Natural Resource Value of
Edison Farms/Agripartners
Through Research and Science
Presented by: Jessica Stubbs, Natural Resources Specialist
Introduction to
Edison Farms
• Almost 4,000 acres
• Within Estero Bay
watershed
• East of I-75 between
Bonita Beach Road and
Corkscrew Road
• Contiguous with CREW
to the east
Introduction to
Edison Farms
• Over 3,500 acres of
wetlands
• Approximately 425 acres
of undisturbed, native
uplands
• FPL easement and some
disturbed land in the
southeast corner
Introduction to
Edison Farms
• Majority of wetlands
consist of cypress
• Contains Hydric Pine
Flatwoods –
underrepresented natural
community
• Uplands are mostly dry
prairie and pine flatwoods
Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of
Edison Farms
• Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
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•
Florida Forever Ranking
Lee County Master Mitigation Plan
Critical Lands and Waters Identification Project (CLIP)
Southwest Florida Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Water Quality
•
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•
•
Estero Bay Impaired Waters List
Estero Bay TMDLs and BMAPs
Southwest Florida Feasibility Study (SWFFS)
Lee County Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource (DR/GR) Study
• Hydrology / Water Supply
•
•
•
Lee County DR/GR Study
Dover Kohl Study
SWFFS
Scientific Support for Public Acquisition of
Edison Farms
• Wood Stork Protection
•
•
•
•
South Florida Multi Species Recovery Plan for Wood Storks
Wood Stork Recovery Plan
Wood Stork 5 Year Review
Prospects for Southeast Lee County Report
• Large Mammal Protection
•
•
•
How Much is Enough? Landscape-scale Conservation for the Florida Panther
Florida Panther Recovery Plan
Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System
• Wildlife Habitat and Corridor Protection
•
•
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Southwest Florida EIS
Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Proposal
Coastal Conservation Corridor Plan
Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System
Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
Florida Forever Ranking
• Board of Trustees
approved priority list
March 2010 - “Group A”
• ARC recommended
priority list June 2010 - #3
in “Partnerships and
Regional Incentives
Projects”
Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
Lee County Master Mitigation Plan
• Acquisition of Edison Farms is Project #1 listed in Appendix B
• Identifies Biodiversity and Hydrogeology as key benefits
• Lee County Future Land Use (FLU) Map identifies Edison Farms
as an “Environmentally Critical Area”
Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
Critical Lands and Waters
Identification Project
(CLIP)
• Strategic Habitat Conservation
Area
• Biodiversity Hotspots
• Rare Species Habitat
Conservation Priorities
• Under-protected Natural
Communities
• Ecological Greenways
• Wetlands
Landscape-Level Natural Resource Value
Southwest Florida
Environmental Impact
Statement
• 5 ensembles for future
development and preserve
areas
• All ensembles show Edison
Farms as “preserve”
Water Quality
Estero Bay Impaired
Waters List
• Most prevalent
impairment is DO with
TN and/or TP being the
causative pollutant
• Also have Fecal
Coliform impairments
Water Quality
Estero Bay TMDLs
and BMAPs
• Future TMDLs –
credit to load
reductions?
• Imperial River
BMAP credit?
• SWFFS identifies
DO as vital to
protecting
downstream
resources
Water Quality
Lee County DR/GR
• Restoring flowways
• Wetlands naturally
filter nutrient pollution
Hydrology / Water
Supply
Lee County DR/GR
• DR/GR area = high
aquifer recharge
• 2 well field protection
areas
• Groundwater
connections
Hydrology / Water Supply
SWFFS
• Focus on
water
storage
• Corkscrew
watershed
received the
highest score
for surface
water
hydrology
Wood Stork Protection
• South Florida Multi
Species Recovery Plan
• Wood Stork Recovery
Plan
• Wood Stork 5 Year
Review
• Prospects for
Southeast Lee County
Report
Large Mammal Protection
• Kautz et al Study
• Florida Panther
Recovery Plan
• Edison Farms is 100%
Primary Panther
habitat
Large Mammal Habitat
• Closing the Gaps in
Florida’s Wildlife
Habitat Conservation
System
• SHCA for “umbrella
species”
Wildlife Habitat
and Corridor
Protection
• SWF EIS
• Everglades
Headwaters National
Wildlife Refuge
Proposal
• Coastal Conservation
Corridor Plan
• Integrated Wildlife
Habitat Ranking
System
Public Acquisition of Edison Farms is Vital
• Vast amounts of literature highlight
natural resource value
• Many reports recommend public
acquisition of the property
• Numerous partnerships for acquisition
exist
• Request CLASAC to forward this
nomination as a high priority
acquisition project
Questions?
Jessica Stubbs
Jennifer Hecker
jessicas@conservancy.org
jenniferh@conservancy.org
(239) 403-4231
(239) 325-2661