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Home My WebLink About2005 Annual Stewardship Report Florida Communities Trust Grant Award Project Annual Stewardship Report Name of Project: FCT Project Nos.: Local Government: Date: North Sebastian Conservation Area 95-025-P5A, 96-043-P7 A and 99-056-P9A Indian River County July 11, 2005 I. Summary The -407 acre North Sebastian Conservation Area (NSCA) was purchased between 1996 and 1999 by Indian River County under three Florida Communities Trust (FCT) cost-share grant projects (the "AGC Industrial Tract," the "St. Sebastian PUD" and the "Anstalt Addition"). In June 2001, the management plan for the overall project was revised to include the Anstalt Addition (the last of the three segments to be purchased). The primary purpose of the County's acquisition of the NSCA is to preserve and restore scrub and wetland habitats for the benefit of rare and endangered species. The NSCA is a key property for County resource management under the Sebastian Area-Wide Florida Scrub-Jay Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that was finalized in March 2000. Besides benefiting the Florida scrub-jay and other endemic scrub species, the NSCA also supports a variety of other wildlife, including roseate spoonbills, wood storks, bald eagles, osprey, sandhill cranes, and other migratory birds. The following management activities have occurred at the NSCA over the past year: . Asclepias curtissi, Curtiss' Milkweed was discovered on the site. This plant is listed as Endangered by the State of Florida - see photo attached. . North Sebastian Conservation Area was adopted by the Indian River Land Trust. Programs have been conducted in coordination with the Indian River Land Trust and Pelican Island Elementary School. . Scrub-Jay and Gopher Tortoise burrow monitoring with Global Positioning System. Also banded 3 scrub-jays on the Conservation Area as part of a project with Archbold Biological Station. Blood samples were taken from each bird as well as standard North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) I measurements/sex and other pertinent information. To date, there are at least four families, as follows: o NE Family includes 2 adults (both banded), 0 helpers, unknown 2005 fledglings o Central Family includes 2 adults (not banded), 3 helpers and unknown 2005 fledglings o Powerline Road Family includes 2 adults (1 banded), 1 helper and unknown 2005 fledglings - the 2005 nest was found with 2 hatchlings . Received notification of award from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for $103,000 grant with the County's $103,000 match for public use improvements. Work will begin this year to complete trails, facilities and other infrastructure as noted in grant agreement. . Indian River County Staff met with City of Sebastian Staff to discuss the planning for the Conservation Area improvements. The City of Sebastian is nearing completion of their park improvements that include restrooms, parking, playground equipment, ballfields, tennis courts and other amenities. Staff concluded that it would be most appropriate to combine the park improvements with the entrance of the North Sebastian Conservation Area and to allow visitors to park at the City of Sebastian Park rather than duplicating parking on the west side of Gibson Street. Staff walked the park area and proposed a new trailhead entrance off of the City of Sebastian Park north of a picnic pavilion and closest to the restrooms. (Photos are included of the meeting.) All improvements for the Park and Conservation Area connection are ADA accessible and will be designed to ADA specifications. Attendees of the Meeting Included: Beth Powell, Conservation Lands Manger, Indian River County Roland Deblois, Chief of Environmental Planning & Code Enforcement, Indian River County Clifford Suthard, Project Engineer, Public Works Dept., Indian River County Chris McCarthy, Parks Superintendent, City of Sebastian Tracy Haas, Growth Manager, City of Sebastian Jerry Converse, City of Sebastian Dave Fisher, Engineer, City of Sebastian Ken Grudens, Executive Director, Indian River Land Trust North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 2 II. Site Development Phvsical improvements Boundary marker conservation signs have been posted and the FCT cost-share funding acknowledgment/entrance sign has been erected. The following planned physical improvements, as identified in the management plan, these will be constructed as part of the Land & Water Conservation Fund Grant received this year: . Formalized trails . Boardwalks and overlook . Interpretative signs Table 1 provides a revised schedule for these improvements. Easements. Concessions or Leases None existing or proposed. III. Key Management Activities Natural Resource Protection . Inventory, monitoring and analysis of plant and animal species: a cursory inventory of plants and animals occurred when the Sebastian Area-Wide Scrub-Jay Habitat Conservation Plan was developed. The Conservation Lands Manager keeps an ongoing species list of the Conservation Area and monitors the growth stages of the scrub habitat for management purposes. Photos are attached of the timbered and burned areas. . Reconnaissance level cultural resources survey: No archaeological survey has been conducted at this time. The County has plans of establishing a short list of archaeologists for purposes of conducting archaeological surveys of this and other conservation lands