The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a virtual public meeting at 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 24, to discuss updates to the Weekiwachee Preserve Land Management Plan.
The District adopts land management plans to ensure its public conservation lands are being managed in ways that are consistent with Florida Statutes and the District’s mission. District lands are acquired to preserve and protect water resources and natural systems while also providing public access for recreation. The purpose of this meeting is to inform the public about updates to this plan, to solicit input from stakeholders, and to incorporate feedback from the public and stakeholders into the development of the new 10-year plan.
Members of the public may participate in the meeting via Microsoft Teams at https://bit.ly/weekiwacheeLMP. A draft of the management plan update and a virtual comment submission form are available at WaterMatters.org/LMPUpdates. The public comment period will be from July 15-29.
The 11,206-acre Weekiwachee Preserve is part of a regional system of conservation lands that preserves numerous habitats, including coastal hardwood hammocks, hardwood swamps, freshwater and saltwater marshes, and sandhills. In addition, the preserve protects and provides a buffer to several miles of the Weeki Wachee River.
District policy requires management plans for District-owned conservation lands be reviewed and updated every 10 years, unless otherwise directed by the District’s Governing Board. District lands are open to the public and community input is vital in determining how these lands are managed and used. The proposed land management plan for the Weekiwachee Preserve will be presented to the District’s Governing Board in August for consideration.