Lochloosa Forest-Levy Prairie Connector

Rapid Ecological Project Assessment

Alachua County Forever

Draft Date: November 6, 2002, April 4, 2003

Matrix Score: 8.18 of 9.44

Size: 8,294

Number of parcels: 43

Number of owners: 16

Number of buildings:12

Location:

The 8,294 acre Lochloosa Forest-Levy Prairie Connector (LOC) Project is a series of inholdings within the Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area (LWCA). It is located in the southeastern quarter of unincorporated Alachua County. The parcels within this tract are either on the State of Florida Division of Recreation and Parks Acquisitions and Inholdings list as part of the Paynes Prairie Optimum Park Boundary, or within the Florida Forever Lochloosa Wildlife land acquisition project. County Roads 243, 325, 346, and 8020 are the main roads within the project area, Map 1.

The LOC Project is a combination of four projects from the Alachua County Ecological Inventory Project (KBN Study); Lochloosa Forest West ranked forth and is described as high priority, Lochloosa Forest Additions ranked ninth and is described as an above average priority, Prairie Creek ranked sixth and is described as a high priority, and Chacala Pond ranked fifteenth and is described as a slightly above average priority (KBN 1996). The purpose of the KBN Study was to identify, inventory, map, describe, and evaluate the most significant natural biological communities, both upland and wetland, that remain in private ownership in Alachua County and make recommendations for protecting these natural resources (KBN 1996).

The KBN Study summarizes the Lochloosa Forest West Project by stating that, “This is an area of diverse wetlands and uplands that has great wildlife habitat value. The single most valuable endangered species location in the county, the Micanopy Cypress wood stork (Mycteria americana) rookery, is here, along with many other important features. The area includes the upper half of the River Styx, several prairies, ponds, marshes, and swamps, some hammock forest, some pine flatwoods, and some pasture land. Wetlands make up well over half the area” (KBN 1996).

The Lochloosa Forest Additions Project is summarized in the KBN Study by the following paragraph, “This site consists of three separate parcels which, if added to the lands protected by the St. Johns River Water Management District, would add considerably to the value of the overall conservation effort. The northern most parcel, lying along the south side of SR 20, is an important link between the Lochloosa Forest and the large wildlife habitat areas of eastern Alachua County extending to the north. [The northern parcel is not a part of the LOC Project] The middle parcel is actually two sections of land in the middle of the Lochloosa Forest containing the best example of pine flatwoods habitat remaining on private land in Alachua County. The third parcel is small that is mostly surrounded by Lochloosa Forest lands under conservation easement. It contains a live oak hammock that is a valuable mast resource for wildlife” (KBN 1996).

The Prairie Creek Project is summarized in the KBN Study by the following paragraph, “This is the downstream end of Prairie Creek where the creek reaches Paynes Prairie. It includes a bit of the prairie basin, some of the creek and its floodplain swamp, some magnificent hydric hammock with large live oaks, some partially-cleared pasture areas, and an assortment of other habitats in small patches. It is currently impacted by an assortment of large game animals that are kept there. It is an important part of the connector linking the Paynes Prairie ecosystem to the Newnans Lake ecosystem.”

The KBN Study summarizes the Chacala Pond Project by stating that, “Chacala Pond is part of a chain of wetlands that is important to the wildlife communities of Paynes Prairie and Lake Wauberg. In addition, there is a diversity of wetland and upland habitats on the property, including some prairie, marsh, swamp, pine flatwoods, and hammock”.

Protecting Water Resources:

The LOC project is located mostly in the perforated aquifer zone of Alachua County. This is an area underlain by clays of the Hawthorn Group perforated by numerous karst features that allow direct access to the aquifer, personal communication with Robin Hallbourg, Environmental Engineer, Water Quality Division, Alachua County Environmental Protection Department.

The St. Johns River Water Management District’s (SJRWMD) Aquifer Recharge map for Alachua County shows that the majority of the site falls within an area of low recharge, with 0-4 inches of recharge to the Floridan Aquifer per year. According to the USGS Water Resources Investigation Report 88-4057, the property falls in an area of 1-10 inches of recharge per year (Aucott 1988).

