Executive Summary North Ranch Sector Plan, Long-term Master Plan Environmental Plan Peer Review

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1 Executive Summary North Ranch Sector Plan, Long-term Master Plan Environmental Plan Peer Review Peer Review Team: Jay Exum, PhD ~ Richard Hilsenbeck, PhD ~ Reed Noss, PhD Purpose: In the process of considering adoption of the North Ranch Master Sector Plan, Osceola County requested that the Environmental Plan portion be subject to an independent peer review to assure that the natural systems and associated species of conservation concern are adequately identified and addressed in the plan. A three member team of experts in the field of conservation and ecology was selected in January of this year and worked as an independent Peer Review Team to identify the environmental values of the North Ranch and assess how regionally significant resources could be protected and managed as part of the desired vision for this area. Findings and Conclusions: The Peer Review Team s (PRT) main findings can be summarized as follows: The North Ranch is located in the center of an area recognized and mapped as having state-wide significance for its ecological and wildlife values. Much of the central part of the ranch has been maintained as improved and semi-improved pastures for cattle production, but even that land has significant conservation values in itself and in providing connectivity for hydrology and wildlife movements to the even higher value intact habitats around it, most of which are existing conservation areas. Though the proposed Environmental Plan sets aside considerable acreage for conservation and agriculture on the east and west edges of the property, without these inter-regional connections between them the value of the surrounding conservation areas is greatly diminished. Such a linkage was proposed along two tributaries to the Taylor Creek reservoir, but the value of the area requires more substantial linkages. Therefore connectivity of habitats within the North Ranch, and with conservation areas in the surrounding landscape, is a critical issue. The PRT found that the conservation value of the improved and semi-improved pasture is understated in the plan. In just the limited site visits that the PRT made, several species considered to be imperiled due to habitat loss were seen within pasture lands. Some native habitats such as flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods and scrub were classified simply as rangeland, a correct identification for Figure 1, Old growth longleaf pine and palmetto mesic flatwoods, classified as rangelands in the original Environmental Plan

2 agricultural purposes perhaps, but not for understanding the value of the habitat for native species of plants and animals. The lands identified for conservation in the plan place an emphasis on wetlands, which is good, but largely overlooks the important uplands that the North Ranch also displays. To adequately protect the many plant and animal species dependent on uplands, and to promote the long term viability of species that are imperiled due to upland habitat loss throughout Florida, those areas of flatwoods, scrub and other priority upland habitats that exist on the North Ranch should be recognized as regionally significant natural resources. The PRT recommends protecting and including these resources as part of other blocks and linkages of conservation lands. Where the opportunity is present, the PRT especially recommends restoration of pine flatwoods within suitable areas of the North Ranch, concentrating on restoring longleaf pines and native groundcover on pasture (former flatwoods) sites that surround remnant flatwoods patches on the North Ranch. The North Ranch also displays areas where wetlands are embedded within a matrix of improved and semi-improved pasture. These mosaics of uplands and wetlands are hydrologically and functionally connected with wet season flows that link them into an integrated resource system, and to off-site conservation lands, creating a distinctly rich mix of habitats. Three key principles of conservation planning, adopted from myregion.org and included in the original North Ranch planning process, are substantially augmented in the Modified Plan designed by the PRT: Landscape Linkages/Wildlife Corridors: Ensure that natural linkages among large habitat patches are maintained in the landscape to provide for species movements on and off the Property; Figure 2, Wetland/upland mosaic north of US 192 Representation of all Natural Communities: Ensure that examples of all natural community types expected to occur on a site under natural conditions are protected or restored; and Redundancy: Ensure that multiple examples of each community type are protected or restored, if possible, to provide for the longterm persistence of all species and natural communities. While the original Environmental Plan addressed these principles in some measure, the PRT concluded that given the North Ranch s strategic location in the natural setting of east-central Florida, some additional conservation lands are needed. The locations of these additional lands are presented in the PRT s Modified Environmental Plan and are intended to include representation of all natural communities found on site, be redundant in the conservation of these areas, and join them and other conservation areas into a

3 sustainable and viable network of nodes of important habitat and intervening linkages, which will ensure the continuation of plant and animal species of concern, both on and off of the North Ranch site. Long term use of these conservation areas could range from strict preservation and restoration, to passive recreation, to continued agricultural pasturage and still meet the North Ranch planning goals. Such uses would be determined at the time of the preparation of management plans that are called for by recommended plan Goals, Policies and Objectives. In very brief summary of one aspect of the PRT s recommendations, the following changes in reserved conservation/agricultural lands in the North Ranch Environmental Plan would occur: Original Plan Conservation/Agricultural Lands Proposed Conservation/Agricultural Land Additions Modified Environmental Plan Total Change in in % of Total 132,989 Acres - North Ranch 56,181 Acres 19,107 Acres 75,288 Acres From 46% to 56.6%

4 Peer Review Team's Modified Environmental Plan Recommended Addition Areas marked with hatching

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