Cayo Costa State Park Advisory Group Draft Unit Management Plan STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Division of Recreation and Parks March 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................1 PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PARK ....................................... 1 Park Significance ................................................................................1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE PLAN..................................................... 2 MANAGEMENT PROGRAM OVERVIEW ................................................... 8 Management Authority and Responsibility .............................................. 8 Park Management Goals ...................................................................... 9 Management Coordination ................................................................... 9 Public Participation ............................................................................ 10 Other Designations ........................................................................... 10 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 11 RESOURCE DESCRIPTION AND ASSESSMENT..................................... 15 Natural Resources ............................................................................. 15 Topography .................................................................................. 15 Geology ....................................................................................... 16 Soils ............................................................................................ 17 Minerals ....................................................................................... 17 Hydrology .................................................................................... 18 Natural Communities (FNAI) ........................................................... 21 Imperiled Species ......................................................................... 37 Exotic and Nuisance Species ........................................................... 47 Special Natural Features ................................................................ 52 Cultural Resources ............................................................................ 53 Condition Assessment .................................................................... 53 Level of Significance ...................................................................... 53 Prehistoric and Historic Archaeological Sites ..................................... 54 Historic Structures ........................................................................ 60 Collections ................................................................................... 62 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ................................................. 66 Management Goals, Objectives and Actions .......................................... 66 Natural Resource Management ........................................................... 66 Hydrological Management .................................................................. 67 Natural Communities Management .................................................. 67 Imperiled Species Management ...................................................... 70 Exotic Species Management ........................................................... 73 Cultural Resource Management ....................................................... 74 Special Management Considerations .................................................... 76 Timber Management Analysis ......................................................... 76 Coastal/Beach Management ........................................................... 77 i Arthropod Control Plan ................................................................... 78 Sea Level Rise .............................................................................. 79 Resource Management Schedule ......................................................... 79 Land Management Review ................................................................. 79 LAND USE COMPONENT INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 81 EXTERNAL CONDITIONS .................................................................... 81 Existing Use of Adjacent Lands ........................................................... 83 Planned Use of Adjacent Lands ........................................................... 84 PROPERTY ANALYSIS ........................................................................ 80 Recreational Resource Elements ......................................................... 84 Land Area .................................................................................... 84 Water Area ................................................................................... 84 Shoreline ..................................................................................... 84 Natural Scenery ............................................................................ 85 Significant Habitat ......................................................................... 85 Natural Features ........................................................................... 85 Archaeological and Historic Features ................................................ 85 Assessment of Use ............................................................................ 85 Past Uses ..................................................................................... 85 Future Land Use and Zoning ........................................................... 86 Current Recreation Use and Visitor Programs .................................... 86 Other Uses ................................................................................... 86 Protected Zones ............................................................................... 87 Existing Facilities .............................................................................. 87 Recreation Facilities ....................................................................... 88 Support Facilities .......................................................................... 88 CONCEPTUAL LAND USE PLAN ........................................................... 91 Potential Uses .................................................................................. 91 Public Access and Recreational Opportunities .................................... 90 Proposed Facilities ............................................................................ 92 Capital Facilities and Infrastructure ................................................. 92 Facilities Development ....................................................................... 99 Recreational Carrying Capacity ......................................................... 100 Optimum Boundary ......................................................................... 101 IMPLEMENTATION COMPONENT MANAGEMENT PROGRESS ................................................................ 105 Resource Management .................................................................... 105 Natural Resources ....................................................................... 105 Cultural Resources ...................................................................... 105 MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION .......................................... 106 ii TABLES TABLE 1 – Cayo Costa State Park Management Zones ............................. 12 TABLE 2 – Imperiled Species Inventory .................................................. 42 TABLE 3 – Inventory of FLEPPC Category I and II Exotic Plant Species ....... 50 TABLE 4 – Cultural Sites Listed in the Florida Master Site File ................... 63 TABLE 5 – Recreational Carrying Capacity .............................................. 96 TABLE 6 – Implementation Schedule and Cost Estimates........................ 107 MAPS Vicinity Map ...........................................................................................3 Reference Map .......................................................................................5 Management Zones Map........................................................................ 13 Soils Map ............................................................................................ 19 Natural Communities Map ...................................................................... 23 Base Map ............................................................................................ 89 Conceptual Land Use Plan ...................................................................... 93 Optimum Boundary Map ...................................................................... 103 LIST OF ADDENDA ADDENDUM 1 Acquisition History ....................................................................... A 1 - 1 ADDENDUM 2 Advisory Group Members and Report ............................................. A 2 - 1 ADDENDUM 3 References Cited ......................................................................... A 3 - 1 ADDENDUM 4 Soil Descriptions ......................................................................... A 4 - 1 ADDENDUM 5 Plant and Animal List ................................................................... A 5 - 1 ADDENDUM 6 Imperiled Species Ranking Definitions ............................................ A 6 - 1 ADDENDUM 7 Cultural Information ...................................................................