An unusually long meeting (six hours, including the working lunch and workshop,) took place Tuesday July 10, 2018 in Live Oak at the SRWMD headquarters, including a couple of surprises for the public. Additionally, some items which had previously created some controversy were on the agenda, which drew a larger than average audience.
The first of the response-driving issues was item 19 on the agenda: “Approval of Environmental Resource Permit ERP-125-231349-1, Authorizing Wetland Restoration and Conservation Efforts at Fern Pond in Union County.” This property, Shadd Properties, LLC, thought to belong to the Shadd family of the proposed phosphate mine, contained wetlands allegedly drained over a period of many years, and was at one time included in the proposed mine area.
The “…mitigation plan includes a 222.35-acre conservation easement, classified as wetland forested mixed. Other mitigation efforts include removing 0.50 acres of non-exempted roads in wetlands, plugging ditches with earthen ditch blocks, installing culverts to increase hydrology, and filling 1.84 acres of excavated ponds.”
The estimated cost for maintenance and monitoring activities within the mitigation areas is approximately $44,750.00 initially then an average of $7,750.00 annually, with up to $171,550.00 reserved for supplemental tree planting. Permit condition 25 requires performance bond payment prior to recording the conservation easement and prior to construction.Additionally, the permittee shall pay a penalty of $19,820.98 for the unpermitted wetland alterations, with one-half the costs of restoration activities within the conservation easement (up to a maximum $10,000.00) eligible to be returned if incurred.
Taken from SRWMD Agenda Packet, July 10, 2018 meeting
Agenda item 20, approving an ERP for the Keystone RV Resort in Bradford County passed unanimously. This was a hard-fought battle by nearby residents, in which OSFR also participated. The RV park is situated on or next to wetlands adjacent to Lake Santa Fe, from which the river emerges. Stasia Rudolph traveled to the meeting to express her disagreement.
Supplemental item 1: “Approval of Environmental Resource Permit Application ERP-007-232576-1, Sampson River Debris Removal, Bradford County, was a surprise for OSFR, as we found out that this water body drains water polluted by Chemours mine upstream. The issue is that during Hurricane Erma, many trees were downed, and Bradford County local authorities want them cleared to improve water flow. To effect this project, they have acquired a grant for funding.
OSFR opposed this idea for the simple fact that cleaning the
channel goes against nature, given that it is a very small stream surrounded by wetlands, and naturally has tree blockage which causes the water to flow into the wetlands where it is filtered down into the aquifer over time, and also undergoes some transpiration.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
