Sheppard Property PASCO COUNTY BOCC

Transcription

1 PASCO COUNTY BOCC Sheppard Property Abstract: This property was nominated by the owners, Kathleen and Richard Sheppard, in February 2017 for fee simple acquisition. The total acreage is 189 MOL, and the property partially abuts Eagle Point Nature Park. The property is within the Coastal Marshes Ecological Planning Unit (EPU), and contains Category I wetlands.

2 Table of Contents General Description of the Sheppard Property... 2 ELAMP Study Area (Index) Map... 2 Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Map... 2 Soils Map... 4 Wetland Map... 4 Zoning Map... 5 Future Land Use (FLU) Map... 6 Aquifer Recharge Map... 6 Critical Land Identification Project (CLIP) Map... 6 IWHRS Map... 7 Biodiversity Map... 7 FEMA Map... 7 Edge Effect... 8 Adequate Buffer to the Wetlands... 8 Management and Restoration Potential... 8 Consistency with ELAMP Objectives

3 General Description of the Sheppard Property The Sheppard Property contains 189 acres MOL and is located in southwest Pasco County, just north of Key Vista Nature Park off of Strauber Memorial Highway. It partially abuts Eagle Point Park to the south. Approximately 120 acres of the parcel extends into the Gulf. The remaining 69 acres are composed of 5 natural communities and 2 soil types. The arrows in the Sheppard Location Map are a representation of the Ecological Corridors, adopted as Ordinance No , Ecological Corridors LDC Section 804, which became effective June 24, These Ecological Corridors were created by an assessment of the gaps between public lands and, primarily, the wetland corridors that connect them. The corridors serve as the priority for conservation through acquisition, mitigation, land use restrictions, easements, and form the backbone of larger Ecological Planning Units (EPUs). As depicted on the map, the Sheppard property is not located within an ecological corridor. ELAMP Study Area (Index) Map The Sheppard property is located within the Coastal Marsh Ecological Planning Unit (EPU). The property contains 95 acres of the total 8,900 acre EPU. The methodology behind the collection and analyzation of the data sets used to determine both EPUs and ecological corridors can be found in the document titled Assessment of Measure to Protect Wildlife Habitat in Pasco County. The above referenced document defines an EPU as an area with high biodiversity which harbors habitat for seven or more focal species that represents approximately 35% of the land area within Pasco County. These EPUs, which can be considered core habitat areas, are connected to one another by ecological corridors. For the most part, the boundaries of these corridors follow the boundaries of public lands, natural vegetation communities adjacent to public lands, and natural and altered (i.e. pasture) habitats underlying high biodiversity areas. Areas of high biodiversity correspond with habitats high in species diversity including sandhill, hardwood swamp, and bottomland hardwoods. The objectives of the Coastal Marsh EPU, according to same referenced document, are to 1) Conserve 95% of the overall land area in this EPU, 2) Protect water quality, 3) Eliminate additional impact to wetlands, 4) Protect the remaining uplands adjacent to Coastal Marsh wetlands to provide a transition buffer, 5) Seek ways to retrofit stormwater draining through this area, and 6) Remediate/restore any previous impacts to wetland systems that can be rehabilitated. Assessment of Measure to Protect Wildlife Habitat in Pasco County also states: Though much of the area in the western portion of the County has been subject to intense development, there are still several areas of coastal marsh that provide substantial wildlife habitat and should be a high priority for protection. Though most of this EPU is wetland, there are some areas of upland coastal hammock that buffer these systems. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Map The Land Use/Land Cover data map is a representation of the various natural communities within a property. The data is drawn from the Florida Cooperative Land Cover Map, developed by the Florida 2

