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Cross Bar Ranch Put On 'A' List

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By JULIA FERRANTE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 15, 2007

Updated: 12/14/2007 09:57 pm

GOWERS CORNER - The Cross Bar Ranch made Florida Forever's "A" list Friday, making it eligible for a state grant.

The ranking by the program's Acquisition and Restoration Council means Pasco is eligible for a grant to help buy and preserve the 12,500 acres owned by Pinellas County Utilities and has few restrictions on development.

The state panel, meeting in Tallahassee, ranked more than 100 projects pertaining to 2 million acres on two lists. Those on the "A" list have a higher priority for funding than those on a "B" list, said Rene Wiesner Brown, the county's environmental lands program manager, who traveled to the state capital this week to make a pitch for the project.

"We're just so excited we made it on the 'A' list," she said.

Florida Forever, which is set to expire in 2010, has only about $20 million left in its coffers, but state leaders have agreed to dedicate another $300 million in document stamp revenue to preservation, and officials are discussing a possible successor program.

Appraisals have not been done recently on Cross Bar, but the Pasco property appraiser has the land assessed at $176 million. Assessments typically are less than market value.

Pasco likely would need other funding sources to complete the purchase. County Commission chairman Ted Schrader has suggested selling development rights to companies or agencies building in environmentally sensitive areas of Pasco as a way to generate revenue.
Pinellas County Utilities officials, who bought the land during the height of the regional "water wars" as a source of fresh water, say they no longer need a wellfield outside their borders. They do, however, need money to expand the utility, and the sale of Cross Bar could offset those costs.

Florida Forever usually pays fair market price, but the terms are negotiable. Pinellas officials have said they are willing to finance the project with a 30-year loan.

At a public hearing Thursday, officials from the state Division of Forestry and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they are interested in managing the property.

Fritz Musselmann of the Southwest Florida Water Management District said his agency may be able to help Pasco buy the portion of the ranch that includes 17 wells, which still provide fresh water to about 140,000 residents in the region.

Tampa Bay Water owns the wells and oversees pumping of about 14 million gallons per day, which is distributed to its member governments.
Cross Bar Ranch is a haven for endangered and threatened wildlife, such as Florida scrub jays, gopher tortoises and burrowing owls. The land also includes extensive pine forests, which are nearly ready for harvest. The trees for years have been producing pine needles for mulch. The mulch business has yielded about $500,000 per year to help sustain the ranch financially.

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

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