Marian Ryan of Ancient Islands Sierra Club will be representing environmental interests on an advisory committee helping to recommend language to be included in the 10-year update of the management plan for Lake Wales Ridge State Forest.

The forest, which consists of four units stretching from Lake Arbuckle to Lake Kisimmee, is open to public recreation and contains a diverse list of flora and fauna, including some rare and endangered species.

The plan will be the topic of a series of public meetings Wednesday, Jan. 16, including a public hearing at 11 a.m. at 7510 Red Grange Blvd., Indian Lake Estates. Indian Lake Estates is a subdivision east of Lake Wales on State Road 60.

The plan includes public recreation, land management, ecological restoration, rare species monitoring and forestry management.

The meeting will offer a chance to make suggestions and to educate yourself about the forest, which is little known to many residents in the region.

The issue of how much water to keep or release from lakes Fannie, Hamilton, Henry and Smart and upper portions of the Peace Creek Drainage Canal will be the topic of upcoming meetings conducted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

The meetings will be from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 8 and 6 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Chain of Lakes Complex Poolside Room.

The issue arose several years ago over disagreements among Lake Henry residents over those who wanted the lake level lower to drain a low-lying development on one side of the lake and those on higher ground who complained the lake level drop affected navigation.

More recently there has been a proposal to divert water from Lake Henry when its level rose high enough to supplement the level of Lake Eva in Haines City. The proposal was to move the water from farmland along U.S. 27 to an old drainage canal connected to Lake Eva.

Before the meetings, Swiftmud officials plan to meet with Polk County, Winter Haven and Haines City technical staff to get input on the presentation.

One of the interesting questions in this whole exercise is a review of what the rationale is for the entire network of structures in this part of the Peace River Basin and whether their operation and presence still make sense.

That is relevant because there have been times when the rationale for the existence of some Swiftmud structures were that they continued decisions for structure-driven water management by long-defunct drainage districts. That sounds a lot like “Because.”

Polk County planners delayed consideration at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting on a proposal to establish rules for development of wind power facilities.

The delay came after planners learned that state law may not allow them to restrict where these facilities.

The original proposal restricted these structures as an accessory use in the least dense land-use categories in the county’s development code.

The case, which was brought to county officials at the request of a nursery owner east of Lake Wales, is now scheduled to be heard Feb. 7.

This case involves only structures that would supply electric power to individuals.

There are no plans at this time to propose regulations to authorize wind farms.

Although it’s still in the preliminary stage, there is an effort afoot by Polk, Hillsborough and Pasco officials to widen the section of U.S. 98 that runs from Lakeland to Dade City along the edge of the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern.

Polk’s Transportation Planning Organization approved a resolution earlier this year to endorse securing funding for this project.

The stated reason is to support freight movement—more large truck traffic—along this corridor as the logistics/warehouse industry grows in the region.

As the plans develop, it will be worthwhile to be involved and to discuss how this project could be implemented to recognize the need to aid wildlife movement.

The project will likely require substantial wetlands mitigation and that could play a part in this effort.

The route runs through the headwaters of the Hillsborough River, bisecting large conservation areas that are key regional wildlife refuges. River basins are often used as wildlife corridors.

This is particularly key in places such as the Green Swamp, which serves as a hub for a network of wildlife corridors for species ranging from Florida black bear to less obvious species of reptiles and amphibians and small mammal species.

There is no funding in the current five-year local Florida Department of Transportation tentative work plan, but the project is listed as an unfunded goal in Polk’s 2040i transportation plan.

New Year’s Day has become a popular time to go hiking to set your course for the next year.

If you want to hike with a group and a guide, there are three options.

Florida Trail Association is planning a hike at The Nature Conservancy’s Tiger Creek Preserve near Babson Park.

Colt Creek State Park and Lake Kissimmee State Park will host ranger-led hikes.

If you’d like to head out into the woods away from the crowds, there are plenty of options.

If you live in Polk County, you might consider Polk County Environmental Lands’ Sumica , North Walkinwater or Gator Creek sites, FWC’s Wildlife Management Area, the Florida National Scenic Trail in the Green Swamp , Catfish Creek Preserve or Lake Wales Ridge State Forest’s Arbuckle, Walkinwater and Hesperides units.

There are more to explore in surrounding counties that include Withlacoochee State Forest, FWC’s Wildlife Environmental Areas, SFWMD’s complex of trails on conservation lands around the Kissimmee River.

Wherever you go get outside and have fun.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has given Polk County a pass to change its growth plan to put warehouses next to residential subdivisions in the Four Corners area, which will be the subject of a lengthy public hearing Tuesday afternoon in Bartow.

The Polk County Commission had forwarded the change to DEO officials in Tallahassee last month for review.

DEO’s comments only address whether the change affects state resources, not whether the project is a good idea.

The debate over the change has instead involved local issues.

This case involves a request by a landowner, which had previously gotten approval to develop the site into a shopping center with a movie theater, now wants to develop it into a warehouse distribution center.

Some key issues in this case include:

What obligation does the County Commission have to bail out a developer whose original development plans didn’t work out as planned?

The original proposal occurred during the pre-recession real estate bubble that ruined or set back many real estate investments. The idea that two regional shopping centers—this one and Posner—would both succeed on opposite sides of the same highway interchange in this market seem far-fetched in retrospect and may have seemed overly ambitious at the time if you were unaffected by development fever.

Does allowing light industrial development to encroach into the edge of residential areas here set a precedent that could threatened homeowners elsewhere in Polk County?

This is a slippery slope. Although the county’s technical staff has recommended against this change, the County Commission is the ultimate decision-maker. If the County Commission decides this is OK, will there be any staff pushback on the next case? Commission policy, rather than the tenets of good planning, sometimes molds staff positions.

Should the County Commission deny the project without prejudice to allow the landowner to resubmit an alternative, less-controversial development proposal without having to wait a year?

One wonders whether other types of development might be suitable for the site to allow the landowner, who has held the property in an agricultural classification for decade—market value is about $5 million, but taxable value is about $40,000–to sell the property and move on.

For the second time in recent weeks commissioners in two of Polk’s smaller cities have put the brakes on expansion of solar power within their city limits.

The first roadblock occurred in Lake Alfred, where commissioners blocked a landowner’s attempt to change the growth map to allow solar panels instead of rooftops.

Next came action by the Bartow commissioners, which delayed action on another solar farm until they can figure out how or whether to go ahead with it.

Both proposals were proposed by Tampa Electric, which has been aggressive in expanding its solar power generating capacity.

There was a common thread in both city discussions.

There was a claim by some city officials—based on nothing specific—that solar farms would be incompatible with residential development.

There was also a practical growth regulation issue, which is that it is prudent to think carefully about how to site any new land use.

Bartow officials are scheduled to resume discussions with TECO at another public meeting next month.