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Hickey Creek Mitigation Park Land Management Plan - Third Edition 17980 Palm Beach Blvd

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Hickey Creek Mitigation Park Land Management Plan - Third Edition 17980 Palm Beach Blvd Hickey Creek Mitigation Park & Hickey Creek Greenbriar Connector Preserve Land Management Plan 2016 – 2026 i Hickey Creek Mitigation Park Land Management Plan - Third Edition 17980 Palm Beach Blvd. Alva, FL. 33920 & Hickey Creek Greenbriar Connector Preserve Land Management Plan - Second Edition Lee County Lee County Florida Fish and Florida Department of Department of Wildlife Communities Parks and Parks and Conservation Trust Recreation Recreation’s Commission Conservation 20/20 Lands Program Photo credits for cover page: Carolyn Babb (Florida Scrub-jay); Joseph Dodds (large tickseed); Annisa Karim (all other photos). Prepared by the Conservation Lands Section of the Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation in Cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Approved by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on August 16, 2016. Appendix E Approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Division of State Lands - Office of Environmental Services on April 6, 2016. ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their time and sharing their knowledge in assisting me with the development of the Hickey Creek Mitigation Park & Hickey Creek Greenbriar Connector Preserve Land Management Plan: Steven Shattler, Cathy Olson, Robert Repenning, Teresa Cain, Heather Gienapp, Joseph Dodds, Mary Ellen Harper, Rudy Lampron, and Karen Bledsoe. Annisa Karim Manager Lyonia lucida shiny fetterbush iii Table of Contents Vision Statement ................................................................................................. viii I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................. 1 II. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 2 III. Location and Site Description ......................................................................... 4 IV. Natural Resources Description ..................................................................... 10 A. Physical Resources ................................................................................... 10 i. Climate ..................................................................................................... 10 ii. Geology ................................................................................................... 10 iii. Topography ............................................................................................ 10 iv. Soils ....................................................................................................... 13 v. Watershed and Hydrologic Components................................................. 17 B. Biological Resources ................................................................................. 21 i. Ecosystem Function ................................................................................. 21 ii. Natural Plant Communities ...................................................................... 21 iii. Fauna ..................................................................................................... 33 iv. Designated Species ............................................................................... 33 v. Biological Diversity .................................................................................. 37 C. Cultural Resources .................................................................................... 37 i. Archaeological Features .......................................................................... 37 ii. Land Use History ..................................................................................... 38 iii. Public Interest ......................................................................................... 44 V. Factors Influencing Management .................................................................. 44 A. Natural Trends and Disturbances .............................................................. 44 B. Internal Influences ...................................................................................... 44 C. External Influences .................................................................................... 47 D. Legal Obligations and Constraints ............................................................. 48 i. Permitting ................................................................................................. 48 ii. Other Legal Constraints and Considerations........................................... 48 iii. Relationship to Other Plans .................................................................... 49 E. Management Constraints ........................................................................... 50 F. Public Access and Resource-Based Recreation ........................................ 51 VI. Management Action Plan ............................................................................. 59 iv A. Management Unit Descriptions .................................................................. 59 B. Goals and Strategies ................................................................................. 72 VII. Projected Timetable for Implementation ...................................................... 73 VIII. Financial Considerations ............................................................................. 73 IX. Literature Cited ............................................................................................. 74 X. APPENDICIES APPENDIX A: Deed of Conservation Easement Between Lee County and Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission......................................... A-1 APPENDIX B: Memorandum of Agreement Between Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Lee County ............................................................. B-1 APPENDIX C: Grant Award Agreement Between the Florida Communities Trust and Lee County .................................................................................... C-1 APPENDIX D: Conceptual Approval Agreement Between the Florida Communities Trust and Lee County .............................................................. D-1 APPENDIX E: Approval Letter for Conservation Management Plan for the State-owned land in HCGCP and Conservation Management Plan. ............. E-1 Appendix F: Floristic Species Documented Within HCMP and HCGCP.........F-1 APPENDIX G: Vertebrate Species Documented Within HCMP and HCGCP ....... G-1 APPENDIX H: FWC Species Management Strategy .................................... H-1 APPENDIX I: Documents Relating to Public Hearings / Meetings .................. I-1 APPENDIX J: Right-of-Way Consent Agreement ........................................... J-1 APPENDIX K: Final County-funded Fill and Grade of Gideon Lane / First Notice of Road Vacation ................................................................................ K-1 APPENDIX L: Projected Costs for Resource Management ............................ L-1 List of Figures Figure 1: Location of HCMP and HCGCP in northeastern Lee County, FL. .......... 6 Figure 2: Aerial Map of HCMP. ............................................................................. 8 Figure 3: Aerial Map of HCGCP ............................................................................ 9 Figure 4: Topographical Map for HCMP. ............................................................ 11 Figure 5: Topographical Map for HCGCP. ......................................................... 12 Figure 6: Soils Map for HCMP ............................................................................ 15 Figure 7: Soils Map for HCGCP .......................................................................... 16 Figure 8: Watershed Map. .................................................................................. 18 Figure 9: National Wetlands Inventory Map. ....................................................... 19 v Figure 10: Watershed Water Quality Index Data from 2007 - 2014. ................... 20 Figure 11: HCMP Plant Community Map Based on FNAI Designations (FNAI, 2010). .................................................................................................................. 24 Figure 12: HCGCP Plant Community Map Based on FNAI Designations (FNAI, 2010). .................................................................................................................. 25 Figure 13: 1944 Aerial View of HCMP and HCGCP............................................ 40 Figure 14: 1953 Aerial View of HCMP and HCGCP............................................ 41 Figure 15: 1986 Aerial View of HCMP and HCGCP............................................ 42 Figure 16: 1998 Aerial View of HCMP and HCGCP............................................ 43 Figure 17: HCMP and HCGCP Internal and External Management Influences. 45 Figure 18: HCMP Trail Map. ............................................................................... 52 Figure 19: HCMP Acquisition Map ...................................................................... 56 Figure 20: HCGCP Acquisition Map .................................................................... 58 Figure 21: HCMP and HCGCP Management Units ............................................ 60 Figure 22: HCMP Management Units 1a – 1e (Conservation 20/20 Funded Acquisitions) ....................................................................................................... 61 Figure 23: HCMP Plant Communities and Management Units ........................... 62 Figure 24: Escaped Rx Burn at HCMP March
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