Agenda 06/24/2008 Item #10E
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 1 of 21
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recommendation to conduct the Conservation Collier Annual Public Meeting
to provide the Board of County Commissioners and public with an update on
the Program's past activities, and to solicit proposals and applications for the
current acquisition cycle.
OBJECTIVE: To provide an update on the Program's past activities and to solicit proposals
and applications for the sixth (6th) acquisition cycle,
CONSIDERATION:
A November 2002 County-wide referendum approved the Conservation Collier Program and
authorized the County to issue up to $75,000,000 in bonds to acquire environmentally
sensitive properties, In December 2002, the Board of County Commissioners approved
Ordinance 2002-63 (recently amended as Ordinance 2007-65) establishing the Conservation
Collier Land Acquisition Program, hired a coordinator, and appointed a nine-member
Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (CCLAAC), A November 2006
County-wide referendum confirmed community support for a ,25 mils ad valorem tax funding
the Program for 10 years, through 2013,
The CCLAAC and staff have completed five selection and approval cycles, Total cost of land
acquisition thus far, representing 4+ completed buying cycles is approximately $63,5 million,
Conservation Collier has acquired 1,184 acres in 16 different locations, Please see the
attached Conservation Collier Annual Report, dated June 2008, for a full report of past and
current activities,
The most recent cycle resulted in a January 29, 2008 Board approval for purchase of an
additional 2,950.45 acres, Total appraised and estimated value for approved cycle 5
properties is approximately $45 million,
Fifteen (15) of the 16 acquired projects are now under Board-approved management plans,
both Interim and Final. Two Preserves (Cocohatchee Creek and Otter Mound) are currently
open to the public, Preserve management activities are ongoing for all acquired properties
except multi-parcel projects, where larger contiguous areas must be acquired in order to
manage in a cost effective manner.
The proposed objectives of the program's sixth year include:
a, Evaluate and select qualified properties and projects in the 6th acquisition cycle
b, Secure grant funding wherever possible
c, Continue to conduct public meetings for ongoing development of Final Management
Plans
d, Develop public access for acquired properties
e, Work with other County Departments to coordinate conservation land purchases with
other public needs
f, Work effectively with the Transfer of Development Rights and offsite preserve Programs
to accept land and/or funds conveyances under these programs,
--- g, Finalize a program manual.
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Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 2 of 21
At the June 9th meeting of the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee, the
Committee voted unanimously to forward the attached 2008 Annual Report, with revisions, to
the Board of County Commissioners,
At the Board meeting, staff will make a public solicitation for nomination proposals and for
property owners to submit applications in the 6th selection and ranking cycle, which is
currently underway, with deadline for submittal of August 15, 2008,
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impacts of past and current activities are stated above in the Considerations
section, Conservation Collier currently has approximately $18 million available for land
acquisition between budgeted land acquisition and reserve funds, The approximately $45
million anticipated as needed for cycle five purchases will require borrowing, should offers be
made and accepted, Assessed value of lands offered for acquisition in the current cycle
(cycle 6), including cycle 5 B-Iist properties, is approximately $13,2 million, The net revenue
anticipated to be available for land purchases in FY09 is estimated at $9 million, Due to
economic uncertainties, the average net revenue expected for the remainder of the Program
(to 2013) cannot be accurately estimated at this time,
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: Fee-simple acquisition of conservation lands is
consistent with and supports Policy 1,3,1 (e) in the Conservation and Coastal Management
Element and Policy 1.4 of the Future Land Use Element of the Collier County Growth
Management Plan,
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: Ordinance 2002-63, as amended, in section 12,6, requires
staff to conduct an annual public meeting for the purposes of providing a Past and Current
Activities Report to the Board and to solicit proposals and applications from the public, -JAB
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board accepts the attached 2008 Annual Report as
presented,
PREPARED BY: Alexandra J, Sulecki, Coordinator, Conservation Collier Program,
Department of Facilities Management
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Page 1 of 1
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 3 of 21
COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Item Number:
Item Summary:
10E
Recommendation to conduct the Conservation Collier Annual Public Meeting to provide the
Board of County Commissioners and public with an update on the Programs past activities,
and to solicit proposals and applications for the current acquisition cycle. (Alex Sulecki,
Senior Environmental Specialist)
Meeting Date:
6/24/2008 900:00 AM
Approved By
Melissa Hennig
Environmental Specialist
Date
Administrative Services
Facilities Management
6/10/2008 4:46 PM
Approved By
Skip Camp, C.F .M.
Facilities Management Director
Date
Administrative Services
Facilities Management
6/11/20083:19 PM
Approved By
Jennifer A. Belpedio
Assistant County Attorney
Date
County Attorney
County Attorney Office
6/12/200811:41 AM
Approved By
Len Golden Price
Administrative Services Administrator
Date
Administrative Services
Administrative Services Admin.
