Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park Unit Management Plan Approved
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YELLOW RIVER MARSH PRESERVE STATE PARK UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN APPROVED STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Division of Recreation and Parks JUNE 13, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF PLAN .....................................................................................1 MANAGEMENT PROGRAM OVERVIEW......................................................................5 Management Authority and Responsibility ......................................................................5 Park Goals and Objectives....................................................................................................6 Management Coordination ..................................................................................................9 Public Participation.............................................................................................................10 Other Designations..............................................................................................................10 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................11 RESOURCE DESCRIPTION AND ASSESSMENT.......................................................11 Natural Resources...............................................................................................................11 Cultural Resources..............................................................................................................22 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ....................................................................23 Special Management Considerations ...............................................................................23 Management Needs and Problems...................................................................................25 Management Objectives.....................................................................................................27 Management Measures For Natural Resources ..............................................................28 Management Measures For Cultural Resources .............................................................33 Research Needs....................................................................................................................34 Resource Management Schedule.......................................................................................35 Land Management Review ................................................................................................36 i LAND USE COMPONENT INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................37 EXTERNAL CONDITIONS................................................................................................37 Existing Use of Adjacent Lands.........................................................................................38 Planned Use of Adjacent Lands.........................................................................................38 PROPERTY ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................39 Recreation Resource Elements...........................................................................................39 Assessment of Use...............................................................................................................41 Existing Facilities.................................................................................................................41 CONCEPTUAL LAND USE PLAN ...................................................................................43 Potential Uses and Proposed Facilities.............................................................................43 Facilities Development........................................................................................................45 Existing Use and Optimum Carrying Capacity ..............................................................46 Optimum Boundary............................................................................................................46 TABLE TABLE 1 - Existing Use and Optimum Carrying Capacity.............................................46 LIST OF ADDENDA ADDENDUM 1 Acquisition History and Advisory Group Staff Report...................................... A 1 - 1 ADDENDUM 2 References Cited ....................................................................................................... A 2 - 1 ADDENDUM 3 Soil Descriptions ....................................................................................................... A 3 - 1 ii ADDENDUM 4 Plant and Animal List .............................................................................................. A 4 - 1 ADDENDUM 5 Designated Species List ........................................................................................... A 5 - 1 ADDENDUM 6 Timber Assessment .................................................................................................. A 6 - 1 ADDENDUM 7 Priority Schedule and Cost Estimates.................................................................... A 7 - 1 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FNAI Descriptions of Natural Communities ....................................................................1 DHR Cultural Management Procedures............................................................................9 MAPS Vicinity Map .............................................................................................................................2 Reference Map..........................................................................................................................3 Topographic Map...................................................................................................................12 Soils Map.................................................................................................................................14 Natural Communities Map ..................................................................................................18 Burn Zones Map.....................................................................................................................30 Base Map .................................................................................................................................42 Conceptual Land Use Plan ...................................................................................................44 Optimum Boundary Map .....................................................................................................47 iii INTRODUCTION Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park (815.47 acres) is located in southern Santa Rosa County; approximately 10 miles south of Milton (see Vicinity Map). Access to the preserve is from Garcon Point Road (State Road 191) along Dickerson City Road (see Reference Map). Pensacola is the nearest metropolitan area and lies about 10 miles west of the preserve. The preserve is south of Interstate 10 situated on a peninsula known as the Garcon Peninsula, which extends into the Pensacola Bay system. When all acquisitions are completed, I-10 will border the preserve on the north and Escambia Bay on the west. Two major north-south roads originating in Milton traverse the preserve. Garcon Point Road (State Road 191) runs along the eastern portion of the peninsula and Avalon Boulevard (County Road 281) runs along the western portion. Mary Kitchens Road is a paved two-lane road running east-west and bordering several parcels of the preserve. The vicinity map also reflects significant land and water resources existing near the preserve. At Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park, public outdoor recreation and conservation is the designated single use of the property (see Addendum 1). There are no legislative or executive directives that constrain the use of this property. The preserve was acquired by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (Trustees) beginning in 2000 as part of the Florida Forever Garcon Ecosystem project using funds from the Conservation and Recreational Lands Program (CARL). The purpose of acquisition is to protect and conserve environmentally sensitive lands, rare and listed plant and animal species, maintain water quality in Pensacola Bay, and allow the public to learn about and enjoy this unique natural environment. The property was previously managed by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas as the Yellow River Marsh State Buffer Preserve. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE PLAN This plan serves as the basic statement of policy and direction for the management of Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park as a unit of Florida's state park system. It identifies the objectives, criteria and standards that guide each aspect of park administration, and sets forth the specific measures that will be implemented to meet management objectives. The plan is intended to meet the requirements of Sections 253.034 and 259.032, Florida Statutes, Chapter 18-2, Florida Administrative Code, and intended to be consistent with the State Lands Management Plan. This is the initial management plan for this park. All development and resource alteration encompassed in this plan is subject to the granting of appropriate permits; easements, licenses, and other required legal