4 Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Water Management Districts in an effort to improve habitat mapping. The Sheppard property consists of 5 different natural communities: 1) the Gulf of Mexico, 2) Mangrove Swamps, 3) Saltwater Marshes, 4) Hardwood Conifer Mixed, and 5) Bays and Estuaries. All subsequent descriptions are from 2009 South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Photointerpretation Key, published by SFWMD. 1) The Gulf of Mexico (FLUCC ID 5720) comprises 64% (120 acres) of the property. SFWMD describes The Gulf of Mexico as, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean bordering on eastern Mexico, the southeast United States and Cuba. It connects with the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida. The Gulf of Mexico has the typical open water signature. It is distinguished by its size and location off the west coast of the District. 2) Roughly 19% (36 acres) of the Sheppard property is designated as Mangrove Swamps (FLUCC ID 6120). SFWMD describes Mangrove Swamps as a class used for communities in which mangrove species are pure or predominant. Mangroves appear as a medium height (10 to 20 feet) thicket of fleshy leaved woody plants in coastal areas subject to periodic or continual inundation by salt or brackish water. In many sites, mangroves are prevented from reaching tree stature (20 feet) by natural processes, including climate, nutrients and wave action. The communities are dominated by one or more mangrove species, including red, black and white mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans, or Laguncularia racemosa). Associate species that may also be present include buttonwood, cabbage palm and sea grape. Herbaceous associates include sea grape and sea oxeye (borrichia). 3) Saltwater marshes (FLUCC ID 6420) encompass a little less than 12% (23 acres) of the Sheppard property. Saltwater marshes, per SFWMD are defined as, wetland communities of non-woody, salt-tolerant plants occupying intertidal zones that are at least occasionally inundated with salt water. They exist at the interface of land and marine waters, wherever wave energy is sufficiently low to allow their development and where mangrove trees are not dense enough to shade out the characteristic vegetation. Within these constraints, the areal extent of saltwater marshes is determined in large part by the size of the intertidal zone. Regions of low relief and high tidal range are likely to have extensive salt marshes. Note: The saltwater marsh is an early successional community in South Florida. These areas are generally taken over by mangroves, especially within mosquito impoundments. 4) The Sheppard property consists of 5% (9 acres) of Hardwood Conifer Mixed (FLUCC ID 4340). This class includes those forested areas in which neither upland conifers nor hardwoods achieve 67% crown canopy dominance. A mixture of crown types is present - both large radial hardwood and smaller compact coniferous crowns with neither one being dominant (67% or more). The Uplands hardwoods component may include forest communities such as oak-pinehickory, Brazilian pepper, live oak, wax myrtle-willow (non-hydric), mixed temperate or tropical hardwoods and beech-magnolia. Upland pine component includes slash, longleaf and sand pines. 3

5 5) Bays and Estuaries (FLUCC ID 5400) occupy.13% (.25 acres) of the Sheppard property. This class is defined as inlets or arms of the sea that extend into the land and are between 1 and 10 nautical miles in width (1.85 to 18.5 kilometers). Embayments less than one nautical mile in width are classed as 5100 Streams and Waterways. Embayments or portions of embayments more than 10 nautical miles in width are not considered as included within the limits of the United States. Soils Map The Sheppard property contains 2 different soil types: 1) Homosassa Mucky Fine Sandy Loam, 2) Aripeka Fine sand. The data for the soil map was taken from the Soil survey of Pasco County, produced by United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences Agriculture Experiment Stations, Soil Science Department, and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 1) Homosassa Mucky Fine Sandy Loam is nearly level, very poorly drained soil which is in the tidal marsh. Typically, the surface layer is 16 inches thick. The upper 11 inches is a very dark gray mucky fine sandy loam, and the lower 5 inches is very dark grayish brown loamy fine sand. The next layer is grayish brown loamy fine sand 9 inches thick, and below this is a layer of light brownish gray loamy fine sand 3 inches thick. Between depths of 28 and 37 inches is light gray, soft limestone. The water table fluctuates with the tide. The soil is flooded daily during normal high tides. The available water capacity is very high in the surface layer and medium below. Permeability is moderately rapid to rapid throughout the soil. The native vegetation is predominately seashore saltgrass, needlegrass rush, smooth cordgrass, sawgrass, and marsh hay cordgrass. 2) Aripeka Fine Sand is nearly level, somewhat poorly drained soil that is on low ridges adjacent to a saltwater marsh. Individual areas are commonly long and narrow and are parallel to the marsh. Typically, the surface layer is dark grayish brown fine sand and 2 inches thick. The subsurface layer consists of fine sand and is 10 inches thick; it is grayish brown in the upper 7 inches and white in the lower 3 inches. The subsoil begins at a depth of 12 inches and extends to a depth of 26 inches. The water table is at a depth of 18 to 30 inches for 2 to 6 months and at a depth of inches for 6 months or more during most years. The native vegetation is longleaf and slash pines, live oak, southern redcedar, and cabbage palm, with an undergrowth dominantly of sawpalmetto, pineland threawn and a few scattered galberry. Wetland Map The State of Florida defines wetlands in Section (17) of the Florida Statutes, and Section (19) of the Florida Administrative Code as areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils. Soils present in wetlands generally are classified as hydric or alluvial, or possess characteristics that are associated with reducing soil conditions. The prevalent vegetation in wetlands generally consists of 4

6 facultative or obligate hydrophytic macrophytes that are typically adapted to areas having soil conditions described above. These species, due to morphological, physiological, or reproductive adaptations, have the ability to grow, reproduce or persist in aquatic environments or anaerobic soil conditions. The Sheppard property contains a Category I Wetland that is roughly 66 acres. Per the Pasco County Future Land Use element, Category I, II and III wetlands are defined as follows: Category I- Category I conservation areas shall mean those wetland areas which meet at least one of the following criteria: (1 Any wetland of any size that has a hydrological connection to natural surface, water bodies or the Floridan aquifer, 2) Any wetland of any size that is within a lake-littoral zone, (3 Any large, isolated, uninterrupted wetlands 100 acres or larger, and 4) Any wetland of any size that provides critical habitat for Federal- and/or State-listed, threatened or endangered species. Category II- Category II conservation areas shall mean those wetland areas which meet any of the following criteria: 1) Consist of isolated wetlands or formerly isolated wetlands which, by way of man's activities, have been directly connected to other surface-water drainage and are greater than or equal to five acres, and 2) Are less than 100 acres and do not otherwise qualify as a Category I conservation area. Category III- A category III wetland meets all of the following criteria: 1) Isolated wetlands less than five acres, and 2) Does not otherwise qualify as a Category I or Category II conservation area. Zoning Map The Sheppard Property is currently zoned for 3 different zoning districts 1) Agricultural District (AC) at acres, 2) R-2 Low Density Residential District (R2) at 6.7 acres, and 3) Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) District at.03 acres. Per the Pasco County Land and Development Code, the purpose of the A-C Agricultural District is to preserve the rural and open character of various lands within the County. These lands are agricultural lands; sites of vital, natural water resource functions; areas with highly productive, natural plant and animal communities; and areas with valuable topographic and/or subsurface features, all of which are necessary to sustain and enhance the quality of life in the County. An Agricultural District is allowed to have a maximum possible gross density of.10 (non-farm) dwelling units per acre, a minimum lot width of 250ft, and a minimum lot area of 10 acres. The Pasco County Land and Development Code, states that the purpose of R2 is to provide for the orderly expansion of low density residential development in those areas where public services are most readily available and to exclude uses not compatible with such low density residential development. Further, it is the purpose of the R-2 Low Density Residential District to provide areas for planned unit developments at densities and in a manner compatible with the low density residential development. A R2 District is allowed to have a maximum possible gross density, 4.6 dwelling units per acre, except duplexes (9.2 dwelling units per acre), subject to compliance with the Comprehensive Future Land Use Map classification. 5

