HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Monday, August 12, 2019 VOL. 100 | NO. 224 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 An Edition Of The Sun FWC putting together new plan to manage aquatic plants Lake Istokpoga at issue COURTESY PHOTO/GOOGLE MAPS By INGRID UTECH An all-terrain vehicle trail between Queen CORRESPONDENT Avenue, at the top of this image, to Mare Path at the lower left, has sent storm runoff to flood Editor’s note: This is the and rut Mare Path and Foal Path, a private road second of two articles about that is residents only way in or out. County the Florida Fish and Wildlife officials want to make an arrangement with Conservation Commission’s residents to turn the trail into a shell road with aquatic plant management proper drainage, but the price tag seems too program on Lake Istokpoga. steep for the county and residents alike. SEBRING — The University of Florida, in cooperation with FWC, is County can’t pay preparing a new Aquatic Habitat Management Plan for Lake Istokpoga. to fix Silver Fox The plan calls for a more balanced and transparent Price tag too way for FWC to manage COURTESY PHOTO/JIM REED aquatic plants. FWC staff members provide and educational tour of Lake Istokpoga. Back, from left: FWC biologists Carly high for residents FWC is responsible for Althoff, Geoff Lokuta and Cole Harty. Front: bass fishing guide Don Hatcher and (behind him, from left) aquatic plant management, anglers and lakeshore residents Sue Corbett and John Benson. Also present: Friends of Istokpoga Board including invasive plant By PHIL ATTINGER Member Jim Reed. Hatcher and Reed also are members of the Lake Istokpoga Advisory Committee. management, on Florida’s STAFF WRITER lakes. The agency has been fisheries biologist; Jim Reed, Istokpoga homeown- SEBRING — Commissioners and Silver criticized for allegedly er, Friends of Istokpoga Fox residents agree they need to solve applying herbicides too Board member, and former problems of flooded roads and limited liberally on both invasive lake manager; Dave Sharp, access in the subdivision. plants and collaterally on duck hunter; Don Hatcher, Neither the county nor the residents native plants, leading to a Istokpoga bass fishing can afford it right now. decline in valuable fish and guide for more than 35 Mare Path residents need access to wildlife habitat. years; Nolan Rayburn, duck their road other than by Foal Path and All the Wildlife hunter and local agricultur- Spur Path, road easements through Management Areas, which alist; Sue Clark, local real private land that get impassible in heavy are also under FWC’s estate agent; Dave Bouse, rains. jurisdiction, have manage- crappie fishing guide; and Many, like Patricia Cox, bought during ment plans in place. But Dawn Ritter, Highlands dry seasons and only learned of this there is no management County Natural Resources problem from rains during and immedi- plan for aquatic plants director. ately after Hurricane Irma in late 2017. on any lake in the state The university also has The problem started in 1973 when except for Orange Lake near held three public meetings Silver Fox, platted in 1973, had to have Gainesville. and sent out a survey to COURTESY PHOTO/FRIENDS OF ISTOKPOGA LAKE ASSOCIATION the south ends of two residential roads So in early 2018, FWC more than 4,000 individ- vacated in 1979, County Engineer entered into a two-year Istokpoga Park. uals who live around the Clinton Howerton Jr. told county com- contract with the University lake and/or have a vested missioners last Tuesday. of Florida’s Institute of Food interest in the lake’s man- He said the Southwest Florida Water and Agricultural Sciences to agement. A plan is in the Management District wouldn’t allow prepare an Aquatic Habitat process of development. them. Even if the county could get the Management Plan for Lake Recommendations will be land, he wouldn’t get permission to build Istokpoga. released at a public meeting those roads today. This is the second “stake- in November. Comments In 1979, Gene Brown owned property holder-driven” habitat from the meeting will be in both Silver Fox and Orange Blossom management plan (Orange incorporated into a final Estates, a subdivision to the north, plat- Lake being the first) that document that will be ted in 1959. Brown has offered to donate FWC has sponsored and available by February 2020. land for right of way for an extension the first one in which it The plan includes of Mare Path north to Queen Avenue in has partnered with the recommendations in six Orange Blossom Estates, if the county University of Florida, which areas: (1) focal habitats; also extends the county-maintained has developed such plans (2) lake access, navigation, portion of Queen Avenue west to his in the past. Stakeholder- and aesthetics; (3) invasive COURTESY PHOTO/KAI LORENZEN, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA properties, Howerton