complete agenda - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Consensus Commendations to the Managing Agency
The following commendations resulted from discussion and vote of the review team members.
1. The team commends FWC on the successful mesic flatwoods groundcover restoration efforts in the 80
acres of pastures. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
2. The team commends FWC on canopy removal to improve cutthroat grass habitat. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
3. The team commends the manager and staff on their invasive exotic plant control efforts, especially in the
Osprey Unit. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
4. The team commends the manager and staff on their aggressive, active, enthusiastic approach to resource
management. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
5. The team commends the FWC on their established numeric objectives for desired future vegetation
condition for managed natural communities. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
Consensus Recommendations to the Managing Agency
The following recommendations resulted from a discussion and vote of review team members. The
management plan must include responses to the recommendations identified below.
1. The team recommends that FWC explore cattle grazing in existing pastures at the Osprey Unit as an
interim management activity until groundcover restoration can be initiated. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
Managing Agency Response: FWC will investigate the need and feasibility of implementing cattle grazing
as an interim management activity prior to initiation of ground cover restoration on the Osprey Unit of
Hilochee Wildlife Management Area (HWMA).
2. The team recommends that FWC increase the acreage of mesic flatwoods that are within desired fire
return interval. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
Managing Agency Response: FWC notes that the Land Management Review team’s checklist findings
indicate that management of mesic flatwoods exceeded expectations. However, pursuant to Objective
Based Vegetative Management (OBVM) desired future conditions, FWC will continue to apply prescribed
fire to mesic flatwoods units as conditions allow. Some of the mesic flatwoods units have moderate to
heavy fuel loads along with a significant duff layer. These conditions impose further restrictions to the
effective application of prescribed fire. These areas are being treated mechanically and prescribed fire
will be applied as feasible and as guided the desired future conditions under the OBVM management
protocols.
3. The team recommends that HWMA staff consider establishing photopoint monitoring in strategic
locations. (VOTE: 7+, 0-)
Managing Agency Response: FWC utilizes Objective-Based Vegetative Management (OBVM) monitoring
protocols, a statistically valid quantitative monitoring system designed to detect changes in vegetative
structure and composition, as our primary methodology to evaluate and guide management activities that
result in a desired future condition of a natural community. Photo- point monitoring, while providing visual
snapshots through time of individual, directional views of a landscape, generally does not provide
objective, statistically valid measures of the natural community vegetative structure and composition that
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