Information for the Lakes, Vegetation & Landscaping Committee
for its SW 24th Avenue agenda item
T. J. Walker, Chair, Natural Area Advisory Committee, 14 April 2003

A four-lane road built on the land that UF proposes to donate to Alachua County will impact the Conservation Element of UF's Campus Master Plan in these ways:

The richest portion of UF's finest upland preservation area will be destroyed.

Survey of trees that will be destroyed
Plants and animals impacted
Report of botanical impact by Putz, Judd, and Kitajima
Statement to Alachua County Commission by Jack Putz
Ecological transition from the well-drained area of upland pine above the road ROW to the biologically richer area of the ROW itself.

The survey of trees documents that the road will destroy 95 trees that are 12 or more inches in diameter. Of these, 49 may be considered "specimen trees" because they are 18 inches DBH or greater: longleaf pine (n=4, max=24"), loblolly pine (n=10, max.=26"), hickory (n=17, max.=29"), sweet gum (n=10, max.=42"), live oak (n=5, max.=29"), laurel oak (n=3, max.=23"). Also noteworthy are a 17" hornbeam, three 17" water oaks, a 16" southern red oak, and a 14" basswood.

Wildlife habitat will be fragmented and degraded

Aerial photograph showing how wildlife habitat will be fragmented
Fragmentation effects of the extension, by Doug Levey
Plants and animals impacted.

A significant portion of a recharge area near the bottom of a karst basin will be paved.

Sink at Regency Oaks, images and brief descriptions
Water quantity and quality considerations, by Mark Clark
Water quantity and quality considerations, by Mark Brown (PowerPoint presentation).
Aerial photograph showing how retention ponds may increase road's impact on Preservation Area 1 [next to last image on page]

Management of the upland pine of Preservation Area 1 will become more difficult

Upland pine restoration.

Policy 7.1 of the Conservation Element of the Campus Master Plan will be violated.

Policy 7.1 of the Conservation Element of UF's Campus Master Plan states:

"As hereby established by the adoption of this Plan, the University shall maintain, in a managed natural state, all of those sites identified for preservation on the Conservation Areas Map. Consistent with Future Land Use Element Policy 1.1, no construction is anticipated in these areas except for minimal structures and improvements necessary to ensure safe access and essential support functions."


Another way to learn about the conservation issues raised by the proposed donation is to go to the conservation section of NAAC's summary of all potential costs of the donation.
Note: The all-costs document was posted 19 March 2002 and has not been updated.