Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Unit Management Plan
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TOPSAIL HILL PRESERVE STATE PARK UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN APPROVED STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Division of Recreation and Parks OCTOBER 12, 2007 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....................................................................................................................25 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.........................................................................27 Special Management Considerations .......................................................................................27 Management Needs and Problems ...........................................................................................29 Management Objectives ...........................................................................................................29 Management Measures For Natural Resources........................................................................30 Management Measures For Cultural Resources.......................................................................34 Research Needs ........................................................................................................................35 Resource Management Schedule..............................................................................................37 Land Management Review.......................................................................................................37 i LAND USE COMPONENT INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................39 EXTERNAL CONDITIONS ...................................................................................................39 Existing Use of Adjacent Lands ...............................................................................................39 Planned Use of Adjacent Lands ...............................................................................................40 PROPERTY ANALYSIS .........................................................................................................40 Recreation Resource Elements.................................................................................................41 Assessment of Use....................................................................................................................42 Existing Facilities .....................................................................................................................44 CONCEPTUAL LAND USE PLAN........................................................................................44 Potential Uses and Proposed Facilities.....................................................................................46 Facilities Development.............................................................................................................51 Existing Use and Optimum Carrying Capacity........................................................................51 Optimum Boundary..................................................................................................................52 TABLE TABLE 1 - Existing Use and Optimum Carrying Capacity.......................................................52 LIST OF ADDENDA ADDENDUM 1 Acquisition History and Advisory Group 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 Management Analysis ...................................................................................... 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..........................................................................................................16 Base Map ....................................................................................................................................43 Conceptual Land Use Plan..........................................................................................................45 Optimum Boundary Map ............................................................................................................53 iii INTRODUCTION Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is located in Walton County (see Vicinity Map). Access to the park is from County Road 30-A off U.S. Highway 98, just east of Sandestin, Florida. (see Reference Map). Topsail Hill may be found in Township 2S, Range 20W, Sections 29, 30, 31, 32, and Township 2S, Range 21W, Sections 25 and 36. Currently the park contains 1,643.48 acres. U.S. Highway 98 forms the northern boundary of the property and the Gulf of Mexico is along the southern boundary. The vicinity map also reflects significant land and water resources existing near the park. Topsail is named for its high, picturesque dunes, which rise like white sails against the blue-green Gulf waters. The preserve provides three miles of white quartz-sand beaches. The endangered Choctawhatchee beach mouse, first described on this property, is still found in the primary and secondary dune systems. The dune system stretches landward extensively providing a remnant example of Florida panhandle coastal ecosystems. The undeveloped coastal dune lakes, with their intermittent dynamic connection to the Gulf of Mexico, are especially important to migrating birds, and represent one of the most threatened rare natural community types in Florida. A mosaic of wetlands interspersed throughout the pine flatwoods add to the outstanding species richness of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Typical of the dynamic and storm-impacted coastal landscape of the Florida Panhandle coast, natural communities in this preserve support diverse biota including shorebirds, beach mice, sea turtles, migratory birds and numerous rare plants. A nearby significant Native American site on the north side of U.S. Highway 98 at Four Mile Point Topsail Hill shares the heritage of nearby prehistoric Native American cultural resources. More specifically a significant Native American site is located just on the north side of U.S. Highway 98 at Four Mile Point off Mack Bayou Road. At Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, public outdoor recreation and conservation is the designated single use of the property. There are no legislative or executive directives that constrain the use of this property. The original portion of the park was acquired in 1992 using CARL and P2000 funds (see Addendum 1). PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE PLAN This plan serves as the basic statement of policy and direction for the management of Topsail Hill 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