Natural Resource Value of Edison Farms/ Agripartners Through Research and Science

Natural Resource Value of Edison Farms/Agripartners

Through Research and Science

Presented by: Jessica Stubbs, Natural Resources Specialist

• Almost 4,000 acres

• Within Estero Bay watershed

• East of I-75 between Bonita Beach Road and Corkscrew Road

• Contiguous with CREW to the east

Introduction to Edison Farms

Introduction to Edison Farms

• Over 3,500 acres of wetlands

• Approximately 425 acres of undisturbed, native uplands

• FPL easement and some disturbed land in the southeast corner

Introduction to Edison Farms

• Majority of wetlands consist of cypress

• Contains Hydric Pine Flatwoods – underrepresented natural community

• Uplands are mostly dry prairie and pine flatwoods

Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of Edison Farms

• Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value• Florida Forever Ranking• Lee County Master Mitigation Plan• Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP)• Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

• Water Quality• Estero Bay Impaired Waters List• Estero Bay TMDLs and BMAPs• Southwest Florida Feasibility Study (SWFFS)• Lee County Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) Study

• Hydrology / Water Supply• Lee County DR/GR Study• Dover Kohl Study• SWFFS

• Wood Stork Protection• South Florida Multi Species Recovery Plan for Wood Storks• Wood Stork Recovery Plan• Wood Stork 5 Year Review• Prospects for Southeast Lee County Report

• Large Mammal Protection• How Much is Enough? Landscape-scale Conservation for the Florida Panther• Florida Panther Recovery Plan• Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System

• Wildlife Habitat and Corridor Protection• Southwest Florida EIS• Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Proposal• Coastal Conservation Corridor Plan• Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System

Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of Edison Farms

Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value

Florida Forever Ranking

• Board of Trustees approved priority list March 2010 - “Group A”

• ARC recommended priority list June 2010 - #3 in “Partnerships and Regional Incentives Projects”

Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value

Lee County Master Mitigation Plan• Acquisition of Edison Farms is Project #1 listed in Appendix B• Identifies Biodiversity and Hydrogeology as key benefits• Lee County Future Land Use (FLU) Map identifies Edison Farms

as an “Environmentally Critical Area”

Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value

Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP)

• Strategic Habitat Conservation Area

• Biodiversity Hotspots• Rare Species Habitat

Conservation Priorities• Under-protected Natural

Communities• Ecological Greenways• Wetlands

Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value

Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Statement

• 5 ensembles for future development and preserve areas

• All ensembles show Edison Farms as “preserve”

Water Quality

Estero Bay Impaired Waters List

• Most prevalent impairment is DO with TN and/or TP being the causative pollutant

• Also have Fecal Coliform impairments

Water QualityEstero Bay TMDLs

and BMAPs

• Future TMDLs – credit to load reductions?

• Imperial River BMAP credit?

• SWFFS identifies DO as vital to protecting downstream resources

Water Quality

Lee County DR/GR

• Restoring flowways• Wetlands naturally

filter nutrient pollution

Hydrology / Water Supply

Lee County DR/GR

• DR/GR area = high aquifer recharge

• 2 well field protection areas

• Groundwater connections

Hydrology / Water Supply

SWFFS• Focus on

water storage

• Corkscrew watershed received the highest score for surface water hydrology

Wood Stork Protection

• South Florida Multi Species Recovery Plan

• Wood Stork Recovery Plan

• Wood Stork 5 Year Review

• Prospects for Southeast Lee County Report

Large Mammal Protection

• Kautz et al Study• Florida Panther

Recovery Plan• Edison Farms is 100%

Primary Panther habitat

Large Mammal Habitat

• Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System

• SHCA for “umbrella species”

Wildlife Habitat and Corridor Protection

• SWF EIS• Everglades

Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Proposal

• Coastal Conservation Corridor Plan

• Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System

Public Acquisition of Edison Farms is Vital

• Vast amounts of literature highlight natural resource value

• Many reports recommend public acquisition of the property

• Numerous partnerships for acquisition exist

• Request CLASAC to forward this nomination as a high priority acquisition project

Questions?

Jessica Stubbs Jennifer Heckerjessicas@conservancy.org jenniferh@conservancy.org

(239) 403-4231 (239) 325-2661