Santa Rosa buys 545 acres to preserve salamander habitat and offer recreational options

The Santa Rosa County Commission put the finishing touches Thursday on the purchase of 545 acres, most of it along the East Bay River, that will be held in perpetuity as a sanctuary for threatened and endangered species and a natural setting for quiet walks through the woods.

Three parcels, two large ones along the river and a third one adjoining the Navarre Soccer Complex, became available in September of last year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded $1.2 million to Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for what it termed "the Creets Landing Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander: East Bay River Preserve land acquisition."

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FWC in turn entered into partnership with Santa Rosa County and the Trust for Public Landto share the total cost of the acquisition of the land, which was over $3 million. The county's stake is $1.8 million and a 25% in-kind match that will include staff time for land management planning.

The land being purchased is designated as freshwater forested/shrub and freshwater emergent wetlands. It is not only home to the endangered reticulated flatwoods salamander ? perhaps best known for once having held up negotiations to build a US Highway 98 bypass across Eglin Air Force Base property ? but to several other threatened and endangered species as well.

An initial description of the proposed land acquisition states that the red-cockaded woodpecker, Eastern indigo snake and gopher tortoise also call the East Bay River properties home.

Santa Rosa County Grants Manager Naisy Dolar said that as soon as the deed for the property is transferred to the county, representatives of its Environmental Division, along with partnering agencies, will embark upon a mission to develop a land management plan.

Officials see the location as "ideal for passive recreation," Dolar said, and it is envisioned that walkways or nature trails could be established in areas where they would not disturb the habitats of salamanders or other species, yet allow visitors to appreciate the land, including that along the East Bay River.

Dolar estimated the land management plan might take a full year to develop.

"First and foremost we need to assess all 545 acres," Dolar said. "It's a lot of land."

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Dolar called the decision to partner with Fish and Wildlife and the Trust for Public Land to obtain property that will remain permanently free from development "a great legacy for Santa Rosa County."

"What I think is really exciting is that doing this type of grant allows our county to set precedent and continue looking for other opportunities to keep parcels like these in conservation," she said. "We're trying to sift through and see where other land might be available through grant opportunities."

Commission Chairman Colten Wright confirmed that the county is exploring other avenues for conservation land acquisition.

"I think this is just the beginning of other opportunities in the county to find a balance between proper development and meeting our residents' wants and needs and being able to provide conservation and recreational amenities," he said.

It is also expected that the land will offer a natural buffer to protect against flooding. That could earn the county points on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Community Rating System, which might lead indirectly to a savings on insurance costs.

"The higher rates have more benefits when homeowner flood insurance is assessed," Dolar said.

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There is little property remaining along the East Bay River that can be preserved to protect existing development from damage due to flooding, the initial acquisition proposal said.

Wetlands reduce the ocurrance of floods, water pollution and erosion, as well as providing protections from storms and the effects of natural disasters, it said.

The natural buffer provided by the 545 acres "is a less costly strategy for long-term protection than having toaddress damages that may occur should further development occur on these lands," the acquisition introduction said.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Santa Rosa buys land to protect wetlands and endangered species