6/12/2008 2:09 PM
Approved By
OMS Coordinator
OMS Coordinator
Date
County Manager's Office
Office of Management & Budget
6/12/2008 3:46 PM
Approved By
Laura Davisson
Management & Budget Analyst
Date
County Manager's Office
Office of Management & Budget
6/16/2008 9:54 AM
Approved By
James V. Mudd
Board of County
Commissioners
County Manager
Date
County Manager's Office
6/16/2008 6:46 PM
file://C :\Agenda Test\Export\] ] 0-June%2024, %202008\ 1 0, %20COUNTY%20MANAGER,..
6/18/2008
June 24, 2008
Page 4 of 21
Conservation Collier
Annual Report
June 2008
Conservation Collier Program
Collier County Facilities Management Department
Agenda Item No, 1 DE
June 24, 2008
Page 5 of 21
Table of Contents
Summary "" ..""""""", .."""..""""""""..""" ""'" '" """"",',"""""','," ,',',"'" ""'" ""'" ..""""""".., 3
1. Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee...,..,..,.......",..,..",....,..,....",........ 4
2, Program lands acquisition status"""",..."",....,......""...""""""",..",....,..,.........,.."....""""..,.... 6
A, M ulti- Parcel Proj ects"""""""""",..""""""",..,..""""""""""""""""""""""..""""""..", 6
B. Grouped Parcel Projects: ,..,..,..""""""""""""..",....",..""....",......""""""""""""".."""" 7
C. Individual Parcel Projects: "".."""""""""",.."...."".."",......""""""""""""""""..."",..." 9
3, Program financial status..,,'" ,...."" ..""" "",",",',',"" ...."""".., """'" "'" """""",.....,."" """""" 9
Table I, Revenue """..,.. ......"" ....", "'" ..""""",......,.. ,........, "",.. '" ......", ,.."",.. "'" .."""" "" 10
4, Acquired lands management status.."",..""...""""......"..""..,....,.."....,..",....,"""""".."..""", 10
Table 2, Preserve Management Status ..""".."",......"",..,......"""""""""""""""""""",....., 11
5, Partnerships Status ..""".., ...."..".. ,.."", """""..".., """,.. ,......"""""", ""'" "..""" ""'" ,..""""", 12
6, Grants status"""",..""""""""""""""""".."""" ,..""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""", 12
Table 3, Management Grants"",....,..,..,..,..""""".."",.."",...",.."..,....",....",..,.."..,..""".."" 13
7, Planned 2008 Activities ""..""""..",..,...."..,.."""..""",..""""""..,..",..,....,....,.."..""""......,.., 13
A, Cycle 6 - Current Status",......,..,.."",..."""""",..,..,..,..,..,...."........,..,..",...."..,......,..,.." 13
B. Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program Conveyances """,.."""""""""""""" 13
C. Offsite Monetary Payment or Preserve Conveyances...."",..".."""""""""""""""","'" 15
D, Proposed objectives of the program's sixth year ...".."..,.....",........""...."....",....".."...., 15
Exhibits",,""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" """"""""'" 16
Exhibit A, Map of Conservation Collier Program lands..""""""""""""..""..""""""""",,','" 16
Exhibit B, Cycle 5 Approved Acquisition List"""""..,.....""..,.."...."..,....,..",..,..",..........","" 17
Exhibit C. Parcels under Review in the current cycle """"..."""",...""......"........,...."",........, 18
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Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
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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 and public on the
Conservation Collier Program and for soliciting proposals and applications, The following
annual report is intended to serve as the update to the Board of County Commissioners 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 been operating to implement that mandate for 5 years,
During this time period, approximately 1,184 acres have been acquired in 16 different locations
for a cost of approximately $63,5 million, $32,815,000 was bonded in 2005 out of the original
bond authorization of $75,000,000, Another 28 acres at a cost of approximately $728,000 are in
the acquisition process, All acreage included, that equals 1,193 acres for just under $64 million,
Several properties, including the Otter Mound Preserve, Railhead Scrub Preserve, the 55-acre
Railhead Scrub Preserve addition, the Gordon River Greenway parcel and the Malt parcel were
unique, with zoning that allowed for more intensive development and were more expensive than
the average parcels purchased, If these are removed from the total, the average cost of lands
purchased for the Conservation Collier Program is approximately $24,400 per acre,
Of the 16 different preserve locations, 15 are currently under a BCC-approved management plan
(10 under Interim Management Plans and 5 under Final Management Plans), An Interim
Management Plan has not yet been drafted for the McIlvane Marsh project because acquisition of
a large section of this project is still underway, Staff has been active in grant writing for
management and has received grant funding awards totaling approximately $188,200, Most of
that funding was for exotic plant removal, but approximately $10,000 was for a GPS unit that
staff uses for management purposes, Management activities for FY2008 are anticipated to be an
estimated total cost of $419,300, or a unit cost of$350 per acre,
Conservation Collier is currently in its 6th acquisition cycle, At this time, another 5 acquisition
proposals are under review totaling 213 acres, Two approved multi-parcel projects are underway
(Winchester Head and North Golden Gate Estates Unit 53), and a number of other projects that
contain multiple parcels and owners are partially purchased, under appraisal or on the
Conservation Collier B-list for consideration with others in the current cycle, These projects are
detailed later in this report, Due to budget uncertainty, letters soliciting acquisition proposals for
this cycle have not been sent. Proposed target properties include those directly adjacent to
currently owned lands,
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Conservation Collier has been working to appraise and make offers on properties approved for
purchase in the 5th acquisition cycle, The largest of these is the Pepper Ranch proposal. The
Pepper Ranch appraisals are due in June, and, as part of the total financial picture, the County is
pursuing environmental assessments and a study to determine the mitigation potential of the
ranch for other County infrastructure projects, Nine cycle 5 A-list properties have been
appraised, offers made and accepted, The remaining 30 parcels (excluding Winchester Head and
the bulk of Unit 53 properties) are under appraisal review, but no offers will be made until the
Pepper Ranch appraisal is received and staff can evaluate its budget impact.
