Charlotte Harbor is surrounded, thankfully! Graham M. Segger, FCPA, FCA One of the great features of living near the State Forests — The Flor- Charlotte Harbor estuary is the abundance of ida Forest Service of the green space surrounding us. Unfortunately, Department of Agriculture Myakka River State Park the wide array of terms and acronyms used and Consumer Services to describe the various managed areas can guides the operation of the Myakka State Forest be confusing. This article attempts to decode Florida State Forests net- some of these terms. (Editor’s note: Exam- work. The primary mission Charlotte Harbor Preserve ples are those near Charlotte Harbor. Many of the Forest Service is to State Park Most of dark other fantastic sites can be found throughout protect and maintain the green along shore of the CHNEP watershed.) biological diversity of the mainland. Aquatic Preserves — Virtually all of the many ecosystems found Babcock-Webb WMA waters of Charlotte Harbor, which I regularly in and around the state sail, kayak and cruise over, are designated forests, while integrating Yucca Pen Unit aquatic preserves. The 1975 Florida Aquatic public use of the resources, Preserves Act enabled the designation of including hunting. The two Babcock Ranch Preserve sensitive waterways as protected areas. The primary state forests in the aquatic preserves in the Charlotte Harbor Es- Charlotte Harbor area are “Ding’ Darling NWR tuary are Gasparilla-Charlotte Harbor, Cape the Myakka State Forest Haze, Matlacha Pass, Pine Island Sound, and the Peace River State Cities are shaded in pink. Lemon Bay and Estero Bay. The Florida Forest. City Parks — Many cities also support local Coastal Office (FCO) of the Department of In 2006, the State of Florida and Lee County recreational, ecological, conservation and Environmental Protection (DEP) has respon- purchased 73,239 acres of the former Bab- environmental parks, many located along sibility for the aquatic preserves. cock Crescent B Ranch located east of the the waterfront. State Parks — Just as most of the water in Babcock-Webb WMA. The Lee County sec- Land Trusts, Conservancies and Founda- Charlotte Harbor is protected by the state, so tion is now named the Bob Janes Preserve tions — In addition to the various public too is much of the shore around it to serve as and the Charlotte County section the Bab- initiatives, there are many other private a buffer as the 42,500-acre Charlotte Harbor cock Ranch Preserve. Beginning in 2016, groups providing leadership and initiating Preserve State Park. Also part of the Florida responsibility for management of BRP will conservation land acquisitions. The Calusa State Parks system are Cayo Costa, Don be assumed by the Florida Forest Service in Land Trust and Nature Preserve of Pine Pedro, Gasparilla Island and Stump Pass. cooperation with FWC. Island, Inc., the Sanibel-Captiva Conserva- These and the other parks within the water- Reserves — East of the Peace River State tion Foundation (SCCF), the Lemon Bay shed are managed by the Division of Parks Forest is the Southwest Florida Water Man- Conservancy, the Conservation Foundation & Recreation of the Florida DEP. agement District’s R.V. Griffin Reserve and the Peace River Reservoir, a water supply op- of the Gulf Coast and others all help by ac- Wildlife Management Areas — East of quiring, managing and preserving in perpetu- Charlotte Harbor is the Fred C. Babcock/ erated by the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority serving four counties. ity environmentally sensitive or historically Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area important land. (Babcock-Webb WMA), which includes the National Wildlife Refuges — The U.S. De- Conclusion: Conservation of land is a big Yucca Pen Unit. Together they cover more partment of the Interior through the National and essential undertaking in southwest than 80,000 acres. One of the objectives of Wildlife Refuge System has a number of hold- Florida, no matter how the protected land is WMAs is to sustain the widest possible range ings in southwest Florida. The J. N. “Ding” described. Virtually all levels of government of native wildlife in their natural habitats Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex and many not-for-profit organizations are while allowing controlled hunting. These includes “Ding” Darling NWR on Sanibel, involved. Facilitating positive communica- lands are more rugged than parks and have Pine Island NWR, Caloosahatchee NWR, tion among all these well-meaning groups fewer developed amenities. The Florida Fish Matlacha Pass NWR and Island Bay NWR. and the public is just one of the important and Wildlife Conservation Commission County Preserves, Reserves and Envi- functions of the CHNEP. (FWC) manages the WMAs and the Wildlife ronmental Parks — All the counties in the Environmental Areas (WEA), which have Charlotte Harbor watershed own and manage Graham Segger spends his winters in Burnt more of an emphasis on protecting endan- conservation land. Preserves are generally Store Marina and his summers sailing on the gered species. Great Lakes. This article is abridged from a larger environmental parcels with less urban personal interest study he has done of the FWC also manages a number of Critical interface than parks. conservation lands near Charlotte Harbor. Wildlife Areas (CWA), such as Little Estero Island and a small island in the Myakka River Learn more by attending the CHNEP Conservation Lands Workshop (page 14) and visit critical to wood stork breeding. the online CHNEP Special Places map (page 13) to learn about public access to these sites. 12 CHNEP Harbor Happenings Summer 2015