserve, indicating it is a neighborhood preserve with no onsite parking or amenities other than a trail, bench or table. There is an approximately 700-foot mulched trail, bike rack, picnic table, bench, trash and recycle receptacles at the preserve. The preserve is used regularly by neighbors. This preserve was acquired primarily as green space. The surrounding residential community strongly supported its acquistion and made that support known to the Conservation Collier Committee and Commissioners. Their support was a critical factor in the decision to purchase this preserve. The vegetation community present is typical for Collier County – Cypress-pine- cabbage palm. It was severely infested with melaleuca and Brazilian pepper prior to acquistion. Extensive exotic removal was funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Invasive Plant Management. The University of Florida also 15 removed melaleuca on a neighboring property to avoid reinfestation using their TAME Melaleuca Project. The primary goal for this preserve is to keep it clean and safe and to maintain the trail and picnic area for use by visitors. McIlvane Marsh- No address assigned. This preserve is located northeast of Marco Island and southwest of the intersection of U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail) and County Road 92 (San Marco Road). The McIlvane Marsh is an 800-acre mangrove salt marsh with unpaved gated access from Curcie Road off CR 92. Conservation Collier owns 9 parcels totaling 378.87 acres in a mosaic pattern with the State of Florida (329 acres), Collier County Transportation Department (20 acres) and private owners (80 acres). It was acquired between May 2007 and January 2012 for a cost of $2,804,791, or $7,403 per acre. This property is a category 5 preserve, a resource protection/restoration area where there is currently no public access. It has an approved Interim Management Plan with key objectives to protect the native habitat onsite, most recently updated on 12/8/15 (Agenda Item 16D10). McIlvane Marsh is a tidally influenced wetland consisting primarily of open marsh and mangrove wetlands with small upland island areas on its northern and eastern edges. Approximately 15-acres of pine flatwoods uplands exist on the north side of the marsh and 6 acres of cleared uplands exist on the eastern edge of the marsh. Any treatment and retreatment of exotic vegetation is dependent on the planned management activities of adjacent agency lands. Prior to any land management activities, photo monitoring points will also be established at strategic locations within the project area to monitor vegetation communities. Wildlife surveys shall be developed and coordinated with surrounding conservation agencies to determine monitoring plan goals, techniques and parameters. Nancy Payton – 1540 Blue Sage Drive, located east of Golden Gate City, taking White Blvd to 23rd St SW, turning south and then traveling west on Brantley Blvd. to Blue Sage Drive. This 71-acre preserve was acquired in sections between September 2005 and April 2010 for a total cost of $2,507,250, or $35,313 per acre. It is a Category 2, Intermediate Use preserve. In December 2006, it was officially renamed the “Nancy Payton Preserve” by the Board of County Commissioners. Nancy Payton currently works for the Florida Wildlife 16 Federation and has been very active in the preservation of this Collier County Belle Meade Area. Management of this preserve balances resource restoration and protection with natural resource-based recreational and educational use. This preserve is covered under a US Fish and Wildlife Service “Safe Harbor Agreement” to implement management actions that will provide a net conservation benefit to the Red Cockaded woodpecker (Federal–E). The preserve opened to the public in May 2015, however, access issues remain. Blue Sage Drive is an unpaved easement road that is in very poor condition. Staff is researching road improvement potential. The public can access this site and educational tours for summer camps and birding groups have been conducted at the site. A nature trail, benches, picnic tables and educational interpretive signs have been provided for visitors, with contributions by Eagle Scouts. Otter Mound – 1831 Addison Court, Marco Island. Otter Mound Preserve is a 2.46-acre urban preserve located in southwestern Collier County in a residential area of Marco Island. The preserve was acquired between 2004 and 2007 for $2,064,976, or $839,421 per acre. The entire preserve site is a Calusa shell mound (c. 700 A.D.-1200 A.D.) that contains artifacts of both archaeological and historical significance. Access to the preserve is from Osceola Court and Addison Court - with 3-space public parking available including handicapped space at the entrance. It is a category 2 intermediate use preserve. Otter Mound Preserve was purchased because it contains tropical hardwood hammock habitat, a priority habitat designated by the Conservation Collier Ordinance (2007-65, as amended, Section 10.1.a.). In addition, the preserve contains the following features that make it an important archaeological and historical site: undisturbed Calusa shell mounds, a historic pioneer structure (outhouse), and shell terracing that runs along the northern and western sections of the property. The location of the preserve in the urban area provides an opportunity for citizens, visitors, and school-age children to view this habitat type and some Island history without traveling far. Otter Mound Preserve is well used by Marco Island residents and visitors. According to brochure use, at least 30 people a week visit, excluding numerous local bike tours, neighbors who routinely walk the preserve and students and other local groups who gather for educational programs given by staff. The City of Marco Island partners with Conservation 17 Collier to maintain the Right of Way in front of the preserve. Pepper Ranch – 6315 Pepper Road, Immokalee. Pepper Ranch Preserve, located west of the town of Immokalee and north of Lake Trafford, is the largest of the Conservation Collier Preserves at 2,512 acres. It was acquired in February 2009 for $32,525,080, or $12,948 per acre. The perception continues to exist that Conservation Collier paid too much for the property, although it was actually some of the least expensive land (per acre) that was acquired by the program – on par with lots acquired in North Golden Gate Estates. Since its acquisition, staff has been working to remove trash and exotic plant species, document wildlife and plants, and develop trails, programs, and public amenities. Pepper Ranch is a Category 1 preserve which is seasonally open, but can be accessed by groups off-season by appointment. Currently there are approximately 15 miles of trails for use by hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The ranch has an active cattle lease, primarily to maintain pasture areas and for security purposes, which also provides revenue of $24,000 per year. A limited hunt program provides opportunities for young hunters to learn the skill and for County residents to hunt hog, a pest animal that damages habitat with its rooting, and some deer and turkey, if population surveys allow. The hunt program pays for itself with fees. In 2015, a small boardwalk and covered overlook was built that provides a beautiful view of Lake Trafford. There is an active oil operation on the western side in 2 quarter sections (330 acres) where there is one operating and two non-operating wells. The producing well pulls approximately 100 barrels of oil daily. While most of the oil, gas and mineral rights on the preserve are owned by Collier County, the 2 quarter-sections have had the rights severed and are owned by a private entity and leased to an operator - Hendry Energy Services. The oil company maintains the lime rock ranch road. In 2014, program staff submitted an application for a Conservation Bank to US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with the intention of banking and selling Panther Habitat Units to County Departments needing panther mitigation credits. No response was received from USFWS until December 2015, when USFWS responded to the original proposal submission with encouragement. A finalized proposal will be submitted in early summer 2016. 18 Staff is also working with the Lake Trafford Management Team, a multi-agency group seeking to address water quality issues in Lake Trafford. Conservation Collier has collaborated with UF/IFAS on a project to redefine the watershed boundaries for Lake Trafford to determine what inputs may be affecting the lake’s water quality. Once that project is completed (Dec 2016), the data will be used to design the most effective restoration plan for the preserve. It is anticipated that restoration activities will primarily involve blocking and filling ditches with adjacent berm material. Depending upon the results from the modeling, restoration along the ditch leading to Lake Trafford may also include some type of engineered flap structure or weir to allow only a one way flow of water from Pepper Ranch to Lake Trafford. The preserve boasts 10 distinct types of natural plant communities, including forests, hammocks, flatwoods, prairies, marshes, swamps, strands and sloughs. Four hundred and fifteen (415) plant species have been recorded at the preserve. Fifty– two (52) bird species have been documented. with ten (10) listed species, including Audubon’s crested caracara, bald eagle, Florida sandhill crane, limpkin, roseate spoonbill, and woodstork. One of the major reasons to protect habitat is to protect the species that use it. The entire area of the ranch is included within the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-designated Primary Panther Habitat. Panthers are routinely seen and recorded on wildlife cameras at the preserve. Other wildlife on the ranch includes Florida black bears, bobcats, big cypress fox squirrels, coyotes, deer, wild hogs, alligators, and snakes. Other activities at the Preserve include festivals and guided hikes. Staff has developed a volunteer-led hike program for the 2016 season. Four Master naturalists have been trained to provide the hikes at no charge to the visiting public. Four hikes are planned for the 2016 season. During 2015, the volunteers trained by providing hikes to local area conservation and educational organizations. A Sunflower Festival was held in October 2015 to show off the incredible fields of blooming Southeastern sunflowers that cover the ranch for two weeks each year in early October. Attendance at the 2015 Sunflower Festival was approximately 400 persons, an increase of 100 attendees from the previous year’s festival. 19 Panther Walk – 2845 60th Ave NE, Golden Gate Estates. The preserve is located west of Everglades Blvd., north of Oil Well Road, and extends between 60th Ave and 62nd Ave NE in North Golden Gate Estates in S31 T 47 R28. This preserve consists of 10.69 acres acquired between 2007 and 2014, with 5.00 acres of that a donation accepted under the Land Development Code off-site vegetation retention provision (LDC 3.05.07, H.1.f. iii. b.) and another 1.14-acres accepted as a straight donation. The cost for the purchased portions of the preserve (4.55 acres) was $93,130, or $20,468 per acre. In 2009, the adjacent Estates Elementary School held a preserve naming contest and the winning name of “Panther Walk Preserve” was chosen by a student and was approved by the Board. This is a Category 4, seasonal use preserve. A seasonally accessible trail allows visitors to cross the property between 60th and 62nd Aves NE. Native plant communities within the preserve include high quality cypress wetlands, which are part of a larger wetland slough system known as Horsepen Strand. To date, 64 plant species have been recorded on the preserve. Conservation Collier staff conducted floristic inventories in 2006, 2007 and June 2010. Two listed plant species have been documented and the preserve contains habitat used by listed species including Florida sandhill cranes, wood storks, Florida panthers and mangrove fox squirrels. In addition to its Estates zoning, this parcel is subject to the Golden Gate Area Master Plan, which has as Objective 1.3 to protect and preserve valuable natural resources. Also, as part of the Watershed Management Plan, County staff is conceptually considering projects to enhance flows of surface water through the Horsepen Strand and also to make this a “sending” area in a TDR and/or Watershed Mitigation Program. Railhead Scrub – 14510 Old US 41, North Naples. Railhead Scrub Preserve is an approximately 135-acre natural area located in the northwest corner of Collier County, south of the Railhead Industrial Park and east of Old US 41. One of the first large program 20 purchases, eighty acres of the preserve were acquired in July 2004 for $21,967,050, or $274,588 per acre. The remaining 55 acres were acquired in June 2007 for $10,650,000, or $293.636 per acre. Currently Railhead Scrub Preserve is a Category 5 (Resource Protection/Restoration) preserve and will remain so until acceptable access can be secured. The preserve contains approximately 117 acres of upland habitat, primarily pine flatwoods and xeric oak scrub/scrubby flatwoods, and 18 acres of wetland habitat including cypress and hydric pine flatwoods. Xeric oak scrub is the second-most preferred habitat type identified in the Conservation Collier Ordinance (2007-65, as amended, Section 10.1.a.). This is some of the last undeveloped xeric oak scrub in Collier County, including less than 200 acres protected in Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and another 78 acres protected by the Hamilton Harbor PUD. The previous owners of the parcel had plans to develop it into an industrial park before it was acquired. Public Access to this site has been problematic. When the first part of this preserve was acquired, in 2004, the County Transportation Department had acquired Right of Way (ROW) and had planned to develop a County road along the south side of the preserve – called Veterans Memorial Blvd. When the second portion of the preserve was acquired in 2007, the ROW bisected the north and south sides of the preserve. Veterans Memorial Blvd. was the planned access point for parking and preserve access; however, after the 2004 acquisition, Veterans Memorial Blvd. was delayed, first to the County’s 2017 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), and then to the 2035 LRTP. Staff attempted to create a small parking area off the east side of Veterans’ Memorial Blvd. and utilize an existing 1 mile trail westward along the ROW for hikers to access the preserve, but persons trespassing with ATVs along the ROW to get to interior recreational areas damaged the gate and made the trail dangerous for hikers. Currently, staff is determining the feasibility of allowing horseback riders access along the County ROW. Along the western side of the northern portion and bisecting the southern side down the center, there is a railroad owned by CSX Railroad and leased to Seminole Gulf Railway (see first Railhead map shown). This rail line presents an obstacle to public access from the west. In order for the public to cross it, the County would be required to bring the crossing up to federal railroad crossing standard, including grade elevation changes and installation of a railroad crossing signal, and to lease the crossing with annual fees, both of which are cost prohibitive. Additionally, the access road from Old US 41, Sun Century Blvd., is a privatively maintained roadway. There is no parking area. As a result, this preserve is not currently open to the public. Groups can request a tour from staff by appointment. Those visiting the preserve park their cars along Sun Century Blvd. at the pleasure of local businesses, generally on weekends when businesses are closed. Red Maple Swamp – No address assigned. This preserve is one of two formally designated multi-parcel projects. This type of project has proved challenging for the program. Challenges include fluctuating values ranging from $7,500 to $15,000 over multiple years of buying, unwilling sellers within the project boundary, and lack of assurance that in-holding parcels can be acquired in the future - a particular challenge of the willing-seller 21 environment. The project covers the entirety of North Golden Gate Estates Unit 53, located north of the Twin Eagles PUD and west of the County Fairgrounds. Between 2004 and 2011, approx 200 acres out of a total of 305 (66%) were acquired. In the map, acquired parcels are shown as dark green, and donation parcels in pink. This is presently a Category 5 preserve. The most recent appraisals for both projects were performed in October-November 2009. In those appraisals, property values in both multi-parcel projects fell significantly from a September 2008 appraisal; in