1. Conservation Collier land Acquisition Advisory Committee
The Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (Committee) consists of 9
members appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, The primary pwpose of the
Committee is to assist the Board of County Commissioners in establishing an Active Properties
Acquisition List with qualified purchase recommendations consistent with the goals of
Conservation Collier, Members serve in accordance with Ordinance 2001-55, Membership of
the Committee is intended to be comprised of broad and balanced representation of the interests
of Collier County citizens, including:
. Environmental and conservation interests
. Agricultural and business interests
. Educational interests
. General civic and citizen interests throughout the county,
The Committee has 3 subcommittees:
Outreach
Typical tasks include development of informational brochures, development of a Target
Protection Area mailing strategy for each cycle and development of an overall strategy for
making Conservation Collier efforts and goals known in the local community, The Outreach
Subcommittee is currently working on developing a logo for the program and updating Program
brochures,
Lands Evaluation and Manaf!ement
This sub-committee reviews all proposed land management plans and makes recommendations
to the full committee on land management activities and issues on acquired preserves, This
committee is currently reviewing the Interim Management Plan for the Starnes Preserve and the
Final Management Plans for the Logan Woods and Nancy Payton Preserves,
Ordinance. Policv and Rules
This subcommittee met in the early stages of the program to develop a purchase policy, to
discuss various program policies and to review the ordinance to determine if and what changes
may be needed to successfully operate the program, Recently completed tasks include a revision
of the Conservation Collier Ordinance (2007-65), development of an Exceptional Benefits
Ordinance, changes to the Purchase Policy (Resolution 2007-300) and development of a
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recommended policy for the acceptance of properties conveyed under the Transfer of
Development Rights (TDR) Program, This subcommittee is now in the process of developing a
recommended policy to facilitate the off-site preserve option as proposed in Land Development
Code revisions,
Currently serving members and their areas of expertise are:
· William Poteet, Jr. - Chairman. Mr. Poteet is a realtor and businessman, who has been
a member of the Committee since its inception in March 2003, He was originally
appointed in 2003, reappointed in 2005, and again in January 2008 for a third term, Mr.
Poteet has been Chairman of the Committee since August 2005; unanimously re-elected
to a second term as Chairman in 2008, Mr. Poteet is also active in two subcommittees;
Outreach, where he served as Chairman for several years and Ordinance, Policy and
Rules, assisting with the development of Program policy and documents, Mr. Poteet was
awarded the Outstanding Advisory Committee Member of the month in March 2007,
· Will Kriz - Vice Chair, Another original member of the Committee, Mr, Kriz is the
former Chief of land acquisition for the National Park Service, In this capacity, he
oversaw acquisition of portions of the Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Panther
National Wildlife Refuge and the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Mr
Kriz is active in and has served as Chairman of the Ordinance, Policy and Rules
Subcommittee since its inception, taking the lead in program policy and document
development. Mr. Kriz was awarded the Outstanding Advisory Committee Member
Award in March 2008,
· Michael Delate - One of the original Advisory Committee members appointed in 2003,
reappointed in 2004 and again in 2007 for a third term, Mr, Delate has served public and
private clients for 13 years on all aspects of project management from master planning to
project completion and certification, He currently serves on the Lands Evaluation and
Management subcommittee, where his real world experience helps guide sound
management decisions, Mr, Delate was awarded the Outstanding Advisory Committee
Member in March 2005,
. Marco Espinar - Another original Committee member, Mr. Espinar was reappointed in
2004 and again in 2007, Mr, Espinar owns a local environmental consulting firm and has
extensive local experience in environmental planning and management. He has shared
that experience with citizens on several County Advisory Boards, Mr, Espinar is an
original member of the Lands Evaluation and Management subcommittee, where he was
recently re-elected Chair, after having served in that capacity from 2003 until 2007,
· Wayne Jenkins - Another original member reappointed in 2006, Mr. Jenkins serves in
the general citizens and civic interest category, He is the President of the Collier
Sportsman and Conservation Club, a group with members in Collier, Lee and Hendry
Counties that supports responsible outdoor recreation on public lands, Mr, Jenkins has
also served on the Lands Evaluation and Management Subcommittee since its inception,
· Mimi Wolok - Appointed in November 2004 to replace an outgoing Committee member
and reappointed in 2007, Ms, Wolok is a wildlife biologist and practicing Naples attorney
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Agenda Item No, 10E
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focusing on real estate, land use and environmental law, Ms, Wolok serves on two
subcommittees, the Outreach subcommittee and Ordinance, Policy and Rules, where her