7 The purpose of a MPUD in accordance with Pasco County Land and Development Code, is to: 1) encourage innovations in residential and nonresidential development and redevelopment so that the growing demand for housing in the County may be met by greater variety in type, design, and layout of dwellings to encourage the thoughtful consideration and inclusion of supporting nonresidential uses where appropriate, and to encourage the effective use of open space and recreational areas; 2) To provide greater opportunities for better housing and recreation for all who are or will be residents of the County by encouraging a more efficient use of land and public services and to reflect changes in the technology of land development so that the economies so secured may inure to the benefit of those who need homes; 3) To provide for residential cluster options and incentives that are designed to protect the rural character of the County's rural areas; 4) To encourage more flexible land development which will respect and conserve natural resources such as streams, lakes, floodplains, groundwater, wooded areas, steeply sloped areas, and areas of unusual beauty or importance to the natural ecosystem; and 5) To encourage more efficient, flexible, and controlled employment centers, industrial, commercial, and other development under the MPUD concept. Future Land Use (FLU) Map Pasco County adopted the 2025 Comprehensive Plan in 2013 that dictates the future land use (FLU). In accordance with this plan, the Sheppard property would be zoned as RES-6 (67.8 acres) and Coastal Land (CL) (18 acres) as depicted on the Sheppard Property Future Land Use 2025 Map. The Comprehensive Plan describes the intent of RES-6 as: To recognize those areas suited for single-and multifamily residential development having a maximum density of six (6) dwelling units/developable residential acre. The intent of Coastal Lands (CL) per the Comprehensive Plan is to limit land use densities and intensities in Coastal High Hazard Areas where potential property damage and loss of life due to natural disasters exists. The Density Restriction is 1 Dwelling Unit/40 Gross Acres. Aquifer Recharge Map The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) subcontracted with Advanced Geospatial, Inc. (AGI) to develop a statewide Recharge Potential model. Input data layers for the model are consistent with those used in the Florida Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment (FAVA), developed by the Florida Geological Survey and consisted of soil hydraulic conductivity, proximity to karst features, depth to water, and overburden. The aquifer recharge map identifies conservation priorities for the protection of Florida s groundwater systems, including the Floridan, Intermediate and Surficial Aquifer systems. The map is represented by levels of priority with Priority 1 being the highest and 6 being the lowest. The prioritization also addresses the intent of Florida Forever to acquire recharge areas important for springs and water supply. The Sheppard Property contains 28 acres of Priority 3, 2 acres of Priority 2, and 2 acres of Priority 1. Critical Land Identification Project (CLIP) Map The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) funded the Critical Land Identification Project (CLIP) initiative, which is a hierarchical database consisting of 20 core natural resource data 6

8 layers grouped into 5 Resource Categories. These categories are: Biodiversity, Landscape, Surface Water, Groundwater and Marine. A Resource Priority model was developed using simple rule-based selections for the Biodiversity, Landscape, and Surface Water categories. Those three models were then further combined into an Aggregated CLIP Priorities model based on both rule-based selections and overlap between resource category priorities. That data was compiled, analyzed and formed into qualitative categories, rendering a map that prioritizes all of Florida habitats for protection. The Sheppard Property contains 95 acres of priority 1 ranking IWHRS Map Per the FWC website, the Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System (IWHRS) is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool that ranks the Florida landscape based upon the habitat needs of wildlife as a way to identify ecologically significant lands in the state and to assess the potential impacts of land development projects. The IWHRS incorporates a wide variety of land cover and wildlife species data and presents it in an easy-to-understand classification scheme. The IWHRS is provided as part of the FWC's continuing technical assistance to various local, regional, state, and federal agencies and to entities interested in wildlife needs and conservation in order to (1) determine ways to avoid or minimize project impacts by evaluating alternative placements, alignments, and transportation corridors during early planning stages; (2) assess direct, secondary, and cumulative effects on habitat and wildlife resources; and (3) identify appropriate parcels for public land acquisition for wetland and upland habitat mitigation purposes. The ranking system is a 1 to 10 scale with 1 as the least important and 10 as most important. TheSheppard property has 43 acres with a 3 ranking, 18 acres ranked as a 4 and 7 acres ranked 2. Biodiversity Map The Biodiversity Map is produced by FNAI. Biodiversity per the Critical Lands and Water Identification Project (CLIP) is defined as the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes within which they occur including genetic diversity, species and natural communities. The Biodiversity category is comprised of Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, Rare Species Habitat Conservation Priorities and Priority Natural Communities. The Biodiversity map includes all species and natural communities tracked by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, including all federal listed species. The Biodiversity map is categorized by priority levels. The Priority levels are ranked from 1 to 5, 1 being the highest and 5 the lowest. The Sheppard property has 95 acres (100%) priority 1 ranking. FEMA Map The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has placed more than 20,000 communities in the United States into a category of flood zones. The Sheppard property has 2 designated FEMA zones. The first zone, VE, is 68 acres. Per FEMA, Zone VE is under the category of high risk coastal areas. These areas are described as Coastal areas with a 1% or greater chance of flooding and possessing an 7