NGGE Unit 53 from $15,842 per acre in 2008 to $7,500 per acre in 2009. No recent appraisals have been performed, but Property Appraiser’s Office taxable values are currently approximately $3,200 per acre. If additional funds are identified to resume purchasing within the multi-parcel projects, new appraisals will be obtained before making offers. Otherwise, bargain sales and donations will be the only avenues for acquisition in these projects. During 2015 Conservation Collier processed 6 land donations and one monetary donation accepted by the Board under the Land Development Code off-site vegetation retention provision (LDC 3.05.07, H.1.f. iii. b.). If funds can be identified for additional purchases it will benefit the program by consolidating the acquired areas and making it feasible for comprehensive management to begin. If no additional funds for acquisition are identified over time, Conservation Collier will pursue trading parcels with owners within the project boundaries to consolidate its holdings. Trading parcels within approved multi-parcel projects is permitted under the Conservation Collier ordinance, 2002-63, as amended, Section 14.7. Within NGGE Unit 53, a 53-acre contiguous area has been acquired and initial exotic removals were completed in FY 13, with exotic maintenance on this area being done annually. There is no current public access; however, the area is easily accessible via 41st Ave NW and Shady Hollow Blvd. West. The parking lot and trail access for SFWMD’s Bird Rookery Swamp and its 12 miles of hiking trails are located along Shady Hollow Blvd. West. Once enough parcels are acquired to allow for comprehensive management, staff will evaluate creating trails that can be linked up with Bird Rookery Swamp trails. Redroot – 1330 Limpkin Road, Big Corkscrew Island Community. This 9.26- acre preserve was acquired in June 2006 for $440,000, or $47,516 per acre. The parcel is located along Immokalee Road just east of the turn off on Sanctuary Road to get to the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. The access for the parcel is along Limpkin Road, which is the first right turn off Sanctuary Road. The 22 entire cost of the parcel was $460,000. The Public Utilities Department partnered with Conservation Collier for $20,000 to acquire a 15,000 square foot (150’ X 100’) at the northwest corner for a future well site. When the well site is constructed, visitors will be able to use a small parking area which will be placed on the well site. Currently, parking for visitors is along Limpkin Road. There is a little over half a mile of trails on the property, which are often used by horseback riders. It is a Category 2 (intermediate use) preserve. This preserve was primarily acquired to establish a conservation presence along Immokalee Road in the developing urban fringe. There are two types of vegetation communities exiting there: pine flat wood and freshwater marsh. The parcel lies within FWC priority 2 panther habitat. Some of the adjacent properties are cleared and developed but there still exists an intact ecological link with Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This habitat requires prescribed fire. Staff conducted a prescribed fire in 2011 and is waiting for appropriate conditions to conduct a prescribed fire in 2016. Rivers Road – No address assigned at this time. Rivers Road Preserve is a 76.74-acre preserve acquired in 10 parcels between 2008 and 2010 for a total cost of $5,128,300, or $66,826 per acre. It is located south of Immokalee Road, between and accessible by private roads, Rivers Road and Moulder Road, 2.5 miles east of Collier Blvd. (CR 951) in S30 T48 R27. It is a Category 2 preserve (intermediate use). The 10 parcels were offered together by 6 different owners. There are 9 different plant communities which include several listed plant species. Wetlands exist onsite and provide habitat for wetland dependent plants and wildlife. The preservation of these properties forms a contiguous conservation area of approximately 379 acres, including Olde Cypress PUD Conservation area, and is also connected to a wildlife corridor that utilizes an underpass under Immokalee Road to connect with the 60,000 acres of Conservation lands including the Bird Rookery Swamp and the Corkscrew Marsh complex. This preserve due to open to the public with trails, picnic tables, and parking in spring 2016. Grant funds from FWC contributed to the initial exotic removal, completed in early 2015. Fire lines and trails have been put in and an Eagle Scout recently completed a picnic area and benches along the trail. 23 Shell Island – No address assigned. This 83.18-acre preserve was acquired in 2006 for a cost of $4,750,000, or $57,105 per acre. The original sales price was $4,875,000 and Conservation Collier was unable to pay that as it was above appraised value. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida contributed $125,000 above what Conservation Collier was able to pay to meet the owner’s price. The purchase price was higher than expected due to a 1989 Settlement Agreement between Collier County and the owner (OR BK 1488 PG 777) which the owned believed guaranteed him between 3 and 4 units per acre. This parcel fulfilled program qualifications by satisfying all applicable screening criteria. It is an example of one of the unique and endangered plant communities listed as preferred by the Conservation Collier Ordinance (tidal freshwater marsh). The nearly pristine marsh habitat is considered an outstanding aesthetic feature. This parcel provides habitat for wetland dependent species, water quality enhancement for the adjacent Rookery Bay, an Outstanding Florida Water, and will provide on-site attenuation of floodwaters. Listed plant and wildlife species have been observed on the property. Wildlife includes wood stork (Federal Endangered (E), white ibis (State–SSC), snowy egret (State– Species of Special Concern (SSC)), tricolored heron (State-SSC), little blue heron (State-SSC), and American alligator (Federally threatened due to similarity of appearance to crocodiles). A number of listed plant species were also observed on the property, including leather fern (Federal E) and several listed Tillandsia (Bromeliad) species. Restoration potential is high, as the only major restoration project would be to remove the old roadbed crossing the property. Legal and physical access exists from C.R. 951 on the east boundary, and from Shell Island Road. There is no vehicle access from C.R. 951, but there is access via Shell Island Road, which 24 cuts diagonally across the southeast corner of the property. Shell Island Road is a part of this parcel but also provides access to state and Conservancy-owned lands to the west and is also used by the public to access Rookery Bay for fishing and kayaking at the end of Shell Island Road. Collier County has entered a cooperative agreement with the state to fill and grade the road on at least one known occasion, in 2003. This parcel is directly adjoining the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR) and will serve to buffer and protect it from the effects of development on neighboring properties. The parcel is almost entirely wetlands, except for the approximately 4 acres of old raised road bed (CR 22). This parcel is maintained as a Category 5 preserve but has been utilized by Florida Gulf Coast University as a “wetland lab,” for student research. Wet Woods – 12815 Tamiami Trail N, Naples. The preserve is a 26.77-acre natural area located within the urban boundary of Collier County in the northwest corner, immediately west of U.S. Highway 41 and south of Wiggins Pass Road in S16 T48 R25. It was acquired in 2005 for $2,160,000, or $80,687 per acre. It was named Wet Woods Preserve by local school children, a name approved by the Board, in December 2006. The preserve contains various native plant communities including pine flatwoods, mangrove forests, and both saltwater and freshwater wetlands, with about 58% being wetlands and 42% uplands. To date, 132 plant species have been recorded at the preserve. Of these, 110 (83%) are native and 22 (17%) are exotic. Seven listed plant species have been recorded at the preserve. Exotic species are treated annually. Initial exotic treatments were funded ($57,000) by the DEP Bureau of Invasive Plant Management in 2007. Forty-four bird species, including many protected by the State of Florida and the Federal government, have been recorded on the property. A bald eagle nest that regularly fledges young is located in the flatwoods portion. Currently, there is no sanctioned public use of the site. The closest public road to the property is US Hwy 41 (Tamiami Trail North). A drainage ditch running north and south is located on the eastern edge of the property and separates the preserve from US Hwy 41. This ditch makes the preserve virtually inaccessible at this time from US 41. This preserve is being maintained as a Category 5 preserve until public access can be established. 