acquired by the County countywide. Table 1 provides a revised time frame for this task. Resource Restoration and Enhancement . Exotic plant removal and revegetation plan: There are minimal exotics on the site. Brazilian Peppers are treated with an approved herbicide and mitigation projects are directed to areas that are heavily impacted. The next proposed freshwater mitigation site will be the north-west wetland adjacent to the 7 acre mitigation site below. North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 3 . A 7 acre mitigation project was approved by Sf. Johns River Water Management District to be conducted on the North-East freshwater wetland. Work includes eradicating Melaleuca, Brazilian Pepper, Eastern Cattails and other invasive species in this wetland. The initial native plantings were killed during the 2005 hurricanes and are in the process of being replanted. Woodstorks, osprey, herons and ibis are using the wetland much more than before. This project will be monitored and maintained for 3 years by the developer. See photos attached. Educational Proqrams Presentations are given to community organizations as they are requested. This year, the Friends of Historic Roseland invited the Conservation Lands Manager to their meeting to discuss the public use improvements that will be built with the LWCF grant funding. There were approximately 40 people in attendance and many questions were answered during the presentation. The Indian River Land Trust and Conservation Lands Manager conducted an educational outing for 4th and 5th grade Pelican Island Elementary School Eco- Troop students this year. The students played a Scrub Scavenger Hunt, called in Scrub Jays and talked about how development impacts scrub-jay families in Indian River County. The students have their own 15 acre scrub habitat on the school property that they work on and use for outdoor educational programs. Maintenance and Security Four cattle gates were installed to control access of "jeep trails" on the property. The security measure was necessary to address occasional dumping that occurred. The gates continue to be monitored and replaced as damaged. 5525 feet of cattle fencing was installed in May 2002 to control A TV and other vehicular access to the conservation area from the railroad access and north- east corner. Fencing continues to be monitored for vandalism. Damage has occurred this year to the fence, and was repaired. Some atv traffic is evident on the Conservation Area, but it is limited as openings in the fence or damaged gates are repaired as soon as possible. Neighbors frequently call to report damage or known atv use on the trails. A small group of Roseland residents frequently horseback ride on the trails and also report any damage to the Conservation Lands Manager. IV. Revenues No revenue collected. V. Priority Schedule/Timeline North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 4 Table 1. Revised Project Management Activities Time-Lines. Activity Time Line 2005 2006 M J J A S 0 N D J F M A M J J A A ~ U U E C 0 E A E A P A U U U Y L G P T V C N B R R Y N L G PLANT & ANIMAL ---- ONGOING MONITORING ---- INVENTORY ARCHAEOLOGICAL ---undetermined at this time--- INVENTORY REVISE COMPo PLAN (Completed as of March 2002) DESIGN. EXOTICS FOLLOW-UP ---- ONGOING ------ TREATMENT FACILITIES DESIGN & XXXXXXX PERMITTING FACILITIES XXXXXXXXXX CONSTRUCTION ON-GOING ONGOI NGXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX MAINTENANCE/ MONITORING VI. Funding Grant funding was approved by the Land & Water Conservation Fund through the Department of Environmental Protection. The Grant information was included in last year's stewardship report. VII. Management Plan Changes No changes proposed, other than timeline revisions reflected herein. Attachment(s) . Photo of Asclepias curtissi, Curtiss' Milkweed. . Photos of Valencia Point Mitigation Project, initial treatment completed - May 2004. . Photos of meeting with City of Sebastian staff and County staff discussing connection of the NSCA to the City Park. . Photos of Scrub Habitat that are actively being managed with prescribed burns and previous timbering. North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 5 PHOTOS: Asclepias curtissi - Curtiss' Milkweed - Endangered - FL - discovered in the southern scrub area of the Conservation Area Powe:r~~~ Road Scrub-Jay.:; Banded Azure, Blue-Oran North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 6 Unbanded Powerline Road Ja - , North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 7 Fos~,Y ~itting~e~st. !i ~'& !i , ~~... F y""" Freshwater Lake, South area - where proposed catwalk will be built for fishing and bird-watching. IU- -- .~- I I North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 8 County and City of Sebastian Staff scouting a connection for the trailhead to the City Park. ~_IlIW'_~"WF_~__ .....1IlII'.. i ""-~ _'~"Ii( North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 9 ~ate~yyetland: 7-acre Mitig~tion Site North Sebastiall Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 10 ~ ._w~..~" .f;~' ....~..... ,..,,-~.. .,. +~'~y;;z'fi:;; ~ ',iF F ..' J ~9'. -1 1 North Sebastian Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 2005) 11 Managed Scrub Habitat: North Sebastiall Conservation Area Stewardship Report (July 200)) 12 One Trail through Scrub Habitat: One of many exquisite freshwater wetlands on site: North Sebastiall Conservation Area Stewardship Report (.July 200S) 13