by TRC_Admin | Dec 30, 2020 | Trees
Photo: AP in Tampa Bay Times
“Scientists estimate that longleaf savannas once covered an area bigger than Germany. By the 1990s, less than 3 percent remained in scattered patches.
When European settlers came to North America, fire-dependent savannas anchored by lofty pines with footlong needles covered much of what became the southern
United States. Yet by the 1990s, logging and clear-cutting for farms and development had all but eliminated longleaf pines and the grasslands beneath where hundreds of plant and animal species flourished.
Now, thanks to a pair of modern-day Johnny Appleseeds, landowners, government agencies and nonprofits are working to bring back pines named for the long needles prized by Native Americans for weaving baskets. The trees’ natural range spans the coastal plain, nine states from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia and extending into northern and central Florida.
Longleaf pines now cover as much as 7,300 square miles — and more than one-quarter of that has been planted since 2010.
‘I like to say we rescued longleaf from the dustbin. I don’t think we had any idea how successful we’d be,’ said Rhett Johnson, who founded The Longleaf Alliance in 1995 with another Auburn University forestry professor.
That’s not to say that the tall, straight and widely spaced pines will ever gain anything near their once vast extent. But their reach is, after centuries, expanding rather than contracting…
Of the 1,600 plant species found only in the Southeast, nearly 900 are only in longleaf forests, including species that trap bugs as well as fire-adapted grasses and wildflowers.
The forests harbor turkeys and quail — but also about 100 other kinds of birds, nearly 40 types of animals and 170 reptile and amphibian species found only among longleaf. One is the gopher tortoise whose burrows shelter scores of animal species including mice, foxes, rabbits, snakes, even birds, and hundreds of kinds of insects…
Because most longleaf acreage is privately owned, 80 percent to 85 percent of the planting so far has been on private land, said Carol Denhof, president of The Longleaf Alliance.
Another 5,160 square miles must be planted or reclaimed from stands overly mixed with other tree species to meet the initiative’s 2025 deadline, she said. ‘I’m hopeful we can get there but … we have a lot of work to do.’…
About 400 acres of land returned to longleaf were planted by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, for their needles. But branches from most of the first planting are now too high to reach. So Gesse Bullock, the tribe’s fire management specialist, said he is pushing for another planting on the 10,200-acre reservation.
Basket weavers include the tribe’s realty officer, Elliott Abbey. ‘When I was younger,’ he said, ‘I thought it was work — something my aunts made me do,’
Now, Abbey said, ‘It strikes me in the heart that this could die out.'”
— Janet McConnaughey, AP, Tampa Bay times
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by TRC_Admin | Dec 1, 2020 | Nature
Photo: Sarafina Murphy-Gibson, Sarasota Magazine
“The Peace River offers an idyllic view of Florida nature…
At first, I cling rigidly to my paddle, but soon find an easy rhythm as we glide past the lush combination of cypress, oak and palm. The river is almost otherworldly beautiful. With recent storms, its beds are swollen with nearly five extra feet of water and low hanging-branches on the banks sway in the current. The water’s smooth surface reflects a mirrored jungle, backed by its own blue sky. At times it appears we’re floating on clouds…
My interest in the Peace River comes from my recent acquisition of a Florida Fossil Permit, which allows me to collect vertebrate specimens—within certain regulations—on state-owned land. Florida has fascinating geology, unique from the rest of the continental United States, and its riverbeds are a fossil collector’s dream…
The Canoe Outpost has examples of various finds, from dugong ribs to pieces of giant armadillo shells. Beyond the teeth of the giant megalodon sharks, you can also search for the chompers of horses, tapirs, crocodiles and giant ground sloths. How cool is that?…
Roughly four miles along, the outpost offers a series of picnic areas that can also function as campgrounds for those wanting a little more time on the water. They’re marked with blue signs and have names like First Chance and Armadillo Way…
We pass turtles basking in the sunshine, bucolic fields and trees projecting out of the water, their little islands completely submerged. At one point we hear ominous mooing coming from somewhere in the thick foliage, but escape the bovine menace unscathed. After passing underneath a dilapidated train track that still smells like tar, we round the bend and see our driver waving from the Canoe Outpost dock…
Photo: Sarafina Murphy-Gibson, Sarasota Magazine
We made it—and without getting more than our feet wet.”
— Sarafina Murphy-Gibson, Sarasota Magazine
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by TRC_Admin | Dec 1, 2020 | Codes, Highway Beautification, Scenic Highways
Illustration: Walton County
“Walton County commissioners have taken a first look at a set of proposals that could reshape the economic potential of the U.S. Highway 331 corridor…
The proposed development standards — more specifically, the establishment of scenic overlay districts — would apply restrictive development standards extending to 400 feet from the affected sections of the two routes…
But as a result of recent action by the Walton County Planning Commission, new-vehicle sales lots — originally proposed as an excluded use — would be allowed along the scenic corridors, if that provision survives further review and action by the County Commission…
One of those sections extends from Choctawhatchee Bay north and west to the edges of the city of Freeport, and also incorporates acreage roughly bisected by SR 20.
A second section, bounded by the south side of Interstate 10, extends north and west from the southern edge of DeFuniak Springs.
…Adoption of the amendments would mean that neither the Planning Commission nor the County Commission would get to review any project that met existing county requirements for job creation or economic development…
Leigh Moore, executive director of Scenic Walton… cautioned commissioners to take a longer-term view of the proposed scenic corridor requirements.
‘I understand the concern about economic development, and I also encourage that to be a major focus,’ Moore said, ‘but please keep in mind … that if you don’t have some good aesthetic and (traffic) access management guidelines, then in the medium- and longer-term it ends up hurting economic development …’
Moore said Scenic Walton is not against growth along the U.S. 331 corridor.
‘But we want to do it in the right way, and that requires some local government control and regulation over what can and can’t happen in that corridor,’ she said…”
— Jim Thompson, Northwest Florida Daily News
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by TRC_Admin | Dec 1, 2020 | Historic, Placemaking
Photo: Scenic Jacksonville Facebook
“There is so much to be thankful for in Jacksonville.
What comes to mind immediately includes beautiful natural resources and an incredible history.
The natural resources are dominated by water.
The majestic St. Johns River widens into an estuary as it nears the Atlantic Ocean.
The Intracoastal Waterway has its own unique ecology that you can appreciate from water level. Crossing a bridge at twilight, the setting sun acts like a spotlight, turning the marshes into a soft palette of colors.
The tributaries of the river criss-cross the city. Two of the most prominent near Downtown, Hogans Creek and McCoys Creek, are being rediscovered with an aggressive nonprofit, Groundwork Jacksonville, leading the way…
Look at a map of Duval’s major parks and many of them are located around the outer edges of the county. That is about to change, however. Once the Emerald Trail is completed, there will be 30 miles of urban pathways around Downtown that are linked to the riverwalk. And once the pedestrian walkway is completed alongside the Fuller Warren Bridge, the riverwalks will have a sky-high connection.
Meanwhile, there are plans to expand access along the St. Johns River Downtown. There is much empty space along the Northbank. Plans for a series of riverfront parks are being advanced by Riverfront Parks Now, a group of influential advocates. Public access that began with the Southbank Riverwalk in the 1980s is now coming to fruition.
On the Southbank, plans for a massive mixed-use development at the site of the former Southside Generating Station will include an extension of the riverwalk that wraps around the back of the riverfront development.
Jacksonville’s incredible history
The Times-Union Editorial page has been campaigning for a better appreciation of Jacksonville history, especially the history of our Black native sons and daughters…
The stories are fascinating.
Jacksonville — a city of natural beauty and beautiful people”
— Florida Times-Union Editorial Board
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More news about this project and MOSH relocation
Read Scenic Jacksonville on proposed Metropolitan Park
by TRC_Admin | Dec 1, 2020 | Trees
Photo: Land Air Sea Photography, in Northwest Florida Daily News
“Trees on the Coast, a local environmental nonprofit, planted 10 trees during a planting ceremony on Nov. 13 at Van R. Butler Elementary School…
Principal Jimmy Ross and 40 students participated in planting the trees. Board members from Trees on the Coast were in attendance to educate the students on the trees and what purpose they would be serving the community.
The trees that were planted are available for adoption as ‘Honor Trees.’ The cost to adopt, along with a customized naming plaque, is $250, the release said.
Those interested in purchasing a naming plaque or getting more information on ‘Honor Trees’ can email info@treesonthecoast.com. More information about Trees on the Coast and corporate sponsorship can be found at Treesonthecoast.com.”
— Jim Thompson, Northwest Florida Daily News
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