25 Winchester Head Multi-parcel Project – No address assigned. This preserve is one of two formally designated multi-parcel projects. This type of project has proved challenging for the program. Challenges include higher prices for smaller lots, fluctuating values over multiple years of buying, unwilling sellers within the project boundary, and lack of assurance that in-holding parcels can be acquired in the future - a particular challenge of the willing-seller environment. The project covers a portion of NGGE Units 62 and 65. Between 2004 and 2016, approx 80 acres out of a total of 158.67 (50%) were acquired. In the map, acquired parcels are shown as dark green, targeted parcels as light green, LDC donations as purple, red outlined as a proposed donation (not under the LDC) and yellow as properties owned by the Collier Soil and Water Conservation District. This presently is a Category 5 (resource protection/restoration) preserve. The most recent appraisals for both multi-parcel projects were performed in October-November 2009. In those appraisals, property values in both multi-parcel projects fell significantly from a September 2008 appraisal; in WH from $16,375 per acre in 2008 to $10,000 per acre in 2009. No recent appraisals have been performed, but Property Appraiser’s Office taxable values are currently approximately $10,400 per acre. If additional funds are identified to resume purchasing within the multi-parcel projects, new appraisals will be obtained before making offers. Otherwise, bargain sales and donations will be the only avenues for acquisition in these projects. Conservation Collier has acquired four 1.14-acres lots as donations under the Land Development Code off-site vegetation retention provision (LDC 3.05.07, H.1.f. iii. (b.) in this area (shown in purple on the map). If funds can be identified for additional purchases it will benefit the program by consolidating the acquired areas and making it feasible for comprehensive management to begin. Exotic maintenance is being done on donation parcels to maintain them in the condition they were donated in. If no additional funds for acquisition are identified over time, Conservation Collier will pursue trading parcels with owners within the project boundaries to consolidate its holdings. Trading parcels within approved multi-parcel projects is permitted under the Conservation Collier ordinance, 2002-63, as amended, Section 14.7. There is no current public access; however, the area is easily accessible via 2 paved County roads, 37th and 39th Ave NE.; The project are is a wetland and is only accessible during dry season. Once enough parcels are acquired, staff will begin comprehensive management. At present, staff is monitoring the area and addressing significant exotic and maintenance issues as they arise. 26 5. Program Financial Status Conservation Collier spent approximately $103.9 million on properties between 2003 and 2011, acquiring and managing 4,067 acres in 19 locations throughout Collier County. Since 2011, donation properties have added another 26 acres to the portfolio for a current total of 4,083.22 acres. Acquisition and management funds were generated from an ad valorem property tax of up to .25 mil, or $25 for each $100,000 in taxable property value for property owners in Collier County. Additional income was derived from investment and banking interest, grants and the sale of Panther Habitat Units (PHUs) to the Solid Waster Department in 2014. In March 2013, at the ten year mark, the ad valorem tax levy authorization expired. As taxes were collected, 15% of the net levy went into the Land Management Trust Fund (174) and 85% went into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (172). On May 25, 2010 (Agenda item 16.E.2), the Board of County Commissioners authorized a transfer of up to an additional $10.3 million, above the ordinance mandated 15% of ad valorem taxes, from the “Land Acquisition Fund” to the “Land Management Fund” during FY2011 – FY2013 to ensure land management funding in perpetuity. On April 12, 2011 (Agenda Item 10F) the Board authorized early re- payment of Bond Series 2008. Bond Series 2004 and 2008 were retired in FY 2013. The Conservation Collier Program utilizes four funds to manage program financial resources. Fund (172), the Land Acquisition Fund, is used to account for property acquisition activity. Fund (174), the Land Maintenance Trust Fund, is the primary Conservation Collier operating and maintenance fund. This fund also contains long-term Conservation Collier Maintenance Trust reserves. Significant infrastructure improvements are managed through the Conservation Collier Capital Improvement Fund (179). Finally, pledged Caracara Preserve endowment funds and Caracara Preserve maintenance costs are accounted for in Caracara Preserve Trust Fund (674). Sustained low interest rates and resulting low earnings on Conservation Collier Trust Funds are an ongoing financial concern. In FY14 and FY15, staff addressed this matter with the Board of County Commissioners. Using conservative projections, a Ten-Year Financial Plan was developed which focused on reducing and containing expenditures, establishing a combined Conservation Collier program minimum fund balance of $32,000,000, and establishing a three- year financial planning window to ensure adopted budgets and spending practices remain consistent with long range financial targets. During FY15, staff held costs to planned levels and in some areas less than planned due to wet weather interference and grant assistance. The following report shows Conservation Collier expenditures during FY15 with the Adopted Budget amount reflecting the approved ten-year plan amounts. 27 Table 3 – Summary of Conservation Collier Financial Activity for FY15 Table 4 – Comparison of Planned versus Actual Fund Balance 28 6. Conservation Collier Programs, Events, and Community/Educational Outreach Pepper Ranch Hunt Program A total of 9 hunts were conducted at Pepper Ranch Preserve during the 2014-2015 hunting season: 4 public and 1 youth hog hunt, 1 public and 1 youth deer hunt, and 1 public and 1 youth spring turkey hunt. A total of 5 hogs, 5 female deer, and 5 male turkeys were harvested during the 2014-2015 hunting season. Seventy-nine applications were received for the 2015-16 hunting season. Two youth hunts and six public hunts were scheduled for the 2015-2016 hunting season. Caracara Prairie Preserve Hunt Program Caracara Prairie Preserve is established as part the Corkscrew Marsh Unit of the CREW Wildlife Environmental Area (WEA). This allows for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulated public hunting for hog and spring turkey to occur within Caracara Prairie Preserve. Pepper Ranch Guided Hike Program – During late 2014, staff recruited a small group of volunteers, mostly Master Naturalists and experienced hikers from the Alligator Amblers chapter of the Florida Trail Association to lead hikes on Pepper Ranch Preserve trails for the general public at no charge. These volunteers have been trained on the trails, trained as volunteers in the Parks and Recreation System and have received safety training. Last season (2015), the group focused on providing scheduled hikes for area conservation organizations, their staff and volunteers. This provided many others who routinely interact with eco-tourists the opportunity to know about Pepper Ranch Preserve and direct them there as another opportunity to view wildlife and native habitat. This year the program is offering 4 free guided hikes to the public, of which 2 have occurred. The hikes are well attended and enjoyed by visitors. Pepper Ranch Florida Sunflower Festival – The 2015 Sunflower Festival, an event hosted by Conservation Collier and the Parks and Recreation Department on October 3, 2015 was a great success, drawing over 400 people to visit and view the ranch and its fabulous displays of native Florida sunflowers – the Southeastern sunflower – Helianthus agrestis. Activities at the event included hay rides, guided hikes, narrated van tours of the Preserve, food vendor, music, a bear program for children, and an arts and crafts table. The event drew in many people from the Immokalee community who had not visited the preserve before. Social Media Face book – Conservation Collier maintains a Face book Page titled “Conservation Collier Program.” Since its inception in 2011, the Conservation Collier Page has 395 total page likes, with over 1,040 people reached. 29 Website – Conservation Collier maintains a website within the Collier County website at www.Colliergov.net/ConservationCollier. Visitors can find information about preserves, their locations, what amenities are located there, contact information for staff, and what kind of experience preserves open to the public offer. Land Management Plans, all meeting agendas, agenda item backup, and meeting minutes are also provided. 6. Mitigation Programs Conservation Collier has followed 2007 Board direction (6/26/07, Agenda Item 10A) in pursuing both wetland and Panther Habitat Unit (PHU) mitigation credit for those properties where the opportunity exists. Caracara Prairie Preserve – Collier County’s Solid Waste Department has used all 2,272.72 PHU credits available at Caracara Prairie Preserve to mitigate for development of the Collier Resource Recovery Park. The Conservation Collier Program received a total of $1,301,600 in revenue over FY14 and FY15 for the PHU credits. This revenue is estimated to fund 25% of routine management costs and 100% of costs associated with US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) PHU mitigation requirements. Pepper Ranch Preserve – Staff submitted a Pepper Ranch Preserve Panther Habitat Conservation Bank Proposal to USFWS on July 23, 2014. A Panther Habitat Conservation Bank would allow multiple County projects to be mitigated through the preservation and enhancement of Pepper Ranch Preserve. In the proposal, 8,678.72 PHU credits were identified; however, USFWS will make the final credit determination after reviewing the prospectus. USFWS did not respond to the proposal until December 2015, when it provided feedback that the proposal was viable. Staff is currently finalizing the formal prospectus for submission by July 2016. The review process could take up to one to two years. 7. Partners Conservation Collier is pleased to have developed acquisition funding, land management, research, project development, and other related program partnerships with a multitude of agencies and organizations. These agencies and the nature of their partnerships are listed alphabetically below: Audubon of Collier County – Community and Advisory Committee Support Boy Scouts of America – 12 Eagle Scout projects have been completed or are in the process on Conservation Collier Preserves City of Marco Island – Management partnership – Otter Mound Preserve City of Naples – Gordon River Greenway partner Collier County Parks and Recreation Department – Freedom Park and Gordon River Greenway Park management partnership –Management Plan approved through Florida Communities Trust (FCT) Grant Program in place - Cocohatchee Creek Preserve – management assistance. Collier County Solid Waste Department – Caracara Prairie Preserve - panther mitigation credit (PHUs) for Resource Recovery Park. 30 Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) – Labor for preserve projects under the Weekender Workers Program Conservancy of Southwest Florida – Community and Advisory Committee Support Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Trust (CREW) – Caracara Prairie Preserve - acquisition and education programs; Land donation in Red Maple Swamp Florida Division of Forestry – Prescribed fire within urban preserves Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) - Exotic Removal funding (Conservation Collier staff coordinates the regional working group that distributes exotic removal funding in south Florida) – Wet Woods, Logan Woods, Railhead Scrub, Shell Island, Rivers Road, and Pepper Ranch Preserves; Pepper Ranch Preserve Youth Hunt partnership. Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) – Research - Caracara Prairie Preserve, Lake Trafford Management Team, Volunteers Florida Southwestern State College (FSW) – Student Field Trips, Volunteers Florida Wildlife Federation – Community and Advisory Committee support Naples Airport Authority – Gordon River Greenway partner Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Rookery Bay NERR) – Pursuing management partnership for Shell Island Preserve and McIlvane Marsh management activities. South Florida Water Management District – Caracara Prairie Preserve – property management, wildlife monitoring, Lake Trafford Management Team Southwest Florida Land Preservation Trust – Gordon River Greenway partner University of Florida (UF) – Logan Woods Preserve-exotic removal, Lake Trafford Management Team U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) – Exotics removal grants under the Partners Program and Coastal Program for Otter Mound, Shell Island, Railhead Scrub, Rivers Road, Pepper Ranch and McIlvane Marsh. 9. Grants Conservation Collier has actively pursued grants for both acquisition and management purposes. Currently, there have been no awards for land acquisition, but many for management, primarily for the removal of invasive, exotic species but also for needed equipment and plant community restoration. Exotics removal grants have come from state and federal government agencies, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Partners Program), the State of Florida through the Invasive Plant Species Management Council, and the University of Florida. The table below shows the amount of grant funds obtained and Conservation Collier management funds expended for each preserve through March 2016. Conservation Collier has had approximately 17% of all land management activities funded through grants. A final report for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Cooperative Agreement No. 401815J021 is attached as Exhibit D. The funds were to be used to perform various habitat restoration projects on Conservation Collier properties between 2005 and 2015. Preserve Year preserve Acquired Acquisition Price Gross Management Funds expended Grant Funds Acquired Net Management Funds expended Alligator Flag 2006 $4,950,000 $60,507 $0 $60,507 Caracara Prairie 2007 $5,032,000 $606,263 $0 $606,263 31 Cocohatchee Creek 2004 $476,200 $94,586 $0 $94,586 Freedom Park 2008 $56,300 $49,460 $0 $49,460 Greenway Preserve 2006 $2,075,000 $288,959 $53,734 $235,959 Redroot 2006 $440,000 $26,433.00 $0 $26,433 Logan Woods 2005 $711,983 $82,352 $34,400 $47,952 McIlvane Marsh 2007 $2,802,900 $0 $0 $0 Nancy Payton 2005 $2,507,250 $212,816 $29,650 $183,166 Otter Mound 2004 $2,234,000 $223,150 $13,900 $209,250 Panther Walk 2007 $93,130 $8,672 $0 $8,672 Pepper Ranch 2009 $32,525,100 $1,728,369 $245,900 $1,482,469 Railhead Scrub 2004 $32,617,050 $482,520 $153,100 $329,420 Shell Island 2005 $4,750,000 $91,745 $84,350 $7,395 Wet Woods 2005 $2,160,000 $111,640 $65,638 $53,940 Rivers Road 2014 $5,128,300 $112,313 $30,000 $97,313 Winchester Head 2004- 2010 $1,480,085 $3,435 $0 $3,435 Red Maple Swamp 2004- 2011 $3,778,150 $20,504 $0 $20,504 Camp Keais 2009 $81,250 $0 $0 $0 Total $103,898,698 $4,203,724 $710,672 $3,516,724 8. Volunteers During 2014, Conservation Collier was the grateful recipient of 2,119.5 volunteer hours. If these hours are multiplied by the Florida minimum wage (for 2015 - $8.05/hr), that amounts to a savings to the program of $17,0761. Volunteer tasks accomplished include: • Exotic plant treatment, • Preserve monitoring and maintenance, • Trail creation and maintenance, • Hike leadership, • Mountain bike trail construction and maintenance, • FWC Youth Hunt guides, • Wildlife surveys, • Vegetation plantings, • Vegetation management The above does not include Eagle Scout projects where total hours worked are not collected. The service of volunteers for Conservation Collier is governed by Collier County and Parks and Recreation Volunteer Policies. 32 9. 2016 Objectives 1. Continue to accept donation properties under the Land Development Code Offsite Preservation Option. 2. Continue to develop public access for acquired properties as directed by the Board of County Commissioners and approved in the updated 2015 Conservation Collier Amenity Work Plan. 3. Continue to implement land management practices at all preserves as outlined in each Board- approved Land Management Plan. 4. Continue to implement the Collier County Hunt Program at the Pepper Ranch Preserve. 5. Secure grant funding wherever possible. 6. Look for any and all ways to reduce expenditures without sacrificing quality of land management and public access amenities. 7. Continue to pursue mitigation opportunities on acquired lands. 8. Continue to evaluate potential for sale/trade or donation of lands where it would benefit the Program. 9. Follow the Board-approved Financial Plan. 33 10. Exhibits Exhibit A. 2015Map of Conservation Collier Program Lands 34 Exhibit B – Conservation Collier Program Public Amenity Work Plan and Preserve Category Matrix Introduction: In 2011, the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (CCLAAC) categorized each preserve based upon its existing and proposed public access amenities. The resulting “Conservation Collier Preserve Public Amenity Matrix” identifies all public amenities - existing and proposed - at all 19 Conservation Collier Preserves, and categorizes each preserve into 1 of 5 categories. Additionally, the CCLAAC created a “Conservation Collier Public Amenity Priority List”. This identified not only the public amenities recommended at each preserve, but also the priority in which these public amenities should be constructed. In 2013, after considering the financial status of the Program, some planned amenities were postponed or reduced. This update provides a proposed revised Work Plan for 2015. This plan may be revised annually, or as needed. With the exception Gordon River Greenway Preserve and Pepper Ranch Preserve, which receive high volumes of public visitation, the improvements proposed at each preserve represent the minimum amenities necessary to provide safe and economically feasible public access. Background: As mandated by Collier County Ordinance 2007-65, 15% of ad valorem taxes received through the Conservation Collier Program were placed into a “Land Management Fund” annually since FY 2003. This 15% transfer stopped in FY 2013, when the levy ceased. The “Land Management Fund” is separate and distinct from the Conservation Collier “Land Acquisition Fund” and is intended to generate enough interest annually so that only the interest will be used to fund recurring annual management activities at all Conservation Collier preserves in perpetuity. With interest rates at a low point, a reassessment of planned expenses was required to conserve principal in the Land Management Fund. Concern about long term Program finances began in 2009, when data gathered on management costs, coupled with revenue forecasts and future interest rate projections, suggested that there would be insufficient funds in the “Land Management Fund” to complete all Board approved land management activities and potential public access improvements. CCLAAC budget workshops were held to discuss long term maintenance funding for Conservation Collier preserves during the July 13, 2009 and September 14, 2009 CCLAAC meetings. As a result of these workshops, on May 25, 2010, Agenda Item 16E2, the Board of County Commissioners authorized a transfer of up to an additional $10.3 million, above the ordinance mandated 15% of ad valorem taxes, from the “Land Acquisition Fund” to the “Land Management Fund” during FY2011 – FY2013 to ensure land management funding in perpetuity. In November 2010, the Collier County Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recommended that projected future interest rates be revised downward. These revisions severely impacted the projected “Land Management Fund” balance. Because of this situation and in order to ensure sufficient management funds in perpetuity, on January 25, 2011, Agenda Item 10B, the Board: directed the County Manager, or his designee, to prepare a Public Amenity Master Plan for all Conservation Collier preserves, suspend all Conservation Collier acquisitions until a Master Plan 35 was approved by the Board, and approved the Conservation Collier Cycle 8 Active Acquisition List for purchase when funds are available. The 2012 Public Amenity Work Plan was the Board requested Master Plan drafted by Conservation Collier staff based upon recommendations by the CCLAAC. It was approved on October 23, 2012, Agenda Item 16D4. In December 2015, interest rates were raised by a quarter percent. Public Amenity Work Plan was further revised. This 2014 Public Amenity Work Plan represents the most current status of this plan. Preserve Categories: Conservation Collier Ordinance 2007-65 defines natural resource-based recreation as, “all forms of uses which are consistent with the goals of this program and are compatible with the specific parcel. Such uses shall include but not be limited to hiking, nature photography, bird watching, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, hunting and fishing.” To date, the Conservation Collier Program manages 19 separate preserves throughout the County, nine of which are officially open to the public. See Exhibit A. Recreational opportunities offered at these open preserves are compatible and appropriate to their location, hydrology and plant communities. Additionally, the natural resource-based recreational opportunities coincide with the approved Land Management Plans of these preserves. The “Conservation Collier Preserve Public Amenity Matrix” (Exhibit A) identifies all public amenities, existing and proposed, at all 19 Conservation Collier Preserves, and categorizes each preserve into 1 of 5 categories. Category descriptions are provided below. Regardless of category, preserves may be closed to the general public when deemed appropriate by staff (i.e., conducting a prescribed burn, after storm events, debris removal, levels of unusually high water, days when hunting is permitted, etc.). Category 1 – Primary Use Preserve • Easily accessible and enough space to construct parking on or near the parcel and other amenities such as restrooms may be available on or near the preserve. • ADA accessibility (parking and trails) will be provided. • May have a daily staff presence (as appropriate) and staff is available to conduct interpretive tours of the preserve by request. • Occasional field trips and/or educational programs may be provided. • Natural resource-based recreational opportunities offered will correspond with the preserve’s approved Land Management Plan. • Marked trails and interpretive materials will be available on-site. • Capital improvements, such as boardwalks, canoe/kayak, launches, overlooks, picnic benches, and bike racks will be provided for visitors where feasible. • Will be open to the public during daytime hours, unless special arrangements are made. 36 Category 2 - Intermediate Use Preserve • Has space to provide limited parking on or near the parcel without degrading the hydrology and plant communities and may be conducive to providing a primitive trail system. In such cases, an unimproved trailhead may be provided. • Additional natural resource-based recreational opportunities may be offered where feasible and will correspond with the preserve’s approved Land Management Plan. • Restrooms may be provided on or near the site where feasible. • Will not have a daily staff presence but staff will be available to conduct interpretive tours of the preserve by request. • Interpretive signs, brochures, picnic tables and bike racks may be present. • Will be open to the public during daytime hours, unless special arrangements are made. Category 3 - Neighborhood (Limited Use) Preserve • Intended to be a “neighborhood” preserve. There is no space available for parking for either ecological, access, or safety reasons. Members of the public who would like to visit may have to walk or bike a distance from public parking areas. • No restroom facilities will be available. • Primitive trails will be provided. • Interpretive signs, brochures, picnic tables and bike racks may be present. • Additional natural resource-based recreational opportunities may be offered where feasible and will correspond with the preserve’s approved Land Management Plan. • Staff will be present for periodic site inspections and at other times as necessary for the proper management of the preserve. • Staff will be available to conduct interpretive tours of the preserve by request. • Will be open to the public during daytime hours. Category 4 - Seasonal Use Preserve • Parking may be available for the public on or near the site. • Seasonal (usually winter months), marked, primitive trails will be available during appropriate times of the year. • Restroom facilities may be available. • Interpretive signs, brochures, bike racks may be present. • Additional natural resource-based recreational opportunities may be offered where feasible and will correspond with the preserve’s approved Land Management Plan. • Staff will be present for periodic site inspections and at other times as necessary for the proper management of the preserve. 