HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001 Management Plan
MANAGEMENT PLAN
for the
NORTH SEBASTIAN
CONSERVATION AREA
Indian River County, Florida
Combined FCT Projects:
95-025-P5A - AGC Industrial Tract
96-043-P7 A - St. Sebastian PUD
99-056-P9A -North Sebastian C.A. Addition (Anstalt Tract)
Prepared by:
FloridAffinity, Inc.
Ecotech Consultants, Inc.
For:
Indian River County, Florida
Board of County Commissioners
June 2001
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. In trod u cti 0 n ................................................................................................................................ ........................................................... 1
A. Location/Ownership
B. Land Use and Zoning
C. History
D. Vegetative Assessment
II. Pu rpose ......................................... ................................................................................................................................. .................... .11
A. Natural Resource Conservation and Enhancement
B. Envirornnental Interpretation, Education and Research
C. Comprehensive PlanlPreservation 2000 Conformance
D. Scrub Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
E. Management Objectives
III. Stru ctn res an d Imp rov emen ts .......................... ....... ...................................................................................................................... .14
A. Existing Improvements
B. Proposed Improvements
C. Required Permitting
D. Easements, Concessions, and Leases
IV. Key Mana gemen t Activities ............................................. .............................................................................................................. .19
A. Maintenance
B. Security
C. Staffing
D. Natural Resource Protection
E. ArchaeologicallHistorical Elements
F. Management Coordination
V. Reso urce Enhancement ........................... ........................................ ........................................ ..........................................................21
A. Exotic Plant and Animal Removal
B. Enhancement Management
VI. Cost/Fun din g ................................................................................................................................ .................................................... 25
A. Development Cost Estimate
B. Funding Sources
Vll. M 0 ni to rin g............................... ....................................... ............................................... .................................................................. 25
A. Annual Implementation Report
B. Progress Assessment
C. Plan Updates
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1:
Estimated Management and Development Costs .......................... ....... ..................................27
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure A:
Figure B:
Figure C:
Figure D:
Figure E:
Scrub Jay Habitat II Core Areas". ...............................................................................................2
Locati on Map .................................................. ......................... .................................................3
Natural Communi ti es Map................................... ..................................................................... 7
Master Site Development Plan ...............................................................................................16
Management Acti vi ties Timeline............................................................................................ 28
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A:
Appendix B:
Appendix C:
Appendix D:
Potential Listed Species
Conceptual Approval AgreementlIndex
Existing and Proposed Easements
FNAI Species Report Forms
First Amendment to add St. Sebastian P.U.D.: The original management plan for the 75
acre North Sebastian Conservation Area was approved by Florida Communities Trust in November,
1996, as part of FCT Award #95-025-P5A. Subsequent to that date, Indian River County purchased a
contiguous 312 acre parcel of land known as the St. Sebastian Planned Unit Development (P.U.D.). The
award recipients are now seeking reimbursement for the purchase costs for the additional land, under
FCT application #96-043-P7A. This document amends the original North Sebastian Conservation Area
Management Plan to incorporate the additional acreage. New text is indicated by italic script.
Second Amendment to add Anstalt tract: In March 1999. Indian River Co un tv
purchased an out parcel known as the Anstalt tract. under FCT grant award # 99-056-P9A . The tract
added 18. 72 acres to the overall property manafed as the North Sebastian Conservation Area. This
second amendment to the North Sebastian Conservation Area Management Plan incorporates this
additional acreage. New text is indicated bv underlined italic script.
SECTION I - INTRODUCTION
Indian River County and the City of Sebastian are creating the North Sebastian
Conservation Area for the purpose of furthering a number of County and City policies and
objectives. These include the need for conservation of native upland plant communities and
the enhancement of native communities disturbed by development activities, the protection
of environmentally endangered habitat and threatened or rare species within their
jurisdiction, the protection of aquifer recharge areas and wetlands in the northern portion of
Indian River County, and the provision of open space and compatible recreation and
outdoor education facilities in the urban service area.
Policy directions incorporated in the Comprehensive Plans of both governments defme the
types of resources to be protected through a variety of means, one of which will be outright
purchase by the County. To implement these policies, the County has developed an
ambitious land acquisition program, managed by the Department of CommW1ity
Development and coordinated through an appointed Land Acquisition Advisory Connnittee
of concerned citizens and County officials. In November 1992, County voters approved an
Environmental Lands Bond Referendum, funded by ad valorem taxes. With funding from
the bonds Indian River County is prepared to enter cost-sharing partnerships with the
Florida Communities Trust for land acquisitions under the State's Preservation 2000
program.
The North Sebastian Conservation Area will be managed to preserve native vegetation
areas serving as habitat for rare species. This project is one of a coordinated multi-county
and state acquisition effort to preserve core areas of scrub habitat for preservation of the
endangered scrub-jay along Florida's Atlantic Coastal Ridge. (See Figure A.) This project
is one of many areas in which Indian River County is working with the Florida Game and
Freshwater Fish Commission and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a
countywide Habitat Conservation Plan for the protection of scrub habitat.
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FIGURE A
SCRUB JAY HABITAT
CONSERVATION
'CORE" AREAS
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