DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has agreed to release conservation easements on protected land within the Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area (WEA), where the Central Florida Expressway Authority plans to build an extension of Osceola Parkway.
FWC commissioners at a meeting Wednesday in Daytona Beach voted 6-1 to release protections of 60 acres in Split Oak Forest in exchange for 1,550 acres of abutting conservation land, as well as $23.9 million for the management of the 1,550 acres, $1.25 million for access improvements and amenities at the WEA and a pledge from CFX of $18 million “for the identification and acquisition of lands within FWC-identified optimum boundaries in support of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act,” according to a news release.
Combined with the 1,550 acres’ valuation of approximately $23 million, per the property appraisal market value, the FWC said in a statement that the total package comes to a value of $66 million, what would come out to $1.1 million per acre for the easements it’s giving up.
Opponents of CFX’s plan to build an extension of Osceola Parkway through this protected area of Orange and Osceola counties have been fighting the move for years now, organizing into groups such as the Save Split Oak Forest Campaign and Friends of Split Oak Forest, showing up to meetings in protest before a proposal for the toll road had even been submitted.
The original plan was projected to impact 160 acres of the nearly 1,700-acre protected area.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
In April, with multiple coalitions to save Split Oak Forest still in attendance, FWC presented an update on the proposed mitigation package for the partial release of easements in the WEA. The commission shared CFX’s offer of the funds and 1,550 acres in exchange for easements allowing the construction of a tollway beginning near the intersection of State Road 417 and Boggy Creek Road in Orange County, ending South of Cyrils Drive in Osceola County, which would cross would cross 1.3 miles of the protected land.
Much to their chagrin, meeting attendees were split into breakout sessions and told their comments would be recorded and brought back to the commission.
An FWC director requested that people focus on answering the question, “What did we miss?”
“FWC keeps saying, ‘What did we miss?’ What you missed are the voices of the people who actually use this land every day,” Emily Stewart of the Save Split Oak Forest Campaign said.
At the meeting Wednesday, there were audible jeers in the crowd after the commission’s vote.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings released a statement that night, saying that while he was hoping for no impact to the forest, he believes the land donation will help preserve the integrity of the vital green space.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: