Lake Manatee State Park 2018 Approved Unit Management Plan
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Rick Scott FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF Governor Ca�os Lopez-Cantera Environmental Protection Lt Governor Marjory Stoneman DouglasBuilding 3900 CommonwealthBoulevard Noah Valenstein Tallahassee, Aorida32399-3000 Secretary August 30, 2018 Mr. Steven Cutshaw Division of Recreation and Parks Departmentof Environmental Protection 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard,MS 525 Tallahassee,Florida 32399-3000 RE: Lake Manatee State Park- Lease No. 2543 Dear Mr. Cutshaw: On August 24, 2018, the Acquisition andRestoration Council (ARC) recommended approval of the Lake Manatee State Park management plan. Therefore, Division of State Lands, Office of Environmental Services, acting as agent forthe Board of Trustees of the InternalImprovement Trust Fund, hereby approves the Lake Manatee State Park management plan. The next management planupdate is due August 24, 2028. Pursuant to s. 253.034(5)(a), F.S., each managementplan is required to "describe both short-terma nd long-termman agement goals, and include measurable objectives to achieve those goals. Short-termg oals shall be achievable within a 2-year planning period, andl ong-termgoals shall be achievable within a 10-yearplanning period. " Upon completion of short-termg oals, please submit a signedletter identifying categories, goals, and results with attached methodology to the Division of State Lands,Offic e of Environmental Services. Pursuant to s. 259.032(8)(g), F.S., by July 1 of each year, each governmentalagency and each private entity designated to managel ands shall report to the Secretary of Environmental Protection, via the Division of State Lands, on the progressof funding, staffing, and resource management of every project for which the agency or entity is responsible. Pursuant to s. 259.036(2), F.S., management areas that exceed 1,000 acres in size, shall be scheduled fora landmanagement review at least every 5 years. Pursuant to s. 259.032, F.S., andChapter 18-2.021, F.A.C., managementplans for a reas less than 160 acres may be handledin accordancewith the negative response process. This process requires small management plans and managementplan amendments be submitted to the Division of State Lands for review, andthe Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) forpublic notification. The Division of State Lands will approve these plans or plan amendments submitted forreview throughdelegated authority unless three or more ARC members request the division place the item on a future council meeting agenda forreview. To create better efficiency, improvecustomer service, and assist members of the ARC, the Division of State Landswill notice negative response items on Thursdays except for weeks that have State or Federal holidays that fallon Thursday or Friday. The Division of State Lands will contact you on the appropriate Friday to inform you if the item is approved via delegated authority or if it will be placed on a futureARC agenda by request of the ARC members. Approval of this land management plan does not waive the authority or jurisdiction of anygovernmental entity that may have aninterest in this project. Implementationof any uplandactivities proposed by this management plan may require a permit or other authorization fromfederal and state agencies having regulatory jurisdiction over those particularactivities. Pursuant to the conditions of your lease, please forwardcopies of all permitsto this office uponissuance. Sincerely, RaymondV. Spa · ing Chief, Officeof wironmental Services Division of State Lands Department of Environmental Protection Lake Manatee State Park Lead Agency: Department of Environmental Protection Division of Recreation and Parks Common Name of Property: Lake Manatee State Park Location: Manatee County Acreage: 548.78 Acres Acreage Breakdown Natural Communities Acres Abandoned Field/Pasture 45.1 Bottomland Forest 7.72 Baygall 16.36 Depression Marsh 6.96 Developed 34.36 Mesic Flatwoods 203.32 Scrub 98.51 Scrubby Flatwoods 62.65 Sandhill 6.46 Successional Hardwood Forest 28.29 Seepage Stream 1.03 Wet Flatwoods 31.55 Xeric Hammock 6.54 Lease/Management Agreement Number(s): 2543 Use: Single Use Management Responsibilities Agency: Dept. of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks Responsibility: Public access and resource conservation Designated Land Use: Public outdoor recreation and conservation Sublease: None Encumbrances: None Type of Acquisition: Bond Issuance Unique Features Overview: The park serves as dedicated conservation land along the shoreline of Lake Manatee, protecting water quality in the lake. A dam was built in 1967 on the Manatee River just west of park property, and the resulting lake supplies drinking water to Bradenton and surrounding