{"id":2720,"date":"2024-10-02T16:56:33","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T20:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/?p=2720"},"modified":"2024-10-02T16:56:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T20:56:33","slug":"opposition-by-sierra-other-green-groups-build-for-state-forest-golf-course-land-swap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/?p=2720","title":{"rendered":"Opposition By Sierra, Other Green Groups Build For State Forest Golf Course  Land Swap"},"content":{"rendered":"October 2, 2024<br \/><br \/><br \/>Rick Dolan, Director<br \/><br \/>Florida Forest Service<br \/><br \/>3125 Conner Boulevard<br \/><br \/>Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1650<br \/><br \/>Via email at Richard.Dolan@fdacs.gov<br \/><br \/><br \/>RE:  Opposition to proposed swap of 324-acres of the Withlacoochee State Forest (WSF) <br \/><br \/>Dear Director Dolan:<br \/><br \/>We, the undersigned sixty-seven (67) organizations and businesses, vehemently oppose the proposal to declare as surplus a 324-acre parcel of land in the Withlacoochee State Forest (WSF) in order to facilitate a swap of the parcel for a privately owned 860-acre stand of pine plantation) in Levy County.<br \/><br \/>Our attention is directed to you, because the Governor\u2019s and Cabinet\u2019s June 12, 2024 decision related to the Cabot Citrus OpCo LLC proposal is not the final word; it is in the power of the Florida Forest Service (FFS) to stop it before it is taken up by the Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC).<br \/><br \/>Our partners at Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) have determined the parcel has substantial conservation value and therefore does not qualify to be declared surplus pursuant to \u00a7253.0341(1), F.S.  FNPS also determined the proposed exchange would not result in a net conservation benefit.  If the FFS review includes the same level of scrutiny\u2014field visits and a review of the Florida Forever Conservation Needs Assessment spatial data maintained by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory we know you will come to the same conclusion.  There is no doubt that this swap proposal should be rejected when contiguity with other publicly owned conservation land, significant habitat connectivity within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, overlap with the sandhill component of Under-represented Natural Communities data, High  recharge value, and the protection of endangered species are taken into account.<br \/><br \/>Moreover, the Florida public\u2019s recent overwhelming display of across-the-political-spectrum-outrage over development within state parks should signal that this type of proposal is anathema to our collective dedication to protecting Florida\u2019s wild places from development.<br \/><br \/>Please stop this ill-conceived proposal now by making it clear FFS will not support it.<br \/><br \/>Sincerely, <br \/><br \/><br \/>Adventure Coast Group, Sierra Club<br \/>Tom St. Clair, Conservation Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Ancient Islands Group, Sierra Club<br \/>Tom Palmer, Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Apalachee Audubon Society<br \/>Kathleen Carr, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Apalachicola Riverkeeper<br \/>Susan Anderson, Executive Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Avian Research and Conservation Institute<br \/>Kenneth D. Meyer, PhD., Executive Director and Senior Research Ecologist<br \/><br \/><br \/>Bear Warriors United<br \/>Katrina R. Shadix, Executive Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Broward Group, Sierra Club<br \/>Leah Weisburd, Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Cactus Island Nursery<br \/>James Freeman, Owner<br \/><br \/><br \/>Calusa Group, Sierra Club<br \/>Rhonda Roff, Conservation Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Calusa Waterkeeper<br \/>Captain Codty Pierce, Waterkeeper<br \/><br \/><br \/>Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, Inc.<br \/>Lori Haus-Bulcock, Board of Directors<br \/><br \/><br \/>Center for Biological Diversity<br \/>Ragan Whitlock, Staff Attorney<br \/><br \/><br \/><br \/>Coastal Plains Institute<br \/>Ryan C. Means, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Creative Environmental Solutions, Inc.<br \/>George Foster, Owner<br \/><br \/><br \/>Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant<br \/>Laurilee Thompson, Co-owner<br \/><br \/><br \/>Earth Ethics, Inc.<br \/>Mary Gutierrez, Executive Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Earthjustice<br \/>Alisa Coe, Deputy Managing Attorney, Florida Office<br \/><br \/><br \/>Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida<br \/>Becky Ayech, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Environmental Matters Contracting &#038; Consulting, LLC<br \/>Pauline Irene Stacey, President\/CEO<br \/><br \/><br \/>FL National Organization for Women (FL NOW)<br \/>Debbie Deland, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Florida Birding and Nature Festival<br \/>Joe Guidry, Vice President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Florida Defenders of the Environment<br \/>Jim Gross, Executive Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Florida Ecotours Weeki Wachee LLC dba Get Up and Go Kayaking Weeki Wachee<br \/>Taylor Masnjak, Owner\/Operator<br \/><br \/><br \/>Florida Keys Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America<br \/>Michael F. Chenoweth, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Florida Ornithological Society<br \/>Ann Paul, President<br \/><br \/>Florida Rights of Nature Network<br \/>Joseph Bonasia, Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Florida&#8217;s Right to Clean Water<br \/>Capt. Karl R. Deigert, PAC Chairman<br \/><br \/><br \/>Food &#038; Water Watch<br \/>Brooke Ward, Senior Florida Organizer<br \/><br \/><br \/>Friends of Etna Turpentine Camp, Inc.