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Northwest Florida Greenway

Planning for Positive Conservation and Economic
Outcomes in the Florida Panhandle - Northwest Florida Greenway Serves as the Backbone

1000 Friends of Florida and The Nature Conservancy organized and held this Summit with generous support from the Jelks Family Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, The University of West Florida and many individuals. Jump to Summit Results

Photos - Clockwise: Charles Pattison, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Florida, Victoria Tschinkel, Florida Director of The Nature Conservancy, and Reed Noss,Ph.D. Davis-Shine Professor of Conservation Biology University of Central Florida.

Background

The environmental and economic well-being of the Panhandle are inseparably intertwined and the relationship between the natural environment and the region's economic base needs to be better understood and conveyed to the growing population. It is clear that the region is primed and ready to grow over the next several decades, and that if we begin today we have the opportunity to influence, mold and direct the eventual form and nature of the environmental and economic intercepts.

To protect the natural values of the Panhandle while accommodating growth, a combined regional environmental and economic development strategy needs to be articulated and set into motion. A successful regional environmental and economic strategy must focus and respond to the needs of the growing human population, and must identify, protect and sustain certain basic environmental components while nurturing existing and growing new economic components.

There is an opportunity, perhaps unique in our country, to bring many interests together to guide change in northwest Florida in a way that protects the natural values of the Panhandle while accommodating growth. The key to accomplishing this is whether those interests---local and state governments, the military, land development companies, sportsmen, environmental groups, private landowners and other community members -- can agree on a vision for northwest Florida's future. A future that can, we believe, be built around a framework of conserved green space that will sustain the region's natural resource values and provide significant economic returns in the years to come. It is our belief that a common vision is possible and that such an outcome would provide a firm foundation for a healthy, economically vibrant and desirable community. ( Background White Paper)

Florida Panhandle air base, already nation's largest, looking for more space - News Article _ Naples Daily News

This Summit essentially addressed two issues:
1.) Developing a successful regional environmental and economic strategy for the Florida Panhandle linked to the continued development of a backbone of green space or, "green infrastructure" that will sustain existing vital economic components such as nature-based tourism, agricultural, silviculture, the military and seafood production and which will support other emerging economic components such as second/seasonal home and retirement living and high technology and modern industry related service businesses.

2.) How should large transportation facilities be planned and developed to protect these green infrastructure investments (existing land uses that shape and sustain important economic sectors within the region)? In other words, if we don't recognize and consider the potential land-transforming nature such large infrastructure projects we may disrupt, lessen and possibly lose portions of natural, rural and military lands and the economies they support.

Presenters included: Charles Pattison, Executive Director,1000 Friends of Florida; Victoria Tschinkel, Florida Director of The Nature Conservancy; Reed Noss, Ph.D., Davis_Shine Professor of Conservation Biology University of Central Florida; Richard Hilsenbeck, PhD. Associate Director of Protection, TNC; Jesse Borthwick, Eglin Air Force Base; Dr. Chris Pierce, University of West Florida; Dr. Klaus Myers-Arndt, Chair of Environmental Sciences, University of West Florida; Mr. Bob Searns of Urban Edges, Inc. and, Jennifer McMurtray, Transportation & Wildlife Ecology Coordinator for the Defenders of Wildlife.

Speaker Presentations

After each issue area presentation, facilitated sessions were held wherein Summit participants were tapped for their input, discussion and suggestions to help direct the next steps toward furtherance of a vision for northwest Florida's future. Our premise is that inherient in that vision is that the region's natural resources have always been the foundation of the Panhandle's economy and their conservation must continue to guide our actions. They are what make this area desirable and livable.

Results

Of particular interest was exploring the possibilities of economic growth that will support the conservation of natural areas, such as eco-tourism and military defense training. Very important to the discussions at the Summit was the acknowledgement that the United States Military's long-term presence; economic value and spatial needs are crucial to the Panhandle's future. Further, there was acknowledgement that there is an important overlap between the region's environmental and agricultural lands along with the military's need for a largely rural air-space corridor east from Eglin Air Force Base to the Apalachicola National Forest and then the Gulf of Mexico. Significantly, it was noted that the military corridor and base-non-encroachment areas often align with conservation "hot spots". Several existing public conservation areas already serve as lynchpins to the military air-space needs (Apalachicola National Forest, Tates Hell Swamp and Blackwater State Forests for example.)