expertise has been invaluable in crafting Program ordinances and resolutions,
. Anthony Pires, Jr, - Appointed in January 2005, Mr. Pires is a long-time local land use
attorney bringing extensive experience in public and private land use and planning
projects to the Committee, Mr, Pires has served citizens on numerous County Advisory
Committees over the past two decades, He currently also serves as Chairman for the
Outreach subcommittee, where he is working with staff to develop a Program logo,
. Kevin Kacer - Appointed in February 2006, Mr, Kacer retired after 32 years with the
National Park Service; serving in numerous South Florida locations including Everglades
National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and Biscayne National Park, where he was
a key player in the development of park planning documents, Mr, Kacer was Chairman
of the Lands Evaluation and Management subcommittee until just recently, where his
expertise was invaluable in helping to develop the first Conservation Collier land
management plans, It is with deep sadness that we report Mr. Kacer's passing on May
20, 2008, He will be missed,
. Jeffrey Curl- Appointed in January 2008, Mr, Curl is the Committee's newest member.
A Registered Landscape Architect by trade, Mr, Curl brings with him expertise in land
planning, business and the graphic conveyance of ideas, Mr, Curl is presently serving on
both the Outreach and the Ordinance Policy and Rules subcommittees where he is
assisting in development of the Conservation Collier logo,
2. Program lands acquisition status
Conservation Collier currently owns 1,184 acres in 16 different proj ect locations throughout
Collier County (Exhibit A),
A, Multi-Parcel Projects - Winchester Head and North Golden Gate Estates Unit 53:
== ...
Two of the 16 project locations are approved multi-parcel projects - Winchester Head and
North Golden Gate Estates (NGGE) Unit 53 (a,k,a, Red Maple Swamp), Conservation
Collier has acquired approx 26% (44,17 acres out of 167,74 acres) of Winchester Head, and
with upcoming purchases, will own 41 % (117.46 acres out of 285 acres) of Unit 53, Both
multi-parcel projects have been approved subject to land values, As long as this approval
remains in force, Conservation Collier will perform a market study and appraisal every 6
months and make offers to owners within the projects, The most recent appraisal for
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Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
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Winchester Head is over 6 months old and a new market study and appraisal is underway;
staff expects the values to drop, A recent appraisal and market study for NGGE Unit 53 has
resulted in offers to nine owners, but no others until higher priority proj ects are appraised and
the entire financial picture is more clearly known,
Because many of the lands offered to Conservation Collier are comprised of multiple lots and
ownerships, multi-parcel projects have been a challenge for the Program, These occur
particularly within the Golden Gate Estates Target Protection Area but also in other areas,
such as the 1-75, Rivers Road, McIlvane Marsh and the Camp Keais Strand projects,
Challenges include higher prices for smaller lots, getting all the owners to accept the
County's offer, and lack of assurance that in-holding parcels can be acquired in the future, a
particular challenge of the willing-seller environment. The difference between the approved
multi-parcel projects and the parcels that are simply grouped together as projects is that for
the approved multi-parcel projects, a project boundary has been clearly defined and all
parcels within that boundary are deemed of interest to the County, Upon Board approval of
the multi-parcel projects, appraisals can be done and offers made to owners without taking
properties individually through the review and acquisition cycle, Parcels that are simply
grouped together in locations are taken individually through the criteria evaluation process
and to the Board for approval during the regular cycle, There has been reluctance to make
the grouped-together parcels into formal multi-parcel projects due to the above-mentioned
challenges,
B, Grouped Parcel Projects:
1. The 1-75 parcels
This is a group of contiguous and non-contiguous
parcels between the southern terminuses of Everglades
Blvd, and Desoto Blvd, in NGGE, These parcels are
within a Target Protection Area (NGGE) and meet the
Conservation Collier criteria, Their acquisition would
provide wildlife habitat and a significant area that could
accept surface flood waters from other lands within the
NGGE, The total area covered by these lots is
approximately 250 acres, 196 acres of which are mostly
contiguous lots owned by one individual. There are a
total of 12 owners who have filled out applications for Conservation Collier and who have
gone through the criteria review process, Approximately 75 acres are currently on the
Conservation Collier "B" list and the remaining large acreage has been accepted in the
current acquisition cycle (cycle 6), One challenge here is that the County Transportation
Department is currently performing an Interchange Justification Report (UR), as preliminary
to a Project Design and Engineering (PDE) study, to determine whether an interchange is
needed in this general location and where the most appropriate location would be,
Conservation Collier is waiting for the completion of that study to determine the most
appropriate parcels to consider for acquisition and to coordinate with the Transportation