<br \/>Robert F. Roscow, President<br \/><br \/> <br \/><br \/>Friends of Split Oak Forest<br \/>Valerie Anderson, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Friends of the Hillsborough River<br \/>Phil Compton, Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Friends of the Pelicans, Inc.<br \/>Jeanette Edwards, Founder\/CEO<br \/><br \/><br \/>Friends of the Polk County Parks Foundation<br \/>Marian Ryan, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Gopher Tortoise Council<br \/>Eric Sievers, Senior Co-Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Greater Orlando National Organization for Women (Greater Orlando NOW)<br \/>Penelope Canan, Climate Justice Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Healthy Gulf<br \/>Martha Collins, Executive Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Homosassa River Alliance<br \/>Brad Rimbey, Vice President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Humane Society of the United States<br \/>Kate MacFall, FL State Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Hundred Acre Hollows<br \/>Tom Unrath, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Kissimmee Waterkeeper<br \/>John Capece, Waterkeeper<br \/><br \/><br \/>Labor Community Alliance of South Florida<br \/>Lorenzo Canizares, Co-Coordinator<br \/><br \/><br \/>Loxahatchee Group, Sierra Club<br \/>Linda Smithe, Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Martin County Conservation Alliance<br \/>Donna Melzer, Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Matanzas Riverkeeper<br \/>Jen Lomberk, Esq., Executive Director &#038; Riverkeeper<br \/><br \/><br \/>Merritt Island Wildlife Association<br \/>Charlie Venuto, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Miakka Community Club<br \/>Cathy Lewis, Vice President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Moms in Nature&#8217;s Defense<br \/>Catalina Lemaitre, Founder<br \/><br \/><br \/>National Wildlife Federation<br \/>Joe Murphy, Wildlife Policy Specialist, Gulf of Mexico Program<br \/><br \/><br \/>Nature Coast Conservation, Inc.<br \/>DeeVon Quirolo, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Our Santa Fe River, Inc.<br \/>Joanne Tremblay, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>People Power United<br \/>Laurie Woodward Garcia, Leader<br \/><br \/><br \/>Polk Clean Energy Alliance<br \/>Katherine Sutherland<br \/><br \/><br \/>Progress Florida<br \/>Mark Ferrulo. Executive Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Residents United for Rural Levy (RURL)<br \/>Laura Catlow<br \/><br \/><br \/>Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation<br \/>James Evans, CEO<br \/><br \/><br \/>Save the Manatee Club<br \/>Beth Brady, Senior Science and Conservation Associate<br \/><br \/><br \/>Sea Turtle Conservancy<br \/>Stacey Gallagher, Policy Coordinator<br \/><br \/><br \/>Sierra Club Florida<br \/>Susannah Randolph, Chapter Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>Speak Up Wekiva, Inc.<br \/>Chuck O\u2019Neal, President<br \/><br \/><br \/>Stone Crab Alliance<br \/>Karen Dwyer, Ph.D., Co-founder<br \/><br \/><br \/>Suwannee-St. Johns Group, Sierra Club<br \/>Maryvonne Devensky, Executive Committee Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>Tampa Audubon Society<br \/>Mary Keith, PhD, Conservation Chair<br \/><br \/>Thaell &#038; Associates Property Management, LLC<br \/>Cliff Thaell, Senior Partner<br \/><br \/><br \/>The Downriver Project<br \/>Gil Damon, Director<br \/><br \/><br \/>The Paper Bear Inc.<br \/>Arix Zalace, President and Co-Founder<br \/><br \/><br \/>Volusia-Flagler Group, Sierra Club<br \/>Steve Wonderly, Chair<br \/><br \/><br \/>WWALS Watershed Coalition<br \/>John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>October 2, 2024 Rick Dolan, Director Florida Forest Service 3125 Conner Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1650 Via email at Richard.Dolan@fdacs.gov RE: Opposition to proposed swap of 324-acres of the Withlacoochee State Forest (WSF) Dear Director Dolan: We, the undersigned sixty-seven (67) organizations and businesses, vehemently oppose the proposal to declare as surplus a 324-acre parcel of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gci"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2720","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2720"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2720\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2721,"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2720\/revisions\/2721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ancientislands.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}