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Current Projects:
Nominated Projects:
(1248Kb)
 Oak
Hill Open Space (5804 Kb)
Peck
Sink Floodplain (379 Kb)
Spring
Hill Open Space (5968 Kb)
West
Brooksville Open Space
(6089 Kb)
Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) Program
The Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) Program was approved by bond referendum on
November 8, 1988
What constitutes an ESL?
- Supports prime examples of
ecological communities native to Hernando County and/or significant features
as identified in Section 1 of the Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive
Lands Acquisition Manual.
- Supports exceptional
biodiversity - sites which represent several ecological communities or
exhibit high species diversity within an ecological community native to Hernando
County.
- Manageability - feasible
to manage in a fashion that will protect and enhance the resource.
- Feasibility of acquisition
- ownership patterns, property restrictions or other conditions should not pose
significant barriers.
- Surrounding land use -
the current land use of adjacent property should be compatible with the proposed
management and preservation of the site as environmentally sensitive.
- Threatened by development
- when sites are in imminent danger of development, they should receive
preference for purchase.
- Size and location - large
sites are preferable in order to encompass a diversity of resources and a
mixture of uses. Exceptions will be small vegetative communities for which only
small populations of listed plants or animals remain and properties which will
function as greenway/wildlife corridors. The site has proximity to other
resources which would heighten its value as a sensitive land or is within an
area of long range planning with the objective of preserving greenway/wildlife
corridors between existing protected resources. The property is within the
mapped designation of environmentally sensitive lands as described in Section 2
of the Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Acquisition
Manual.
- Other methods of protection
- sites which receive substantial protection by other strategies should receive
lower priority.
- Rarity/Representation -
vegetative communities which are poorly represented in public ownership should
receive preference. These communities include those species which, while not
currently listed, are known to be poorly represented in the state or county. The
property provides protection to lands which have not been strongly represented
in public ownership.
- Consistency with
Comprehensive Plan - the property satisfies a goal, objective, or policy of
the adopted Comprehensive Plan.
- Historical/Archaeological/Paleontological
resources - must satisfy the criteria provided in Section 1 of the Hernando
County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Acquisition Manual.
- Hydrology - the property
is critical to preserving hydrologic integrity of significant natural systems
and/or contributes substantially to recharge of the Floridian
Aquifer.
Program
Funding
The ESL Program is funded by a Bond Referendum, which has thirty
years to pay back the bond from ad valorem taxes. ESL
Program Term
Thirty years starting from it's inception date in 1988. Program
Goals
To build an East-West corridor across the county linking large
conservation tracts of the Withlacoochee State Forest and to develop
a North-South Coastal Corridor that will continue into Citrus County
and south into northern Pasco County.
Reference
- Environmentally Sensitive Land
Acquisition Manual
The Hernando County
Environmentally Sensitive Land Acquisition Manual provides
guidance
for the evaluation of parcels proposed for acquisition. If a parcel fulfills the
requirements of the manual, it will
be considered for further evaluation and ranking by the Environmentally
Sensitive Lands Committee and the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners.
Other Links
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Hernando County
