BELL CREEK NATURE PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLAN BELL CREEK NATURE PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLAN FCT Award Number 96-010-P7A 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Location of the Bell Creek Nature Preserve The Bell Creek Nature Preserve (Preserve) is located east of McMullen Road, south of Boyette Road in Riverview, Florida. The Preserve occupies Sections 22, 26, and 27, in Township 30 South, and Range 20 East in southern Hillsborough County, south of the Alafia River and west of Bell Creek. Land use surrounding the Preserve is mainly medium density residential, with some institutional (school) and some commercial land uses included. Other Hillsborough County and State conservation lands are located to the northeast, southeast, and east of the Preserve. Figure 1 shows the location of the Preserve, as well as the other public lands in the vicinity. Appendix A provides the legal description, easements, and other legal documents for the Preserve. 1.2 History of the Preserve Hillsborough County acquired the original 60 acres of the Preserve for $816,000 in May 1990. In November 1995, the County completed the purchase of an additional 395 acres for $1,450,000 from MacRiley Homes. The County conveyed a portion of the Preserve (mostly altered lands) to the Hillsborough County School Board for the construction of Marion Rodgers Middle School. In September 1997, the County Real Estate department completed the acquisition of 141 acres from Murlin and Myra Hansen for $1,350,000. The County received a grant of $1, 290,058 from the Florida Communities Trust for 50% of the cost of the remainder of the Hansen and MacRiley Homes properties (FCT Project Number 96-010-P7A). Grant funding from FCT was used to acquire the Preserve and this Management Plan is a revision of the 1997 Management Plan which was developed to ensure that the Preserve will continue to function in accordance with the Grant Award Agreement and in furtherance of the purpose of the grant application. Phase 1 environmental assessments were conducted for the two larger land purchases that comprise the Bell Creek Nature Preserve. The first site assessment was conducted on the MacRiley Homes, Inc. tract in 1995 (Meryman Environmental, Inc.) and determined that, with the exception of some piles of solid waste, the site did not contain any toxins, hazardous materials or other potential environmental problems. The solid waste was removed prior to purchase by the County. The second site assessment was conducted in 1997 (SES, Inc.) on the 160-acre Hansen tract. This assessment determined that the site contained numerous piles of household trash and construction debris, but there were no visible environmental impairments on the site. 1 BELL CREEK NATURE PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLAN Figure 1 location map 2 BELL CREEK NATURE PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLAN Figure 2 historic aerial 3 BELL CREEK NATURE PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLAN The Bell Creek Nature Preserve has been impacted by historic land uses such as logging, cattle grazing, road construction, partial development of a subdivision within the Preserve boundaries which included wetland dredging, road, and home development, and construction of a spray field. Upon acquisition of additional acreage in the mid-1990’s, Hillsborough County established a small office complex and site security residence to serve the public, centralize it’s management operation of environmentally sensitive lands, and provide additional management, restoration and protection to the Bell Creek Nature Preserve. The Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department has been responsible for stewardship of the Preserve from initial acquisition to present, has maintained the ongoing prescribed burn program, maintained an ongoing invasive plant and animal program; installed, repaired, and posted boundary fencing; applied for grant assistance and removed derelict fences with assistance from the AmeriCorps program and Youth Environmental Services (YES) of Wimauma. From 1998 to present, the County installed a two-acre facility which includes an unpaved parking area, kiosk, bike racks, picnic tables, perimeter fencing, a security residence (currently occupied by a park ranger), a marked hiking trail, and Florida Communities Trust acknowledgement signs. Ongoing environmental restoration plantings have been conducted in the past and a series of trash removal events have taken place. The County also developed a brochure which is currently publicized through its web site. The future land use of the Preserve is Natural Preservation. This plan is a revision of the original 1997 management plan produced by HDR Engineering. 1.3 The Purpose of the Bell Creek Nature Preserve The Bell Creek Nature Preserve was purchased in part by the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP). ELAPP was established in 1987 by a referendum which provided for the collection of a 0.25 mil tax for four years for the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands. Since its inception, ELAPP has identified over 108 sites as meeting ELAPP criteria for protection or acquisition. Over fifty sites have been acquired to date, resulting in the preservation of over 44,000 acres. 4 BELL CREEK NATURE PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLAN The purpose of acquiring the Bell Creek Nature Preserve was to provide protection for natural plant communities and associated protected species, extend a greenway, preserve a wildlife corridor that was being lost to development, and provide numerous passive recreational opportunities. The Bell Creek Nature Preserve will continue to be managed only for the conservation, protection and enhancement of natural resources, and for public outdoor recreation that is compatible with the conservation, protection and enhancement of the site. The existing recreational uses are restricted to passive activities, such as hiking and nature study, compatible with management of the Preserve’s natural resources. The Preserve provides walking trails through different habitat areas with mature trees and a varied understory, as well as open areas dominated by grasses and herbaceous species. The trails are marked and signage clearly state that the Preserve is only open during daylight hours. The Preserve is easily accessible to the general public. Entry signage, brochures, and trails are already in place at the entrance to the Preserve, off of McMullen Road. No significant changes are proposed for the Preserve for the life of this plan. 1.4 The Management Objectives for the Preserve Include the Following: 1. Continue active habitat management activities such as prescribed burns and invasive species control. 2. Continue specific management strategies for listed species present to protect and perpetuate the species populations. 3. Continue work with neighbors and volunteers such as Marion Rodgers Middle School, Boyette Springs Subdivision, and Shadow Run Subdivision for cleanup and security and encourage a sense of shared responsibility for the benefit of the Preserve. 4. Maintain the site security residence at the entrance of the Preserve at McMullen Road and provide site security such as perimeter fencing. 5. Continue management programs such as mapping invasive species locations, and inventorying and monitoring wildlife and habitat conditions. 6. Address budget issues for long-term management of the Preserve. Continue to pursue grant funding. 7. Maintain public access in a manner compatible with the protection of resources. 8. Continue environmental education programs in the Preserve. The Preserve assists Hillsborough County in implementing the goals, objectives and policies of the Recreation and Open Space (ROSE), Future Land Use (FLUE), and Conservation and Aquifer Recharge (CARE) elements of County’s Comprehensive Plan 5 BELL CREEK NATURE PRESERVE LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLAN (www.theplanningcommission.org/hillsborough/comprehensiveplan). The preservation of wildlife habitats and the development of public recreation and environmental conservation activities on the project site will help to accomplish or further enhance the following plan goals and objectives: • Preserve, conserve, restore, and appropriately manage the natural resources of Hillsborough County to maintain or enhance environmental quality for present and future generations (CARE Goal). • Maintain or improve the ecological integrity of natural lakes, ponds, and streams, and provide for multiple uses such that existing water quality, fisheries habitat, scenic and recreational opportunities, and other natural and community benefits can be maintained, improved and where feasible, restored (CARE Objective 6). • Maintain populations of threatened and endangered species and species of special concern occurring in Hillsborough County; and where feasible and appropriate, increase the abundance and distribution of such species (CARE Objective 14). • Correct existing deficiencies and prevent future inadequacies to an efficient system of open space, park, and recreational facilities proportionately distributed to meet the needs of the populations. • Increase the provision, protection, and enhancement of open spaces by public agencies and private enterprises (ROSE Objective 3, Policy 3.8). • Continue to implement a program to allow appropriate utilization and protection of natural resources (ROSE Objective 11, Policy 11.2). • Consider the needs of existing urban and suburban areas and newly developing urban areas when providing and programming