Drainage on Rayonier, Lybass and Franklin Crates tracts is into the River Styx and then Orange Lake, where there is some interchange with the Floridan Aquifer and some flow into Orange Creek and the Ocklawaha River Basin (KBN 1996). The southwestern parcels are adjacent to Paynes Prairie, and include Chacala Pond. There are surface wetlands connected to a small stream that flows onto Paynes Prairie, which in turn drains into Alachua Sink and adjacent sinkholes where the water enters the upper layers of the Floridan Aquifer (KBN 1996). The northwestern parcels that are adjacent to Paynes Prairie are identified as Prairie Creek in the KBN Study. Prairie Creek is the outflow of Newnans Lake. “The site is located where the water from Prairie Creek reaches Paynes Prairie. The channel of Prairie Creek has been altered greatly here. In the 1920’s a dike was built and Camp’s Canal was constructed for the purpose of diverting the flow of Prairie Creek from Paynes Prairie into Orange lake , so that more cattle could be grazed on the prairie. These structures are still here and functioning . There is a water control structure in the dike that allows some of the water to flow in its natural course onto the prairie where it ends up recharging the Floridan Aquifer at Alachua sink, but most of the water flows down the canal. In times of low water, all of the water flows down the canal into the River Styx. From there its goes into Orange Lake.” (KBN 1996), Map 2.

As part of their 2003 Legislative Agenda, Alachua County is considering requesting that the entire Orange Creek Basin be included in the State’s Surface Water Improvement (SWIM) Program. This area includes Paynes Prairie, Newnans Lake, Lake Lochloosa, Orange Lake, and the impaired urban streams and lakes in the City of Gainesville. At this time Newnans, Lochloosa and Orange Lakes have shown increased levels of degradation. The Chlorophyll A concentration in Newnans and Lochloosa Lakes exceeds levels reported for Lake Apopka prior to restoration. Lake Lochloosa, Paynes Prairie and Orange Lake were designated an “Outstanding Florida Water”.

Prairie Creek, Camps Canal and the River Styx all play key rolls in the delivery of water from Newnan’s Lake to Paynes Prairie and Orange Lake.

Protecting Natural Communities and Landscapes:

Natural Communities

The above list of natural communities is from the KBN Report. The ecological quality of the natural communities is good overall.

The LOC Project is within the Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area (LWCA), and adjacent to Paynes Prairie. The acquisition of the LOC project would fill-in the gaps in the LWCA and assist Paynes Prairie to acquire their optimum boundary on the east side of the Prairie.

The project site is within the Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN), in the priority 3 project area known as “Ocala NF-Lochloosa-Paynes Prairie-Newnans Lake”. This FEGN project is the highest priority project in Alachua County. The Florida Ecological Greenways Network is a decision support model to help identify the best opportunities to protect ecological connectivity statewide. It was developed by the University of Florida for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. GIS data on land use and significant ecological areas were integrated in a process that identified a statewide Ecological Greenways Network containing all of the largest areas of ecological and natural resource significance and the landscape linkages necessary to link these areas together in one functional statewide network (Hoctor et al. 2002).

The strategic location of the LOC Project on the east side of the county within an existing corridor of natural and silvicultural properties that form a large connected area for wildlife and natural resource conservation, is one of the critical features of this project. The area is a mosaic of public and private lands. Protection of this corridor is one of the best opportunities to protect and enhance natural resource values in our county, and more importantly it is of regional importance as one of several possible corridors that connect Ocala National Forest north to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and west to the Gulf Coast.

Approximately 25% of the LOC project falls within a Strategic Habitat Conservation Area for wading birds. Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas were developed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC). They are private lands containing habitats critical to the continued survival of populations of inadequately protected plants and animals (Cox et al. 2000). These lands are essential to providing some of state’s rarest animals, plants, and natural communities with the land base necessary to sustain populations into the future (Cox et al.1994).

Approximately seventy-five percent of the site falls within the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) priority four or five Habitat Conservation Priorities. FNAI’s Habitat Conservation Priorities prioritize places on the landscape that would protect both the greatest number of rare species and those species with the greatest conservation need (FNAI, June 2001).

About 20 % of the project area is delineated as Pine flatwoods, an Under-represented Natural Community. Under-represented Natural Communities are those natural community types that were inadequately represented on conservation lands in Florida. A natural community is considered to be inadequately represented on conservation lands if less than 15% of the original extent of that community is currently found on existing conservation lands. Under-represented natural communities include, seepage slope, upland hardwood forest, pine rockland, tropical hardwood hammock, sandhill, scrub, upland glades, and pine flatwoods. This data was developed by the Office of Environmental Services, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and FNAI (FNAI, December 2001).