cities. The water collected here provides a major regional water supply, with over 10 million gallons per day extracted, treated, and distributed to Sarasota and Manatee counties. Lake Manatee covers 2,400 acres, and has an average depth of 38 feet, with a Lake Manatee State Park maximum depth of 51 feet. The park was given its name due to this lake that defines its northern boundary. Natural: Mesic flatwoods are the most abundant natural community found at Lake Manatee State Park, and an intensive resource management program has created viable habitat for imperiled species such as the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. The sandhill found at Lake Manatee are only small relicts of what existed prior to when the reservoir was created by damming the Manatee River, based on soil maps and aerial photography dating back to 1942. Aerial photography also depicts early agriculture on soils associated with sandhill at the park. Scrub habitat is found on higher, well-drained areas. This scrub is considered to be in good condition, with potential to improve to excellent condition with regular fire intervals. This scrub is being managed to accommodate the endemic scrub-jay. Archaeological/Historical: An archaeological resource sensitivity model was completed for Lake Manatee in 2014 by the University of South Florida, Alliance of Integrated Spatial Technologies. It is predicted that there is low site occurrence probability at Lake Manatee State Park, but it is possible that late Paleo-to-early Archaic occupants utilized the Manatee River drainage area which is now covered by the reservoir. Late Archaic and latter Manasota have been documented at higher sea levels, but nothing has been identified yet on park property. Management Goals, Objectives and Actions Measurable objectives and actions have been identified for each of the Division’s management goals for Lake Manatee State Park. Please refer to the Implementation Schedule and Cost Estimates in the Implementation Component of this plan for a consolidated spreadsheet of the recommended actions, measures of progress, target year for completion and estimated costs to fulfill the management goals and objectives of this park. While, the Division of Recreation and Parks utilizes the ten-year management plan to serve as the basic statement of policy and future direction for each park, a number of annual work plans provide more specific guidance for Division staff to accomplish many of the resource management goals and objectives of the park. Where such detailed planning is appropriate to the character and scale of the park’s natural resources, annual work plans are developed for prescribed fire management, exotic plant management and imperiled species management. Annual or longer-term work plans are developed for natural community restoration and hydrological restoration. The work plans provide the Division with crucial flexibility in its efforts to generate and implement adaptive resource management practices in the state park system. The work plans are reviewed and updated annually. Through this process, the Division’s resource management strategies are systematically evaluated to determine their effectiveness. The process and the information collected is used to refine techniques, methodologies and strategies, and ensures that each park’s prescribed management actions are monitored and Lake Manatee State Park reported as required by Chapters 253.034 and 259.037, Florida Statutes. The goals, objectives and actions identified in this management plan will serve as the basis for developing annual work plans for the park. Since the plan is based on conditions that exist at the time the plan is developed, the annual work plans will provide the flexibility needed to adapt to future conditions as they change during the ten-year management planning cycle. As the park’s annual work plans are implemented through the ten-year cycle, it may become necessary to adjust the management plan’s priority schedules and cost estimates to reflect these changing conditions. Resource Management Hydrological Management Goal: Protect water quality and quantity in the park, restore hydrology to the extent feasible and maintain the restored condition. • Objective: Conduct/obtain an assessment of the park’s hydrological restoration needs. Natural Communities Management Goal: Restore and maintain the natural communities/habitats of the park. • Objective: Within 10 years, have 488 acres of the park maintained within the optimum fire return interval. • Objective: Continue habitat/natural community restoration activities on 16 acres of sandhill natural community. • Objective: Conduct natural community/habitat improvement activities on 46 acres of abandoned pasture. Imperiled Species Management Goal: Maintain, improve or restore imperiled species populations and habitats in the park. • Objective: