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Babb Will Represent Hillsborough County Michael A. Babb Gov. Rick Scott appointed Michael A. Babb to the District’s Governing Board in June. Babb is from Hillsborough County and is president of Two Rivers Ranch, Inc. in Thonotosassa. He was appointed to succeed Maritza Rovira-Forino and will represent Hillsborough County interests on the Board. His term ends March 1, 2014. A native of Richmond, Va., Babb graduated from Godwin High School in Richmond…

Visitors to the District’s headquarters and service offices are greeted by Florida-friendly landscaping, thanks to the work of proactive staff at each office. Several of the tradesworkers who help maintain the landscaping have taken additional training to learn about Florida-friendly landscaping™ practices, including plant selection and fertilizer ordinances. In addition, the staff also works with Extension agents and other experts when they have a question. “The…

Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state's wildfire emergency in early spring. That's why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns November through March 2018 on Potts Preserve and the Two Mile Prairie Connector parcel in Citrus County. Potts Preserve is located approximately two miles east of the City of…

Citrus County residents recently benefited from a grass giveaway.  About 50 people left with more than 1,000 peat pots of eelgrass grown as part of the District’s Hunters Cove Revegetation Project.  The District has been growing mats of eelgrass in ponds at the Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Crystal River. After the mats were grown, they were rolled up and transported to Hunters Cove in Crystal River and placed on the bottom in sections, similar to…

Susanna Martinez Tarokh1-800-423-1476, ext. 2008 orCell Phone: (813) 781-9817The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board voted today to exchange properties with Hillsborough County in an effort to work together to protect conservation land. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve this same effort at their regular meeting on April 20.The District agreed to exchange approximately 205 acres of land with the County for…

District scientists already are seeing benefits from the Hunters Cove Revegetation Pilot Project after just a couple months.  Senior environmental scientists from the District, with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, conducted fish surveys in January of the fenced areas of eelgrass, which are part of the District’s revegetation project. They found 11 different species of freshwater, estuarine and saltwater fish in the fenced…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be holding a feral hog management hunt on the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve in Hillsborough County Jan. 11-13. The property will be closed to the public from dusk until dawn during the hunts. Normal daytime operations in the park will not be affected. Only permitted hunters will be allowed nighttime access on the property during these dates. All permits for these hunts have been sold.…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Nov. 16-18. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All 30 permits for these hunts have been sold. The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14301 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland. This activity…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/ will hold a night hog hunt on the Flatwoods Park Portion of Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve on February 11-13.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All of the permits for these hunts have been sold.Flatwoods Park is located at 14302 Morris Bridge Road in Temple Terrace.The hunt is one of a series of hog hunts being held on District lands in an effort…

Who:Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, educators and approximately 500 students from Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas countiesWhat:6th Annual Youth SummitThe summit brings together the youth, educators and community partners who have been involved in Earth Force programs during the past year. It is a day of education and celebration.The students will have the opportunity to share their environmentally oriented…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's "Little Manatee River Southfork Tract":http://www2.swfwmd.state.fl.us/hoghunt/littlemanatee.php will be temporarily closed to the public for wild hog hunts Nov. 6-8.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All of the permits for these hunts have been sold."Little Manatee River Southfork Tract":http://www2.swfwmd.state.fl.us/hoghunt/littlemanatee.php is located at 29400 SR 62, Duette in…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's "Alston Tract":http://www2.swfwmd.state.fl.us/hoghunt/alston.php, which is part of the Upper Hillsborough Preserve, will be temporarily closed to the public for wild hog hunts Oct. 30-Nov. 1.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All of the permits for these hunts have been sold.The Alston Tract is located at 42144 Deems Road, southeast of Zephyrhills in Pasco and Polk counties.The hunt is…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's "Coker Prairie Tract":http://www2.swfwmd.state.fl.us/hoghunt/coker.php, which is part of the Edward W. Chance Reserve, will be temporarily closed to the public for wild hog hunts Oct. 30-Nov. 1.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the Coker Prairie Tract during these dates. All of the permits for these hunts have been sold.The Coker Prairie Tract is located at 34300 East SR 64 in Myakka City, east of Lake Manatee.This…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Hampton Tract, which is part of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, will be temporarily closed to the public for hog hunts Dec. 8-10.Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. All of the permits for these hunts have been sold.The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract's entrance is at the intersection of Rock Ridge Road and Deen Still Road in Polk County.The hunt is one of a series of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is providing children the opportunity to participate in a free youth camping trip at the District’sGreen Swamp Wilderness Preserve — West Tract in Pasco County.Thecamping trip is scheduled for Sept. 19-20. All campers must be accompanied by at least one adult.…

Who: The Tarpon Springs chapter of Scubanauts International and their adult supervisors, Citrus County Parks and Recreation Department, volunteers from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Boy Scout Troop 302 from InvernessWhat: District staff will volunteer with the Tarpon Springs Scubanauts during an underwater cleanup of the Chassahowitzka RiverWhen:Sunday, May 31, 9 a.m.Where:The youth dive group, lead by adult supervisors, will remove trash and light debris…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Thursday washonored by the Pasco-Hernando Jobs and Education Partnership Regional Board, Inc. as one of the best places to work in Hernando County for the second year in a row.“It is a privilege for the District to be honored two years in a row,” said Pam Baldwin, SPHR, District senior human resources generalist. “I appreciate the Jobs and Education Partnership recognizing the District’s…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Feb. 2-4. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. Permit sales are closed. The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14440 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland. This activity is one of a series of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District's (District) Hampton Tract, including closed area tracts at Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, will be temporarily closed to the public for feral hog hunts Dec. 1-3. Only permitted hunters will be allowed on the property during these dates. Permit sales are closed. The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve Hampton Tract is located at 14440 Rock Ridge Road in Lakeland. This activity is one of a series of…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Hampton Tract, which is part of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, will be reserved Nov. 18-20 for an event that allows disabled hunters the opportunity to experience the outdoors. The property will be closed to the public during this time.The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve’s Polk County entrance is at the intersection of Rockridge Road and Deen Still Road.The hunt is a joint effort between the District and…