37 • Staff will be available to conduct interpretive tours of the preserve by request. • Will be open to the public seasonally and only during daytime hours. The public is advised to check with Conservation Collier staff or on the Conservation Collier website for up-to-date information. Category 5 - Resource Protection/Restoration Use Preserve • Provide no public access. Public access may not be feasible due to the lack of physical and legal access or where the land stewardship activities could create unsafe conditions for the public. • No restrooms or marked trails will be offered. • Staff will be present for periodic site inspections and at other times as necessary for the proper management of the preserve. Conservation Collier Preserve Public Amenity Matrix - 2015 Preserve Public Amenity Priorities As a result of reevaluations of expenditures in 2014, the Public Amenity Priority List was revised to reflect proposed expense reductions. This list will guide staff to complete the preserve amenities in the order of Board directed priority. PRESERVE NAME Category Visitor Center Staffed Restroom ADA parking Non-ADA parking ADA Trails Non-ADA trails Boardwalk Garbage Cans Picnic Tables Interpretive Signage Interpretive Kiosk Camping Hunting Bench Level of difficulty to provide acces if not open FREEDOM PARK 1 X X X X X X X X X X Open GORDON RIVER GREENWAY 1 N X X X X X X X X P X Open PEPPER RANCH 1 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Open OTTER MOUND 2 X X X X X X X Open RIVERS ROAD 2 X X P X Open RAILHEAD SCRUB 2 X HIGH NANCY PAYTON 2 X X X X X Open CARACARA PRAIRIE 2 N X X X X Open COCOHATCHEE CREEK 2 N N N N X X X X X Open REDROOT 2 X X X Open LOGAN WOODS 3 X X X X Open ALLIGATOR FLAG 4 X X Open PANTHER WALK 4 X X Open WET WOODS 5 HIGH MCILVANE MARSH 5 HIGH RED MAPLE SWAMP 5 N MEDIUM WINCHESTER HEAD 5 P HIGH SHELL ISLAND 5 X HIGH CAMP KEAIS STRAND 5 HIGH X = EXISTING P = PROPOSED N = NEARBY SHADING = PRESERVE OPEN TO THE PUBL 38 Priority Preserve Amenities Estimated Cost Estimated year of construction 1 Gordon River Greenway ADA boardwalk, ADA trails, Pedestrian bridge $2,717,600 revised downward to $1,822,867 (under-run of $894,733) Completed 2 Pepper Ranch - LAKE PLATFORM project ADA boardwalk and observation platform overlooking Lake Trafford, restoring original elevation to pastures at campground $116,000 Completed 3 Rivers Road Parking, Primitive trails $11,000 Completed 4 Wet Woods Primitive Trails $10,200 FY 2017 39 Exhibit C. Research of other County Land Conservation Programs in Florida (Twenty-three (23) Counties were surveyed. The following is a summary of the responses received and the same information for Conservation Collier). Benefits of a Conservation Land Trust (CLT) Disadvantages of Conservation Land Trust CLT would not have to pay federal income tax and those making donations to the CLT would qualify for tax deductions Federal tax incentives for conservation easements require landowners to encumber their land in perpetuity—potential issues as economic & ecological factors change over time Expediency to carry out urgent maintenance tasks (i.e. invasive species outbreak, malfunctions, etc.); more efficient, does not have to go through commission for approval; larger staff equals quicker response times Ethical dilemma of some land trusts engaging in “prearranged flip” wherein land trusts do not hold on to the easement but turn around and sell it to federal or state gov`t agencies & land trust profits difference between below market price paid &the market price sold. Ability to be creative, cost saving/economic efficiencies Not subject to Sunshine Law. Less transparent. Leveraging different partnership entities for greater economic benefit for public and collier county Land trusts don’t manage land with easements, owners do Greater funds for more land acquisition County might have more influence over the State than an nonprofit organization “Promote a level of innovation & experimentation in private land conservation efforts that typically is not found in gov`t. controlled land conservation programs.” Federico Cheever and Nancy A. McLaughlin, op. cit., p. 10233. Found in Gattuso, 2008. 501(c)(3) board over time might not be fulfilling what originally set out Program & Year Est. Work w/ 501c3? Pros/Cons Working with friends group? Land Area Mng. (Acres) Budget percentages of staff to operating General Support Fund: Y/N # Staff Seminole County, 1990 Yes “Friends of Parks & Preservation” group est. to fundraise Approx. 6,634 acres at 13 sites Staff: 60% Operating: 40% Data Not Provided 4 full- time, 1 part-time Orange County, 1992 Yes Provide site security for property & educational events to public 4500 acres at 22 sites Generates revenue from sale of mitigation bank credits Yes 2 full-time, 1 part-time Palm Beach County, 1991/1999 No N/A 31,400 acres Staff: 30% Operating & Mgmt: 70% Yes; ad valorem 37 full-time, 4 part-time Polk County, 1994 Yes Fundraising for specific events 18,000 acres Staff: 12% Land mgmt..: 13% Acquisition: 75% Data Not Provided 8 full-time Broward County, 1989 & 2000 No N/A 6,500 acres Staff: 3% Mgmt: 50% Acquisition: 47% Yes 1 full-time Pasco County, 2005 No N/A 15,400 acres Staff: 40% Mgmt: 60% Yes 31 full-time 40 Exhibit D. Final Report – Cooperative Agreement between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Collier County – Agreement No. 401815J021 Final Report Cooperative Agreement between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Collier County Agreement No. 401815J021 December 2015 OVERVIEW In October 2005, the Collier County Board of County Commissioners approved the acceptance of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Cooperative Agreement No. 401815J021. The funds were to be used to perform various habitat restoration projects on Conservation Collier properties through September 30, 2016. Specific Conservation Collier projects were funded annually through the USFWS and were identified as modifications to Cooperative Grant Agreement No. 401815J021. Through the agreement, over an 11-year period, the USFWS would have allowed Collier County to receive up to $250,000. To date, seven modifications have been made to the Cooperative Agreement and Collier County has received $150,000 from the USFWS to fund six projects. All six projects are now complete. Collier County has provided an additional $377,922.25 in match towards these projects. In total, $527,922.25 has been spent to restore 1,045.84 acres. This report will cover restoration and maintenance activities that occurred at the following Conservation Collier Preserves from 2005 - present: Railhead Scrub Preserve – 135.34 acres (Phase I – 2005 and 2008; Phase II – 2011) Otter Mound Preserve – 1 acre (2006) Shell Island Preserve – 132 acres (2007) Pepper Ranch Preserve – 777.5 acres (2011) Original Agreement – Railhead Scrub Preserve In 2007, approximately 24 acres of melaleuca within Railhead Scrub Preserve Phase 1 was mowed down by a State of Florida contractor through the Department of Environmental Protection’s 41 Bureau of Invasive Plan Management, and approximately 10 acres of Brazilian pepper were treated using the funds received from the original USFWS Cooperative Agreement. Since the initial treatments in 2007 through 2014, the entire Railhead Scrub Preserve Phase 1 has been treated annually for invasive exotic plants, and the invasive exotic plant density within the preserve has been maintained between 1% and 5%. Invasive, exotic plants will continue to be monitored and treated on an as needed basis within Phase 1. Phase 1 Melaleuca Mow Area Photo Point 3: Before – April 2007 After – July 2007 After – April 2015 Phase 1 Melaleuca Mow Area Photo Point 6: Before – April 2007 After – July 2007 After – November 2015 Modification 1 – Otter Mound Preserve Modification 