said. driven means the plan is plant control; (4) manage- Howerton said the county’s land being created using input ment and operations; (5) Dr. Chelsey Crandall, University of Florida meeting facilitator, writes development regulations (LDRs) require from anglers, duck hunters, down comments from Advisory Committee members, from left, Dr. communications; and (6) any new development to connect to a lakeside homeowners, and John Carson, Jim Reed, Cole Harty and Sue Clark at a recent meeting. research, evaluation, and paved road. Paving Queen Avenue would environmentalists, all of adaptive learning. run the whole total up to $194,000. whom have a stake in the Stakeholders will have below that target range, and • Focal habitats: The plan Ignoring that requirement and doing lake and its management. goals and objectives for the actions such as re-vegeta- calls for a collaborative just a shell road would still run $118,000- An advisory commit- habitats. FWC will monitor tion or eliminating invasive relationship between $120,000 total, Howerton said, but would tee has been meeting and manage those habitats plants are necessary, such stakeholders and FWC. improve the road bed and drainage. With monthly since June 2018. to insure that the goals and actions will be monitored Stakeholders will define the a shell road, 19 parcels would benefit, It is comprised of Dr. Paul objectives are met. and evaluated by FWC. kinds of habitats they deem with some owners having several parcels, Gray, science coordinator, The plan calls for stake- • Invasive plants: Invasive desirable. Since fish and for a cost of $10,000 per parcel. Everglades Restoration holders and FWC to define plants will be managed in wildlife rely on different Paving Queen Avenue would involve Program, Audubon Florida; target ranges of plants for the context of maintaining habitats at different times more parcels and payers, many of whom Dr. John Carson, seasonal the entire lake. If the per- focal habitat goals and resident and retired organic in their life cycles, a mix of centage of a particular LAKE | 4A COUNTY | 4A chemist; Cole Harty, FWC habitats will be identified. plant or community falls Passion, hard work and kindness Tosin Awomewe named Male Coach of the Year By RUTH ANNE LAWSON “It was a shocker to get back to the younger kids.” STAFF WRITER nominated,” Awomewe Highlander It was an emotional said. “It caught me off moment for Awomewe SEBRING — A passion guard and it was just a Highlight when he was announced and knowledge is what surprise. I wouldn’t think as the winner of the Male Tosin Awomewe hopes I would be nominated An occasional series Coach of the Year. to pass on to the youth for something like this highlighting the “I had tears of excite- winners of the 2018 of Highlands County. being a regular coach Highlander Awards ment and joy when I Awomewe was the locally, just helping kids won,” Awomewe said. KATARA SIMMONS/CORRESPONDENT recipient of the Highlands “I couldn’t believe it. learn to play tennis. It that the community sees News-Sun’s 2018 Tosin Awomewe receives the Male Coach of the Year award from was honestly a shock to me as a big asset to the Highlander Award for Highlands News-Sun Executive Editor Romona Washington and me and it means a lot community and to give COACH | 4A Male Coach of the Year. D-R Media Vice President and Group Publisher Tim Smolarick. Classifieds .................... B6-10 Good morning To Comics ..................... B11-14 Lottery ........................... B2 Viewpoints ......................A10 Nick Swanson Local Sports ...................... B1 TV Listings ......................A13 Weather ........................ A14 facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Thanks for reading! newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | August 12, 2019 www.highlandsnewssun.com AP budget workshop dates set By MARC VALERO higher millage rate so the city could STAFF WRITER provide more services. It is going to be tough AVON PARK — The Avon Park to make those decisions budget workshop dates are scheduled and keep everything for consecutive Saturdays — Aug. 17 within the budget that and Aug. 24 — starting at 8 a.m. in the we have to work with, he City Council Chambers. said. The fire assessment There was a rescheduling as the City increase will help allevi- Council inadvertently had set one of ate the general fund. ANDERSON the workshop dates on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. But, ultimately the Highlands News-Sun city will have a solid budget with a asked City Manager brand new city council and brand new David Flowers if it will be administrative team, Anderson said. challenging to develop a The workshops will be grueling going budget with a property through the budget into great detail, tax rate of .3 mills? which is a definitely good thing. MARC VALERO/STAFF “We are working on “I am looking forward to working that.