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Preserve's Restoration Ready To Go

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 19, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - A three-year project to restore 951 acres of the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve should be under way by the end of this week, according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Sand pines have taken over much of the uplands acreage because of the lack of fire, which naturally maintains the quality of a habitat. In addition, decades of vegetative debris have built up, leaving the area at risk for raging wildfires.

The tall pines will be removed and sold to pay for the restoration. By reintroducing controlled burns, the forest floor will be returned to a more natural state, resulting in more grasses and wildflowers, the agency said. Those plants and acorns will provide food for wildlife that normally would live in such uplands habitats.

The restoration also will allow for shrubby oaks and larger turkey oaks to again become the dominant canopy.

"This project will not only restore the health of the habitats, it will also enhance the fire protection of the surrounding residential communities," said Will Van Gelder, district senior land management specialist.

The project will be conducted over three years in phases, with all of the work happening south of the paved recreation trail, leaving the overwhelming majority of the park available for recreation. The first two phases will take place west of the power lines, while the last phase will be east of the power lines.

The first phase involves logging an area near the Aristida subdivision.

A remote hiking trail and the entire equestrian path will be closed during portions of the project. While the horse path is off limits, riders will be redirected to the Serenova entrance off State Road 52.

The 18,000-acre preserve is made up of three tracts: J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park, the Serenova Tract and the Anclote River Tract.

Like many water district properties, the preserve serves as a natural buffer for one of the region's main fresh water resources, the Pithlachascotee River. The lands filter surface water as it flows across the landscape into the river and its main tributary, the Anclote River.

The preserve also recharges a regional well field operated by Tampa Bay Water that is an essential component of the multicounty water supply system.

For details on the preserve, go to www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/starkey wilderness.html.

The Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department will post progress reports on the restoration at a kiosk near the Starkey Park entrance on Wilderness Park Road. For further details, call (727) 834-3247.

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