1 provided funds for native plantings and invasive, exotic plant maintenance within Otter Mound Preserve. Collier County funded initial exotic plant re moval at the preserve in July 2005. In June and July 2006, funds from Modification 1 were used to restore 1.0 acre of Otter Mound Preserve through the planting of 341 native, tropical hardwood plants. Because the preserve is an archaeological site, only small plants – no larger than 3 gallon – were planted. Additionally, irrigation gel was planted with each plant in order to aid in establishment. Volunteers from the Naples Chapter of the Native Plant Society and the Calusa Garden Club assisted with planting the plants. Volunteers from the Florida Archaeological Society assisted with sifting dirt from every planting hole in order to recover artifacts. Lunch was donated by a local grocery store. Below is a list of the planted species: Qty Species Qty Species 9 White Indigoberry 15 Pigeon Plum 9 Snowberry 16 Satinleaf 9 Bloodberry 2 Wild lime 10 Coral Bean 3 Jamaican Dogwood 10 Firebush 6 Wild Tamarind 15 Florida privet 5 Sea Grape 42 4 White stopper 2 Jamaican capers 9 Spanish stopper 2 Hogplum 9 Simpson’s stopper 50 Blue porterweed 10 Bird Pepper 50 Corky-stem Passion Vine 10 Fiddlewood 50 Wild Coffee 15 Strangler Fig 21 Rouge Plant After nine years, the planted areas now have a canopy and shrub layers made up entirely of native plants. December 3, 2015 – facing west June 17, 2006 – facing west December 3, 2015 – standing at star on June 17, 2006, photo and facing southwest June 17, 2006 December 3, 2015 43 June 17, 2006 Otter Mound Preserve Photo Point 5: BEFORE – June 2005 Modification 2 – Malt Property (now named Shell Island Preserve) In 2007, Partners funds were used to contract the complete removal of approximately 7 acres of Brazilian pepper within the preserve, lining Shell Island Road. In 2009, a State of Florida contractor through the Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Invasive Plant Management treated in place all invasive, exotic plants within the entire 80 acre Shell Island Preserve and within 52 acres of adjacent Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve land. Over the next 2 years, Partners funds were used to conduct semi-annual treatments within Shell Island Preserve. Collier County continued to contract annual treatments through 2012. Exotics are now monitored and treated on an as needed basis to maintain them at a <5% density. December 3, 2015 AFTER – December 2015 44 November 2007 December 2015 November 2007 December 2015 Modification 3 – Railhead Scrub Preserve Phase 1 The northern-most 80.34 acres of Railhead Scrub Preserve were acquired in September 2004. The original Cooperative Agreement funds received in FY05 and Modification 3 funds received in FY08 were awarded for 45 exotic plant control and restoration planting within this northern-most 80 acres, now referred to as “Railhead Scrub Preserve Phase 1”. Funds from Modification 3 were originally intended to restore the 24 acres that were cleared of melaleuca in 2007. However, because native recruitment was successful in these areas, restoration was focused on a temporal depression marsh within Railhead Scrub Preserve North that had been degraded by ATV trespass. In July 2011, a Collier County contractor supplied and installed 425 wiregrass plants, 425 saw palmettos and 80 South Florida slash pines within both the melaleuca mowed areas and the degraded depression marsh – a total of approximately 1 acre. Each plant was installed with irrigation gel to assist with establishment. In August 2011, the same contractor supplied and installed 1,208 broomsedge liner plants, 6,200 blue maidencane liner plants, and 921 maidencane liner plants. Matching funds were used to create and maintain firebreaks around Railhead Scrub Preserve Phase 1. Phase 1 ATV degraded depression marsh Before planting – August 2011 After planting – November 2015 Planted slash pines, saw palmetto, and wiregrass along edge of depression marsh Week of planting – August 2011 November 2015 Week of planting – August 2011 November 2015 46 Planted slash pines and saw palmetto in melaleuca mowed area Week of planting – August 2011 November 2015 Modification 4 – McIlvane Marsh Preserve Modification 4 was intended to fund invasive, exotic plant treatment on approximately 80 acres within McIlvane Marsh Preserve. Collier County had planned to coordinate treatment of these 80 acres with treatment of surrounding state and federal lands to improve effectiveness. By September 2011, it was clear that surrounding state and federal agencies did not have adequate funding to begin, and maintain, exotic plant treatment within their McIlvane Marsh holdings. County staff determined that it would not be cost effective to treat exotic plants within an 80 acre area that is surrounded by property infested with exotic plants. County staff requested that USFWS re-allocate the McIlvane Marsh restoration project funds to the Railhead Scrub Phase 2 restoration project. This re-allocation resulted in Modification 8 to the Agreement. Modification 5 – Partners for Fish and Wildlife Pepper Ranch SSA-7 (ZONE 2) Through Modification 5 Partners Program funds and match funds, approximately 55.5 acres of uplands along the access road and pasture that were heavily infested with Brazilian pepper (90%- 95% density) were mechanically treated using heavy machinery in December 2010 and January 2011 and treated with herbicide in February 2011 and February 2012. Collier County has continued annual treatments. In 2014, a State of Florida contractor through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Invasive Plant Management Section performed the annual exotic plant treatment within this area. Heavy Machinery pulls Brazilian pepper out from along-side of access road 47 Access road after machinery - prior to mowing Access road after mowing – December 2015 January 2011 Modification 5 – Coastal Program Pepper Ranch SSA-7 (ZONE 3) From December 2010 through March 2011, Coastal Program funds and match funds from Modification 5 were used to initially treat all FLEPPC Category 1 and 2 plants (10% density) within approximately 722 acres of the ranch. Treatment has continued to occur annually after initial treatment in 2011. In 2014, a State of Florida contractor through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Invasive Plant Management Section performed the annual exotic plant treatment within this area. Modification 6 – Railhead Scrub Preserve Phase 2 In 2011 and 2012, grant funds and matching funds from Modification 8 were used for initial and follow-up invasive, exotic plant treatment within the 55 acre Railhead Scrub Preserve Phase 2. Collier County continues to treat the invasive, exotic plants annually. Phase 2 Downy Rosemyrtle Treatment Area Photo Point 10: Before – November 2010 After – April 2015 48 Modification 7 – USFWS Project Officer revision The final Modification to the Agreement, Modification 7, was an administrative modification to revise the Fish and Wildlife Service Project Officer on the agreement from Kathy O’Reilly-Doyle to Erin P. Myers. Final Results It is safe to say that the restoration projects funded by this Cooperative Agreement were a success. The restoration to the habitats within Conservation Collier Preserves, facilitated with funding from this Agreement, has been maintained - through both direct funds from the Conservation Collier Program and through state funding assistance. Long-term funding currently planned for all Conservation Collier preserves managed under the Program will also ensure that the benefits gained through these restoration projects will not be lost in the future. Additionally, Conservation Collier Program staff has learned valuable lessons through these restoration projects that have been incorporated into other projects throughout Collier County. For example, the 2006 planting project at Otter Mound Preserve, funded through this agreement, served as a template for a 2009 planting project on lands acquired adjacent to Otter Mound Preserve and for a 2015 planting project at the Gordon River Greenway Preserve. Both of which were successful. Collier County’s next step in managing these lands is the re-introduction of fire at Railhead Scrub Preserve, Shell Island Preserve, and Pepper Ranch Preserve. The removal of invasive, exotic plants within these preserves, has laid the ground work for this re-introduction.