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Preserve Is 'A Real Piece Of Old Florida'

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 10, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - It's 80 acres of old-growth Florida, less than a mile from downtown and in the middle of the most densely populated section of Pasco County.

A river runs through it.

Workers are putting the final touches on the James E. Grey Preserve, which is slated to reopen next weekend after receiving a nearly $1 million face-lift that includes walkways and trails, fishing piers, restrooms, signage and parking spaces.

Elaine Smith, the city's parks and recreation director, said visitors can expect to see wildlife such as coyotes, wild boars, deer and numerous species of native birds.

"There's nothing like it for miles around," she said. "It's a real piece of old Florida."

The park will feature picnic areas and canoe and kayak launches for boaters who want to traverse the Pithlachascotee River, which snakes through the city-owned preserve.

City officials also plan to hire a live-in property manager, who will act as a de facto park ranger, responsible for patrolling the preserve and ensuring it's well maintained.

"We're going to have security," Mayor Dan Tipton said. "That's very important because we've had numerous acts of vandalism, theft and other criminal activities out there."

The park is named after the Grey family patriarch, James, whose father, F.I. Grey, once owned swaths of land in west Pasco and helped carve this city from backwoods.

In 1997, the city acquired the land for $775,000. New Port Richey paid $119,000, the seller donated $175,000 and the state paid the rest from Preservation 2000 grant money.

The terrain that is now the park has changed little in the past several thousand years.

Artifacts from what archaeologists think was probably a seasonal hunting camp used by prehistoric Indians, dating as far back as 2500 B.C., have been found on the property.

The West Pasco Audubon Society has recorded 140 species of birds in the preserve.

"It's become a tremendous wildlife refuge," said Ken Tracey, chapter president.

The preserve adds to a growing roster of parklands in Pasco's most populous municipality, which now boasts 11 public parks, totaling more than 150 acres.

City officials hope eventually to have a trail that connects the nature preserve to other parks, including Robert K. Rees Memorial at the end of Green Key Road.

Councilman Rob Marlowe said he hopes New Port Richey one day will be known as a parkland city, drawing eco-tourists from across the state and the Tampa Bay area.

"To me, that's where we should be headed as a city," he said. "We can make it a place where you can go to enjoy all the kinds of outdoor activities that Florida has to offer."

Reporter Christian M. Wade can reached at (727) 815-1082 or cwade@tampatrib.com

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