The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, to review and solicit public feedback on the 2023 surplus lands assessment, which identified three properties for surplus in Hernando and Polk counties.
The surplus lands assessment identifies lands that no longer meet the original acquisition purpose, or do not provide water resource benefits, such as flood control, recharge, water storage, water management, conservation and protection of water resources, or preservation of wetlands, streams and lakes. The sale of surplus lands has several benefits, including protecting lands with water resource benefits, generating revenue to buy lands with higher water resource value, reducing land management costs and putting surplus lands back on the tax roll.
District staff have identified approximately 233 acres of land in the Annutteliga Hammock in Hernando County and the Green Swamp in Polk County, which may be recommended for surplus to the Governing Board. A link to the properties can be found at WaterMatters.org/business/land-sale.
Members of the public may join the workshop via Microsoft Teams through this link: https://bit.ly/3N53vCP. The Google Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with Microsoft Teams. For telephone-only participation, dial (786) 749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference code ID: 180 489 0#.
More information and virtual comment submission is available through July 5 at WaterMatters.org/projects/surplus-lands/comments.