PROTECTING PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES:

Common Name Endemic/ Large Fed/State FCREPA/FNAI Observed

Home-Range Status Designation

Fish

Eastern Mudminnow -/- -/- -/S3 K

Mud Sunfish -/- -/- -/S3 K

Amphibians

Eastern Tiger Salamander -/- -/- SU/S3 SM

Flatwoods Salamander -/- T/- R/S2S3 SM

Gopher Frog -/- -/SSC T/S3 SM,K,N

Striped Newt -/- -/- R/S2S3 SM

Reptiles

American Alligator -/- T/SSC -/S4 SM,K

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake -/- -/- -/S3 SM

Eastern Indigo Snake -/- T/T SSC/S3 SM,K

Florida Crowned Snake X/- -/- -/- SM

Florida Pine Snake -/- -/SSC SU/S3 SM,K

Gopher Tortoise -/- -/SSC T/S3 F,K,N,K

Peninsula Mole Skink -/- -/- -/- SM

Short-tailed Snake X/- -/T T/S3 SM

Spotted Turtle -/- -/- R/S3? SM

Birds

Black-Crowned Night Heron -/- -/- SSC/S3? SM

Black Rail -/- -/- R/S3 SM

Cooper’s Hawk -/- -/- SSC/S3 SM

Florida Sandhill Crane X/L -/T T/S3 F,K,N

Great Egret -/- -/- SSC/S4 SM,N

Least Bittern -/- -/- SSC/S4 SM

Limpkin -/- -/SSC SSC/S3 F,K

Little Blue Heron -/- -/SSC SSC/S4 SM,K

Osprey -/- -/- T/S3S4 SM,N

Mottled Duck -/- -/- -/- F

Snowy Egret -/- -/SSC SSC/S3 SM,K,N

Southeastern American Kestrel -/- -/T T/S3 F,K

Southern Bald Eagle -/L T/T T/S3 F,K,N

Swallow-tailed Kite -/L -/- T/S2 F,K

Tricolored Heron -/- -/SSC SSC/S4 SM,K

White Ibis -/- -/SSC SSC/S4 SM,K

Wild Turkey -/L F

Wood Stork -/- E/E E/S2 SM,K,N

Mammals

Bobcat -/L -/- -/- F

Florida Black Bear X/L -/T T/S2 F

Florida Mouse X/- -/SSC T/S3 K

Northern Yellow Bat -/- -/- SU/- SM

River Otter -/- -/- -/- SM

Round-tailed Muskrat X/- -/- SSC/S3 SM

Sherman’s Fox Squirrel -/- -/SSC T/S3 F

X= Endemic, L=species with large home ranges according to the Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat System, S= observed by Alachua Co. EPD staff and/or an LCB subcommittee member, SM= documented on the Species Models maps created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, F= Focal species used for the most detailed analyses in the Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 1994, N= Florida Natural Areas Inventory Element Occurrence, P= potential for species based on habitat types, K=documented in the Alachua County Ecological Inventory Project.

The following listed plants were found on the property, yellow-fringed orchid, southern lady fern, pondspice, Catesby’s lily, royal fern, cinnamon fern, greenfly orchid and cardinal flower (KBN 1996).

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) data shows two bald eagle nests on the project site and 14 others within 2 miles. The cluster of bald eagle nests around Orange, Newnans and Lochloosa Lakes has been apparent for the last twenty years, and is one of the densest populations in the state of Florida, personal communication Steve Nesbitt, FWCC.

About 90% of the site is within Regional Biodiversity Hotspots. The purpose of the Regional Biodiversity Hot Spots maps, developed by FFWCC, is to “convey more detailed information on the known locations of as many components of biological diversity as possible, regardless of whether or not they fall within proposed Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas, to help meet the need for conservation information at regional and local levels” (Cox et al. 1994).

Invasive exotic plants found on this property include, Japanese honeysuckle, alligator weed, camphor trees, Chinese tallow, Japanese climbing fern, perpetual begonia, hydrilla and water hyacinth (KBN 1996).

Management:

As a whole the LOC project area is in good condition and will require prescribed burning and some invasive plant control to enhance the natural resources. Access for management is very good and it is well suited for burning.