9 additional hazard associated with storm waves. Such areas have a 26% chance of flooding over the life of a 30 year mortgage. 56 acres are located in Zone AE, and thereby in the FEMA category of high risk. Zone AE is described as the base floodplain where base flood elevations are provided. Edge Effect Edge effect is the negative impact of exterior conditions on interior species, habitat and populations. When a patch has a large amount of edge, it exposes the patch to greater perforation and permeability of non-habitat conditions, such as light, noise, disease, parasites, predators, pollutants, pathogens, temperature and exotic species. Small patches, with more edge for a given area, experience proportionately greater negative effects than large patches. The number of species and health of populations are maximized when patches are large and compact, providing abundant interior areas, free from the impacts of edges. The simplest method to calculate edge effect is to determine the ratio of edge to area. Since the perimeter of the Sheppard property is less than 15% contiguous with adjacent conservation land, the Matrix Score is calculated at a 5 (with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest score). The overall area is large, providing abundant interior areas with minimal edge impacts. The parcel itself is 189 acres. Adequate Buffer to the Wetlands The alignment of the Ecological Corridors was prioritized to follow the existing riverine and water based resources of the County. An average upland buffer width, perpendicular to the wetland line, can be used to determine the value of adjacent wetland systems for inclusion in the boundary. Scoring is from a 1 to 5 based on the available buffer in lineal footage of A score of 1.5, therefore, indicates an available buffer of 150 feet. Available buffer of 500 feet or more is scored 5.0. The Sheppard property has a zero score, since this parcel is comprised almost entirely of Category I wetlands, or the Gulf. Management and Restoration Potential The Property would most likely be managed as a standalone piece, since it is separated from Eagle Point Park by the Gulf. If acquired, the focus would be on preservation and minor restoration in the form of exotic species removal. Much of the small upland acreage is covered by Brazilian Pepper and Air Potato.. Chemical treatment and hand removal would be preferred removal techniques.. Recreational use of the property is not a viable option. 8

10 Consistency with ELAMP Objectives The overall goals, objectives, and policies of ELAMP were stated in Resolution The grid below lists these goals, and whether or not the Sheppard property would be consistent with them. Protection of natural communities including uplands and wetlands Connection of natural linkages Conservation of viable populations of native plants and animals Protection of habitat for listed species Protection of water resources and wetland systems Protection of unique natural resources Enhancement of resource-based recreational opportunities Expansion of environmental education opportunities. Yes No Unsure In particular, ELAMP is designed to focus on the acquisition of environmentally-sensitive lands within the following target areas: 1) Land within the Ecological Corridors, 2) Land within the Ecological Planning Units (EPUs), and 3) Land within Agricultural Reserve areas. Land that is adjacent to public lands is also prioritized. The Sheppard property is within the Coastal Marshes EPU, and thus supports the following conservation objectives: 1) Conserve 95% of the overall land area in this EPU, 2) Protect water quality, 3) Eliminate additional impact to wetlands, 4) Protect the remaining uplands adjacent to Coastal Marsh wetlands to provide a transition buffer, 5) Seek ways to retrofit stormwater draining through this area, and 6) Remediate/restore any previous impacts to wetland systems that can be rehabilitated. The property is not located in an ecological corridor, nor is it within an Agricultural Reserve. 9