Funding Agreement – Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Rural and Family Lands Protection Program – 4G Ranch – $34,075,000.00

1:13:17All in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay, uh C fifty three.

1:13:22Uh ma'am, I thought Commissioner Oakley and I both kind of had this uh had this one removed, but I'd like to bring Keith Wiley up to give the board a brief presentation on the importance of this conservation effort.

1:13:34Yeah. Good morning, Madam Chair, members of the board, Keith Wiley, Director of Parks for Creation Natural Resources. And Mike, you're right. This should have been a regular item because this is a big deal. So very, very yeah, very big deal. Largest acquisition, the Elant program is processed to date, little over 1900 acres. Just a quick uh recap, you know, the Elant program's targeting to Purchase and protect lands within the ecological corridors, those areas you see up here on this map. This

1:14:05is why this is so special. is it's actually one entire corridor plus extra. So uh very, very important connection between Crossbar Albar Albar uh property, Connor Preserve, and obviously also connects through the Cypress Creek Corridor to the uh the the property to the northeast. We are partnering with the state. It's the Family Rural Lands Protection Program, so this is going to be a 50-50 acquisition. The funding agreement in front of you today should hopefully

1:14:35get us to closing in January. So that's exciting to be able to partner with the state in a program that they prioritize and is very important to them. This is just the map of the actual ranch itself. The dotted lines are the actual ecological corridor that is that was mapped out and identified in the cop plan, but is also actually attached to the ecological corridor ordinance and land development code. So as you can see you're connecting. both major portions to the north and to the south. The team also has worked with

1:15:05FDOT to ensure that there's a an actual upland wildlife crossing when they do widen State Road 52. We participated in the actual design of that crossing. We're also going to be contributing to the funding of that. So when you when you line up all this together, it's something very, very uh exciting and something that we should be proud of. This acquisition is going to bring the E-Lamp inventory well over 8,000 acres to date since 2005. That does not include the other acreage, park acreage that we manage for the water

1:15:36management district. So total inventory is almost 30,000 acres that your parks department and conservation team actually oversees and manages. So again, something we probably need to talk about more, quite honestly, that we don't. Commissioner Weightman, you've pulled some items in the past. Commissioner Oakley, thank you for highlighting this. Um I'm actually gonna go back to this because this is important. So the ecological quarter ordinance technically through through the LDC when an applicant is going to actually uh increase density, it it causes us

1:16:06uh an opportunity to negotiate with them. As you can see what what the team outlined here is uh the total residential units and the commercial entitlements that was basically, you know, uh being proposed for this property. Through the purchase of a conservation easement, we're going to basically be protecting I would say 90% of what was originally proposed. So that's pretty impressive.

1:16:30With that, I just want to thank you for the highlight.

1:16:33Of course you know what I'm gonna ask.

1:16:35Go ahead, Commissioner Weightman. All right, so it says it's gonna be decrease the residential units by 225 units. Yes. Not but still a total of thirty five hundred.

1:16:45So I I don't actually have those numbers in front of me unless the team knows, but I I think that yes, th so there's so to the west there's going s still be residential entitlements.

1:16:55In area one?

1:16:56Yes. Which is not part

1:16:58of which is not

1:16:59part

1:16:59of this. No. It's not part of it, yes. This is from the actual ranch.

1:17:07So um We're the we're the main ranch is what the purchasing. I got I got enough. And so that won't be developed any any further than what it is and uh It's very good. It's open space for our in our county and it It's in District One, East Pasco County, and we have very rural. Nature of all the people in this area want to keep rule and keep open space. It just adds to that open space.

1:17:37Just just to the west of this property, uh they have a residence area there, but then you have uh some large lots, large homes that keep it give you more open space in in this district and The fact of it is that It's very important for citizens. Palmetto Ridge is going to be developed, but it's a 3,600 acre to the west of this property. 3,600 acres and only 1800 acres will be developed. And you have eighteen hundred acres there that also be open space that connects

1:18:07to this property. It's very good that we have a lot of open space in some of our areas in the county.

1:18:15Commissioner Weightman.

1:18:16Thank you, Chair. Yeah. You know, it all starts, and I I'll say it every time, it all starts with a willing landowner to sell their property at a significant price reduction. option like Kirkland's the Phillips and so just again on the record thank thank the Phillips family and 4G for their willingness to explore the opportunity and then take action um to connect the corridors and and preserve here in Pasco and uh So, you know, landowners

1:18:46out there, if you're listening, we'd love to talk to you if you have if you have something. And um, but but thank you to the landowners who choose to participate in our ELAMP program and the and the uh work with the Florida Department of Ag.

1:19:00Commissioner Oakley.

1:19:01Well I left out one thing about it and and it does take good partners to be able to do good things for the county. Um the Phillips family have been very plus on being a great partner for Pasco County in a lot of different ways than the reclaim water that we put out there two million gallons a day and Uh takes care of issues out there and the water issues and helps the environment come back. So so many things that and the Phillips family's been a part of. They're

1:19:32probably the w number one group on our emergency list for when we have troubles they step up and and come and help us. So Uh We've been great partners for a long time and we're gonna continue to be. So it's very good and thank thank the family for for their efforts and uh putting this property up for sale.

1:19:51Absolutely. Um can you go back to the other map? So um Keith we had worked with Is that where the original quarter was?

1:20:00Yes.

1:20:01Okay, so we had worked with them when they were doing their plan on the multi-use you know, the trail that would go up connect fifty two to Cross Bar and El Bar. Right. Um and and that's still allowed. I mean we haven't lost that connection, right?

1:20:15No, we have not.

1:20:17Okay. Um and I I too want to thank the uh Phillips family and I wanna let you all know uh Avis recently had a pretty serious um surgery and we She's recovering well and we send her our best wishes for a speedy recovery, or she'd be down here already. So uh

1:20:34I

1:20:34thought I'd be hanging out with my buddy already, but she won't be down for another month. Um and also the uh The county's paying half. And the rural lands program that Commissioner Simpson started, I believe, is paying the other half. So this is a joint purchase. So remove approval. So we're very grateful. All in favor? Aye. All right, thank you. Thank you. That's a big acquisition right there. Okay, we are now on to the

1:21:05Rs.

1:21:06Yeah, something's

1:21:07playing with. No, that that clock is an hour on the easy. Oh, it's our B. I know it's a big thing.