Achieving Social and Human Values:

Approximately 70% of the LOC area falls within Priority one through four Natural Resource-based Recreation Areas (Knight, et al. 2000), and it is a priority 3 Ecological Greenway. The Natural Resource-based Recreation map was developed by FNAI in collaboration with DEP, FFWCC and DOF. The recreation potential of a site depends on available road access, presence of a water body or beach, proximity to urban areas, and size of the site. “These criteria were applied to Potential Natural Areas delineated by FNAI using aerial photography and revised using the 1995 Water Management District land cover data. Sites were ranked by recreation potential” (Knight, et al. 2000).

The LOC Project is part of the Emerald Necklace Land Conservation Initiative – “a publicly accessible, connected, and protected network of trails, greenways, open space, and waterfronts surrounding the Gainesville urban area”.

The project would fill-in gaps in the LWCA, and expand the Paynes Prairie boundary, thus providing a larger contiguous area for recreational activities, and perhaps facilitate additional activities. The LOC Project provides excellent opportunities for compatible resource based recreation.

Economics & Acquisition:

There are 43 parcels and 16 ownerships in the 8,294 acre Lochloosa Forest-Levy Prairie Connector Project. The Alachua County Property Appraiser (ACPA) shows twelve buildings on their parcel data. The ACPA’s 2002 Just Value or land value for the entire project is $8,076,800 or $974/ acre. The ACPA’s total value (Just, Miscellaneous and Building) for the project area is $9,020,000 or $1,088/ acre. These figures are for comparative purposes between nominated properties, and are not necessarily an accurate reflection of the true cost of the property if acquired by the Alachua County Forever Program.

The LOC project is a series of inholdings in the Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area. All of the parcels are on the state park’s Acquisitions and Inholdings list or within the Florida Forever Lochloosa Wildlife project. All of the parcels should be considered keystone parcels. Map 3 shows the ownerships within the LOC project.

The Lybass, Rayonier and Franklin Crates tracts are within the Lochloosa Wildlife Florida Forever Project. The project is on the “B” List under the “Small Parcels Projects” heading. This is defined as those acquisition projects that are important, but not of the highest priority, which are made up predominantly of small ownerships with individual values not exceeding one million dollars each, or individual acquisitions that are determined to achieve the Florida Forever goals, measures and criteria enough to qualify for acquisition but are valued at less than one million dollars. Florida Forever will contribute 45% of the purchase price. The SJRWMD is listed as an acquisition partner on the project, but they are not willing to pursue the project without the county’s assistance.

The project site falls within unincorporated Alachua County and is zoned Agriculture, except for 303 acres of the Murphy tract which is zoned Conservation. The Future Land Use is Rural Agriculture, with the exception of 303 acres of the Murphy tract which is designated Preservation. The northern parcel which includes the Crevasse and Plum Creek tracts is adjacent to the Urban Services Line and the Urban Reserve. The Franklin Crates Tract is adjacent to the Urban Reserve area for Micanopy. There are a few enclaves of rural residential development within the LOC Project.

Literature Citations

Aucott, W. 1988. Water Resources Investigation Report 88-4057. USGS.

Cox, J., R. Kautz, M. MacLaughlin, and T. Gilbert. 1994. Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System, Office of Environmental Services, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida.

Cox, J. and R. Kautz. 2000. Habitat Conservation Needs of Rare and Imperiled Wildlife in Florida. Office of Environmental Services, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida.

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. June 2001. Florida Forever Conservation Needs Assessment Technical Report

Hoctor, T.S., J. Teisinger, M.G. Carr., P.C, Zwick. 2002. Identification of Critical Linkages Within the Florida Ecological Greenways Network. Final Report. Office of Greenways and Trails, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Tallahassee, FL.

Knight, G., A. Knight, and J. Oetting. 2000. Florida Forever Conservation Needs Assessment Summary Report to the Florida Forever Advisory council. Florida Natural Areas Inventory.

KBN, A Golder Associates Company. 1996. Alachua County Ecological Inventory Project. Prepared for Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Gainesville, Florida.

Macesich, M. 1988. Geologic Interpretation of the Aquifer Pollution Potential in Alachua County, Florida, Open File Report – 21. Florida Geologic Survey, Tallahassee, Florida.

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. December 2001. Florida Forever Conservation Needs Assessment Version 1.1 Supplement to the technical Report June 2001. Tallahassee, Florida.