Hunters Lake is a 302 acre lake in Spring Hill. The lake is experiencing encroachment by invasive plants including “tussock” (grass-like plants) and build up of organic material or “muck.” The result has been a loss of public access into the lake and decreased health of the lake in general due to low oxygen levels. In order to mitigate the problems, the 2015 Citrus/Hernando Waterways Council report to the Florida Legislature states, “The area of tussock growth is estimated at approximately 100 acres and approximately 12,000 cubic yards of organic sediments must be removed in the access channel. The project cost is estimated at $5,250,000. Ongoing maintenance will need to be performed until historical water levels return.” The waterways council submitted a $100,000 request to the state to fund a feasibility study.
However, with state funding looking unlikely, the Hernando County Commission is considering the use of Environmentally Sensitive Lands funds for tussock removal in a portion of the lake. They are also considering the fund for removing invasive plants from areas in Hernando Beach.
At the start of the March 22, 2016 BOCC meeting, Chairman Jim Adkins stated there was a request from Assistant County Attorney Joseph DiNovo to move items relating to Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) funds to the April 26, 2016 agenda. Mr. DiNovo stated the legal research is taking longer than expected due to various reasons.
Commissioner Wayne Dukes “took exception” to the delay. He stated he could understand that extra time might be needed for the request to use the ESL funds for the invasive species removal in Hernando Beach since the proposal had only recently been made, but the Hunters Lake issue needed to be addressed since the land was purchased by the county to be used as a park. The parking lot is paved, but there is no access to the lake.
Commissioner Nick Nicholson agreed, saying that he felt that he did not believe that any funds would be released by the State. However, Commissioner Diane Rowden advocated listening to the advice of the legal counsel, since that is why they were hired. Commissioner Jeff Holcomb expressed that he was in agreement that there was no need to delay.
Following other agenda items, the BOCC returned to the matter of Hunters Lake. Commissioner Wayne Dukes expressed frustration at the condition of Hunters Lake, particularly the tussocks (clumps of grass). Dukes read a line from a Memorandum to the BOCC dated Aug. 10, 2015 which states that “ESL funds could be used for maintenance/preservation of environmentally sensitive lands.” He remarked that the goal is not to remove all the tussocks, but to make it available for public use.
Dukes stated that the county owns Hunters Lake and it needs to be maintained so that citizens are able to use it the same way Bayport is used. Lakefront property owners could request a free permit to remove tussocks from their property line which could then be dried and taken to the landfill. In this way, the County would not be responsible for funding cleanup of the entire lake.
Dukes stated he would like Assistant County Administrator Brian Malmberg to return with figures at a future BOCC meeting as he does not want to spend “a penny more than necessary” from the ESL funds. County Administrator Leonard Sossamon agreed this could be done, but stated that there is a review process and requested time for staff to perform an assessment which would meet the guidelines required.
Mr. Sossamon stated that if the site meets at least one of the following criteria, it could be considered eligible for use of the ESL funds:
- Must be within county’s greenway/wildlife corridor
- Wildlife must be endangered, threatened or a species of special concern
- Plants that are rare, endangered, threatened or commercially exploited
- Unique vegetation communities
- Areas of high recharge to the aquifer
- Unique geological feature
- Associated archeological, historical, or paleo-ontological sites
Citizens came forward to comment on whether the land should be used for conservation or recreation, and argued for conservation. The Board was reminded that the funds could not be used for land acquisition. Invasive species of plants should be removed so that the natural species could re-establish. Promoting the program was recommended, with a suggestion of using a digital sign stating “ESL money at work”.
The commissioners were offered an opportunity to respond to the citizens. Commissioner Jeff Holcomb noted that conservation and recreation can be seen in different ways by different people. He remarked that it is the County’s job to manage the lands. Some people receive enjoyment by fishing from a boat, while others prefer to observe the beauty from their homes. Commissioner Nick Nicholson agreed, and looked forward to wildlife and fish flourishing again.
Commissioner Diane Rowden stated she would like to see a dock and kayaks for rent to the public, but would like to know if the money used could be repaid to the fund by way of grants. Commissioner Dukes acknowledged that replacing the money would be needed but did not want to wait fifteen years for it. Rowden also stated silt removal could be important to the proposed project.
Mr. Sossamon informed the Board that each project has to be submitted to the federal government for approval, using their process. He stated that many grants cannot be used for reimbursement, but they may receive donations from private citizens or corporations. County Attorney Garth Coller concurred, stating that once you have used funds you can never request money for the same project. The Board then authorized the county administrator’s office to perform the assessment referred to by Mr. Sossamon.