The following summary points were derived from the input and concensus of the Summit participants:

A. Military Corridor and Buffers - Links & Overlap with Conservation and Forest Lands

Recognize, identify and protect the military corridor and base buffer lands from higher density and intensity development. Future usage requires maintenance of lower density landscapes.
Within the corridor and military base buffer areas, retain natural landscape processes and functions- particularly the wildlife corridor connectivity and linkage aspects (both micro and macro.) Include riparian and flood protection buffers. Overall, preserve the biodiversity of the Panhandle by avoiding fragmentation of habitat and helping to realize that different species have different scales of landscape needs.
Highlight the productive and functional aspects of private rural "working landscapes" within the corridor and buffer areas to encourage continuation of such uses through the use of conservation easements.
Parks and forests are islands along the corridor that can serve to bolster eco-tourism, which helps to keep these lands essentially on the tax rolls (via sales/bed taxes).
For lands within the corridor, actively promote the continuation of traditional hunting, fishing and other nature-based recreational uses. Include maintenance of private hunting lands in the discussion of recreational lands.
Wherever possible, include the preservation of the North Florida culture - incorporate cultural and historical resources into planning.

Planning, Acquisition and Easement Needs

For the existing corridor and buffers to remain viable, more fully involve the local comprehensive planning process. Consider changes to the requirements for the local comprehensive and regional policy plans to better identify, integrate and maintain vital green infrastructure and military use areas. It was suggested that the consideration of green infrastructure needs to be a statutory requirement in local government comprehensive plans and regional policy plans.
The Military should be more involved in local land use planning, even beyond the corridor maintenance aspects. Local governments plans and land development regulations can offer additional protections beyond the corridor and immediate base buffers. A tiered approach would be effective with less protection in existing suburbanized/urbanized areas and more protection moving outward into the existing rural and conservation lands. The effort must involve partnerships and involvement with public planning processes. Could involve required Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) of for jurisdictions adjacent to bases.

Next Steps

Develop a Task Force with stakeholders from local, regional, state and federal government with NGOs, citizens, large landowners and individuals from the business and education communities to further study the maintenance of military corridor and buffer needs in the Florida Panhandle - Task Force would be useful to study and develop relevant information (e.g., which lands? how much land? opportunities for multipurpose use and conservation and the resources needed to implement and sustain.) A Task Force would also help guide getting local, state and other stakeholders to direct attention toward Washington DC to help with funding. Should act rapidly to fulfill this action.
Presently, work with large landowners first to acquire environmentally sensitive lands, purchase easements for certain working rural lands and encourage local governments to incorporated corridor and base buffer strategies into their comprehensive plans.
Develop Greenway Champions within city, county and business leadership
Support should be translated into dollars for the project from state and federal governmental agencies, including: the Department of Defense (Federal), Florida Forest Legacy program & Florida Rural and Family Lands Program (FDACS -Forestry), Florida Forever & OGT - Greenway and Trails funds (DEP), Florida Community Trust (DCA), Florida Department of Transportation (Transportation enhancement dollars and road mitigation monies), and the North West Florida Water Management District (Florida Forever, among possible others.

B. Future Transportation Planning Affecting Northwest Florida Greenway

Provide for limited access highways through corridor/buffer areas. Make sure that transportation projects have very limited access to prevent or inhibit growth from following the road. Identify areas that should be off-limits to any future roads and work to stop/control development along existing road corridors that are agricultural or silvicultural lands within the Greenway corridor.
The use and improvement of current road corridors should be first priority - prior to new road construction. Possibly focus on 10-mile wide east-west corridor (e.g., route 79 or 331.) Make such a project a priority and a demonstration project. Maximize use of existing infrastructure before implementing new projects. The use of corridor management tools such as access control and signal coordination should be factored into the planning.
Ensure a project is necessary, as opposed to speculative. Ensure that projects are based on fully documented needs of projected traffic counts and that these needs are consistent with development entitlements already in local comprehensive plans.
Develop elevated/extended portion of the roads to allow wildlife crossings - do this for new bridges and when replacing older roadway components. Address the need for wildlife and recreational underpasses/overpasses during road planning to make wetland crossings elevated from upland to upland area. (?)
Identify and use mitigation lands to protect significant wetland systems within the Greenway.
Implementation
Current Florida processes of Florida DOT are not sufficient to tackle large-scale infrastructure development across extensive sensitive natural and rural areas without resulting in induced development in these areas. The up-and-coming Florida Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) process may not be adequate to address corridor/greenway protection needs without overarching regional guidance/directives.
The protection of Green Infrastructure components should be a required consideration during the planning and construction of transportation projects by MPOs and FDOT.
Require a regional approach, and use a Task Force as discussed above, with broad representation and a proactive approach, and then bring back to the MPOs and the FDOT planning process.
Cities and counties should be connected to the green infrastructure. Should include not only bicycle connections but pedestrian connections as well. Safe connections for the bicycle, pedestrian and equestrian paths and connections need to be given high consideration.
Thanks are extended to the Jane's Trust, Jelks Family Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and Trails and The University of West Florida for their generous support of this workshop.