Department, who may be able to partner on some acquisitions as part of mitigation efforts,
Another challenge is that if parcels currently identified for acquisition with willing sellers are
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June 24, 2008
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not contiguous (and several are not) it is unknown whether in-holding owners will be willing
to sell. Previously, letters sent by Conservation Collier to these owners has garnered no
response, A final challenge is that assembling a large area from individually platted lots can
be expensive, One estimate from current land values puts the value of offered parcels in the
neighborhood of $7 million, That does not include appraisals and individual title work,
2. The Rivers Road Project
This project began as a group of 9 contiguous parcels owned by 5
individuals offered to Conservation Collier in the 5th acquisition cycle,
The parcels are located off Rivers Road, which is south of Immokalee
Road across from the Twin Eagles PUD, in Section 30, Township 48,
Range 27, These parcels are not within a TPA, but meet the
Conservation Collier criteria, They lie within the Rural Fringe Mixed
Use District "receiving" lands, Their acquisition will expand and
protect an active wildlife corridor and protect an area that is significant
for aquifer recharge, Nine parcels (72 acres) were evaluated during the
5th acquisition cycle and in January 2008, 7 of those parcels (63 acres)
were placed on the "A" list. Currently, environmental studies and appraisals are being
prepared in order to make offers to those owners, Two additional contiguous parcels were
nominated in the 6th acquisition cycle, bringing the total potential acreage back up to 72,
These parcels will be considered in the context of a multi-parcel project but are moving
independently through the acquisition process,
3, McIlvane Marsh Project
Located northeast of Marco Island and surrounded by
state and federal conservation lands, the McIlvane Marsh
Project consists of an 800-acre saltmarsh, Parcels here
are relatively large, 20 acres to several hundred acres in
size, and relatively inexpensive, Conservation Collier
acquired 259 acres from 5 owners, a result of the 4th
acquisition cycle (2006), Collier County also owns 20
acres here as a mitigation parcel. Currently, two
additional parcels, one 80 acres and the other 20 acres,
7:'...:.,~.~::=-- "Wo' .,,_
," . . ."'-"'-'-...-.. are approved for purchase and going through the
appraisal process, With their acquisition, the total acreage within McIlvane Marsh owned
by Conservation Collier/Collier County will be 379 acres, The State of Florida owns 329
acres in a mosaic pattern with Conservation Collier lands, With the upcoming acquisitions, a
total of nearly 700 acres out of the 800-acre marsh will be in conservation status,
Conservation Collier has had discussion regarding partnership with the State of Florida
(Florida Forever Program) for a post-acquisition partnership where Conservation Collier
could receive a pay-back for some portion of the purchase price with the lands to be titled to
and managed long-term by the State of Florida, Current state budget constraints make this a
proposal to look at after 2009, In the event a state partnership is not realized, Conservation
Collier will partner with Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the entity
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having local state management authority, for ongoing management of the marsh area, There
is some limited potential for public use of this area via kayaks and canoes, which would still
be possible under State ownership,
4. The Camp Keais Strand Project
This is a group of smaller acreage parcels within the Rural Lands
flow-way and Habitat Stewardship areas located just north of the
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in the Camp Keais Strand,
Within Section 29 and 30, Township 48, Range 29, These properties
are within an area considered critical for conservation by 4 state
agencies in studies done over 2 decades, They are within the Florida
Forever Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Project. Thirteen
non-contiguous parcels ranging in size from 2 Y, to 15 acres under
different ownerships totaling 85 acres make up this project. These
~ applications were received in the 3'd acquisition cycle as a result of
staff mailing inquiry letters within Target Protection Areas, The
properties were placed on the "B" list due to their remote location and lack of access, In the 4th
cycle (2006) they were again evaluated and placed on the "B" list. In the 5th cycle (2007), the
Board placed these on the "A" list. Currently, appraisals are underway, As these parcels were
given a low priority within the "A" list, offers will not be made until appraisals for higher
priority projects are received and the Conservation Collier budget can be evaluated using hard,
and not estimated, values for all "A" list properties, Conservation Collier staff has discussed this
project with the state in context of a partnership with the Florida Forever Program, but current
state budget constraints make this a proposal to look at after 2009,
-----
-..-.-
------
-.--
...------
_._---
C. Individual Parcel Projects:
Conservation Collier is currently in the appraisal and due diligence phase for cycle 5 (2007) "A"
list projects (Exhibit B), In addition to the formal and informal multi-parcel projects described
above, five other parcels are currently in the acquisition process, These include the Fretias
parcel, Kaye Homes parcels, Hamilton parcel and the Pepper Ranch,
Both the Freitas and Kay Homes contracts were approved by the BCC on May 27, 2008 and
closings are being scheduled, The Hamilton property is currently being appraised but no offer
will be made until the value for the Pepper Ranch is determined and Conservation Collier can
carefully examine the budget. The Pepper Ranch is undergoing appraisal and environmental due
diligence studies, An appraisal value is expected in June,
3. Program financial status
Conservation Collier has spent approximately $63.5 million in the 5 years it has been in
existence, acquiring 1,184 acres, Table I below shows funds received by years and average net
revenue, Net revenue may change between now and 2013 when the program sunsets, and the
average shown below should not be considered a projection, Funds are generated from an ad
valorem property tax of up to ,25 mils, or $25 for each $100,000 in property tax value for
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property owners in Collier County, As funds are collected for the Program, a small percentage is
taken by the tax collector and the property appraiser for their services, 15% of the net levy is
transferred into a separate fund for management activities and a portion is used for debt
reduction to payoff a previously bonded amount of $32,815,000, Current reserves are
$7,917,900, The estimated value for the current list of approved properties exceeds the available
funds, If all properties are to be acquired, additional bonding, or some other form of borrowing
will have to occur, Once appraisals are received for current A-List properties, the Program will
be able to determine what amount it will need to bond or otherwise borrow, The County's
financial advisor, The PFM Group, recently calculated that the remaining amount available for a
bond issue is $39,894,130,35,
Table 1. Revenue
Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Fund (172)
Ad Valorem Revenue Collections FY04-FYOe
Ad Valorem Revenue ~ess debt service)
Transfer 10 Maintenance Fund (174)
Net Revenue for AcquIsition
Actual Actual Actual Actual Forecast Budget
FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09
10,917,908 11,768,303 10,149,624 13.661,762 13,147,200 13,060,000
(1.664,100) (1.831,800) (2,189.900) (2,750,700) (2.644,900) (2,617,700)
$ 9,253,808 $ 9,936,503 $ 7,959,724 $ 10,911,062 $ 10,502,300 $ 10,442,300
Average collection (less debt service)
Average Net Revenue
$ 12,117,466
$ 9,834,283
4. Acquired lands management status
Conservation Collier is required to prepare Interim
Management Plans for properties within 90 days of
acquisition and Final Management Plans within 2 years
of acquisition (Ord, No, 2007-65, Section 14), Interim
Management Plans (IMPs) are designed to facilitate
initial management actions such as removal of exotics
and trash, securing the asset (i,e" fencing, if necessary)
and planning for future public access, Final Management
Plans (FMPs) provide direction for ten years and
incorporate long term management actions such as
restoration, plant and wildlife monitoring and public
access infrastructure,
Of the 16 Conservation Collier properties, 3 have approved
FMPs, 3 have FMPs under review, 6 have approved IMPs,
3 have IMPs under review and one IMP is under
development (see table 1. below), Ten (10) of the acquired
sixteen project areas are under management by
Conservation Collier staff, 4 are being managed in
partnership with another agency (Rookery Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve, South Florida Water
Management District, City of Marco Island and Collier
County Parks and Recreation or Stormwater Departments),
10
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 14 of 21
and the 2 approved multi-parcel projects have IMPs in place but will not be actively managed
until a solid core of contiguous properties are acquired, Two (2) preserves have been opened for
public use (Cocohatchee Creek Preserve in March 2006 and Otter Mound Preserve in March
2007) with handicapped access, interpretive signs, trails and benches, Both preserves are being
used by public groups for educational purpose and individuals for recreational use, The next
projected public opening is projected to be for the Logan Woods Preserve, at the intersection of
Pine Ridge Road and Logan Blvd" in late 2008 or early 2009,
Table 2. Preserve Management Status
Property name FMP FMP IMP IMP Partnership
approved nnder approved under
and in review and in review
place place
I Cochatchee Creek Preserve X County Parks
and Rec
2 Otter Mound Preserve X City of Marco
Island
3 Railhead Scrub Preserve X
4 Wet Woods Preserve X
5 Logan Woods Preserve X X Univof
Florida
6 Nancy Payton Preserve X X
7 Red Maple Swamp (NGGE Unit X
53)
8 Malt X RookeI)' Bay
NERR
FGCU
9 Milano X
10 Brochu X
11 Gordon River Greenway Preserve X County and
City
12 Winchester Head *
13 Starnes X CREW Trust
and SFWMD
14 Oetting-Freitas (Horsepen X
Strand)
IS Freedom Park X County Parks
and
Transportation
16 Mcllvane Marsh X** Rookery Bay
NERR
* An IMP is underway for Winchester Head, Active management will occur as more
contiguous parcels are acquired,
**Conservation Collier is working with Rookery Bay NERR to develop appropriate
partnership documents,
II
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 15 of 21
5. Partnerships Status
Conservation Collier is pleased to have developed both acquisition funding and land
management partnerships with a number of agencies, These agencies are identified in the table
above and the nature of the partnership is listed below:
City of Marco Island - Management partnership - Otter Mound Preserve
City of Naples - Gordon River Greenway Project
Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Exotic Removal funding (Our staff
coordinates the regional working group that distributes exotic removal funding in south Florida)
- Wet Woods Preserve
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Rookery Bay NERR) - Management
partnership - working on formal agreements for Malt property and McIlvane Marsh
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Exotics removal grants - Partners Program
Florida Gulf Coast University - Research - Malt property
Corkscrew Ecosystem Watershed Trust - Starnes - acquisition and management
South Florida Water Management District - Starnes - property management
University of Florida - Logan Woods preserve - exotic removal
Other Collier County Departments:
- Parks and Recreation and Stormwater Departments - Freedom Park management
partnership -Management Pian approved through Florida Communities Trust (FCT) Grant
Program in place,
- Transportation Department - Starnes (and potentially Pepper Ranch) - for restoration
mitigation credit for County road projects, Conservation Collier is exploring the potential for
partnership with the Collier County Transportation Department for development of a County
Projects Regional Offsite Mitigation Area (ROMA), This presents an opportunity to acquire
lands with Conservation Collier funds and have wetland and listed species enhancement
activities performed by the Transportation Department to satisfy mitigation requirements for
County road proj ects, This is potential for a value addition to Conservation Collier lands and
an opportunity to keep funds otherwise paid to out-of-county mitigation banks, within Collier
County, This potential appears to be significant.
Conservation Collier has commissioned and received a draft of a study to determine what the
potential for this partnership may be on the Pepper Ranch and is currently working with U,S,
Fish and Wildlife Services on the Starnes parcel to evaluate the ability for management
enhancements to achieve Panther Habitat Units (PHUs), worth approximately $1,600 each to
Collier County,
6. Grants status
Conservation Collier has actively pursued a number of grants for both acquisition and
management purposes, Currently, there have been no awards for 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) and the State
of Florida through the Invasive Plant Species Management Council and the University of
12
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 16 of 21
Florida, A grant from the private sector (ESRI Corporation) for Global Positioning Systems /
Geographic Information Systems (GPS/GIS) for equipment and software in the amount of
$10,000 was also awarded to Conservation Collier. The table below shows management grants
awarded and how the funds were utilized,
Table 3, Management Grants
%of
Acquisition Gross Management Grant Funds Net Acquisition
Preserve Price Funds expended Acquired Management Price
Funds expended expended on
Management
Cocohatchee Creek $476,200 $55,864 $0 $55,864 11.7%
Greenway Preserve $2,075.000 $232,624 $0 $232,624 11.2%
Logan Woods $711,983 $58,574 $34,400 $24,174 3.4%
Malt $4,750,000 $15.600 $15,600 $0 0,0%
Nancy Payton $2,112,500 $13,155 $0 $13,155 0,6%
Otter Mound $2,234,000 $110,596 $5,500 $ 105,096 4,7%
Railhead Scrub $32,617,050 $166,122 $60,600 $105,522 0.3%
Wet Woods $2.1 60,000 $70,995 $57.100 $13,295 0.6%
7. Planned 2008 Activities
A. Cycle 6 - Current Status
Conservation Collier is currently accepting nominations for its 6th acquisition cycle and will
be accepting these until August 15th, Five parcels - all but one a part of grouped projects -
have been offered to Conservation Collier for purchase, The one exception is a parcel that
was re-nominated by the owner after being recommended by the Conservation Collier
Committee as an A-List property in cycle 5 but placed on the C-List by the Board of County
Commissioners after concerns were expressed by an adj oining neighborhood association,
See Exhibit C for parcels currently under review in the Conservation Collier Program,
B. Transfer of Development Rights (TOR) Program Conveyances
The TDR Program within the Rural Fringe Mixed Use District (RFMUD) was first
adopted in the Future Land Use Element of the County's Growth Management Plan (GMP)
under Ordinance 2002-32, effective July 22, 2003, The implementing regulations were
adopted into the County's Land Development Code under Ordinance 2004-08, effective
February 20th 2004, The TDR Program was established with the goal of protecting identified
environmentally sensitive lands within the RFMUD while protecting the value and
development potential of those lands by allowing the transfer of development rights
associated with these lands to less environmentally sensitive lands also within the RFMUD,
The Program was amended in 2005 to add three additional residential density units as
bonuses, including an early entry TDR bonus, Environmental Restoration and Maintenance
TDR Bonus and a Conveyance TDR Bonus, Under the Conveyance Bonus, a landowner
13
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 170121
may provide a restoration and management plan acceptable to the County and convey the
lands with management funding to a public agency for conservation purposes,
Anticipating potential for lands to be conveyed to Conservation Collier, the Ordinance,
Policy and Rules Subcommittee of the CCLAAC met to develop a procedure for evaluation
such proposals, Such procedure was developed and approved in Resolution form (2008-132)
by the Board of County Commissioners on May 13,2008 (Agenda Item 16E6),
Just prior to the approval of Resolution 2008-132, applications for the first TDR conveyance
proposals were received, While there are complications involving County road projects, staff
is moving these proposals forward under the approved procedure for CCLAAC
recommendation and BCC approval. Current proposals are summarized below:
Caloosa Reserve LLC
The Caloosa Reserve LLC proposal consists of 13 separate parcels totaling 109 acres under
one ownership in the RFMUD North Belle Meade sending lands, Collier County, Twelve of
the parcels, totaling 92 acres, are within Section 35, Township 49 Range 27 and the
remaining 17 acre parcel is within the adjacent Section 36, These properties are located just
north of 1-75 approximately 7 miles east of Collier Blvd, (C.R, 951), Access to the area is
along private gated dirt roads, Staff has visited the properties and is currently preparing
reports for presentation to the CCLAAC. The owner has a Restoration Management Plan
under review by the County, approval of which will signal readiness to convey,
Conservation Collier staff will work with the County's plan approvers to develop a time
frame for management actions that is appropriate and financially sound, as a strong concern
of Conservation Collier is the requirement to manage exotic plants on isolated and scattered
parcels that are surrounded by exotic seed source, An additional complication is the presence
of a cattle lease over 12 full sections and 3 half sections within North Belle Meade,
encompassing the offered parcels, This lease prevents access to the parcels for public use,
Finally, this is within the Transportation Department's study area for the Wilson Blvd,
extension and Benfield Rd, corridor and within the planning area for the County's 2030 long
range transportation needs, Acquiring lands under the TDR program presents potential
complications for developing future roads in this area,
Benfield Road
The Benfield Road proposal consists of 17 contiguous parcels totaling 17,72 acres under 6
separate ownerships within Section I, Township 50, Range 26, in Collier County, These
properties are located approximately 1.37 miles east of Collier Blvd, (C.R, 951) with direct
access from Beck Blvd" a County-maintained paved road and Benfield Road, a privately
maintained paved road, Staff has visited the properties and prepared a Criteria Screening
Report which is scheduled for presentation to the CCLAAC at its June 9th public meeting,
A complication associated with this proposal is that it is also within the Transportation
Department's study area for the Wilson Blvd, extension and Benfield Rd, corridor. If these
parcels are acquired by Conservation Collier and Transportation determines Benfield Road to
be the preferred alignment for this corridor, the only way Transportation will be able to
acquire the necessary Right-of-Way will be under the Exceptional Benefits Ordinance (2006-
58) process, While this process is less expensive than condemnation, it involves meeting a
specific set of criteria within a public approval process,
14
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 18 of 21
C. Offsite Monetary Payment or Preserve Conveyances
Changes were made to the Conservation and Coastal Management Element (CCME) of the
GMP as a result part of the outcome of a 2004 Evaluation and Appraisal Report required by
the State Department of Community Affairs, The GMP, with changes, was adopted by the
BCC in May 2007, These changes provided that within one year of the effective date of the
amendments, the County would adopt land development regulations that would allow for a
process whereby a property owner may could submit a petition requesting that all or a
portion of the native vegetation preservation retention requirement on a parcel to be satisfied
by a monetary payment or land donation (Goal 6, Policy 6,] l.V(lO), The LDC amendments
providing for that option are currently making their way through the approval process, with
an expected final review and approval by the BCC in October 2008, In anticipation of
monetary payments or land conveyance proposals to Conservation Collier, the Ordinance
Policy and Rules Subcommittee of the CCLAAC is currently working on developing a
process for accepting funds or lands under this LDC provision,
D. Proposed objectives of the program's sixth year
I, Evaluate and select qualified properties and projects in the 6th acquisition cycle
2, Secure grant funding wherever possible
3, Continue to conduct public meetings for ongoing development of Final Management
Plans
4, Develop public access for acquired properties
5, Work with other County Departments to coordinate conservation land purchases with
other public needs
6, Work effectively with the Transfer of Development Rights and offsite preserve Programs
to accept land and/or funds conveyances under these programs,.
7, Finalize a program manual.
15
Exhibits
Exhibit A. Map of Conservation Collier Program lands
Location of Conservation Collier Program Lands
+
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16
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 19 0121
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Exhibit B. Cycle 5 Approved Acquisition List
COIlS~rvation Collier
CycleS
Apprm;ed Acqmsition L~t
January 29, 2008
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17
Agenda Item No, 1 DE
June 24, 2008
Page 20 of 21
Exhibit C. Parcels under Review in the current cycle
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18
Agenda Item No, 10E
June 24, 2008
Page 21 of 21
s.4gU~ t.b,o
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