The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

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The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 200STARKEY WILDERNESSAnclote River Ranch (2800 acres; 840 ha) and Starkey Wilderness Park (21,799 acres [8719 ha], with18,899 acres [7559 ha] acquired)Pasco County>24,000 acres (>9600 ha), with 21,799 acres (8719 ha) acquiredLOCATION: in west-central Pasco County, bordered by State Road 52 to the north, the Suncoast Parkwayto the east, State Road 54 to the south, and east of County Road 1 to the west.DESCRIPTION: a large, contiguous area of natural habitats between the developed Gulf coast and Tampasuburbs encroaching north into the Lutz and Land O’ Lakes area. At Anclote River Ranch,“Flatwoods Adventures” tours run by the Starkey family present a history of cattle ranching inFlorida, with an emphasis on native flora and fauna. Starkey Wilderness Park contains amagnificent mosaic of habitats and is a regionally significant natural area. Most notable is a largeexpanse of longleaf pine flatwoods that probably is the most impressive remnant in the northernTampa Bay metropolitan area. Prior to public acquisition, the area was a native-range cattle ranch.Extensive areas of fire-maintained flatwoods comprise much of the park’s eastern portion, withconsiderable sand pine scrub in the central portion, and oak forests and cypress swamps along theAnclote and Pithlachascotee rivers, which flow through the park. The Wilderness Park also serves asa wellfield that supplies 12–15 million gallons (45–56 million liters) of water per day to PascoCounty residents. Access by motor vehicle is limited to a 60 acre (24 ha) county park; the WildernessPark is limited to those on foot or bicycle. Starkey Wilderness Park was part of Anclote River Ranchprior to public purchase. Visitation is ____ recreationists annually to the Ranch and ___ to theWilderness Park.OWNERSHIP: Southwest Florida Water Management District (J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park) and J.B.Starkey, Jr. (Anclote River Ranch)HABITATS: Anclote River Ranch: *non-native pasture (1100 acres; 440 ha), *longleaf pine flatwoods(850 acres; 340 ha), *cypress swamp (620 acres; 248 ha), sandhills (50 acres; 20 ha), xeric oak scrub(50 acres; 20 ha), sand pine scrub (50 acres; 20 ha), and lacustrine (80 acres; 32 ha). StarkeyWilderness Park: *longleaf pine flatwoods, *temperate hammock, *sand pine scrub, *cypressswamp, *riverine, sandhills, xeric oak scrub, fields, bayhead, freshwater marsh.LAND USE: Anclote River Ranch: *ecotourism, *grazing, conservation, hunting, timber production.Starkey Wilderness Park: *conservation, *water supply, recreationIBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Watch List species; and significant natural habitatsAVIAN DATA: This IBA lacks significant populations of any listed species but contains large numbers ofother flatwoods species such as Brown-headed Nuthatches and Bachman's Sparrows. A few FloridaScrub-Jay groups occurred at the Wilderness Park until 1999, but now appear to be extirpated. Birddiversity of both sites combined is ___ native species.Starkey Wilderness Park:SPECIES DATES NUMBERS COMMENTSBrown-headed Nuthatch 3 Jan 1987 50 birds (R)Bachman’s Sparrow 1986–1988 dozens of birds(R)estimatedOverall diversity162 natives2 exoticsData provided by Bill Pranty (Audubon of Florida); nuthatch data were from the 1986 New Port Richey CBC,gathered by Dave Goodwin and Bill Pranty.
The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 201Anclote River Ranch:SPECIES DATES NUMBERS COMMENTSOverall diversity96 natives___ exoticsData provided by Ken Tracey (West Pasco Audubon Society)OTHER RESOURCES: ____ black bears, indigo snakes – how many natural communities?THREATS: *development (of ranch and surrounding area), *proposed highway, groundwater extractionCONSERVATION ISSUES: Nearly all of Starkey Wilderness Park is off-limits to public vehicles, whichlimits disturbance. • Flatwoods and other habitats have been burned by prescribed fire on a regularbasis since the early 1980s. Wetlands are monitored to determine potential negative effects of thewellfield. • The Suncoast Parkway, a limited-access toll road, recently was completed along thepark’s eastern boundary. (Mitigation to build the road resulted in 8000 acres [3200 ha] of habitatbeing added to the park). • Pasco County is seeking approval to extend Ridge Road from its currentend west of the Wilderness Park, east all the way to U.S. Highway 41, primarily to open up >30,000acres (>12,000 ha) of ranchland east of the park to development. This four-land highway (expandableto six lanes) will bisect Starkey Wilderness Park and likely will have devastating effects on much ofthe wildlife (including black bears) that occurs onsite. • Urban sprawl, which is rampant in PascoCounty, probably will eventually surround and completely isolate Starkey Wilderness Park, unlesssome attempt is made to secure lands to the east. Currently, only two large ranches separate StarkeyWilderness Park from Cypress Creek Wellfield (part of the Central Pasco IBA) several miles (km) tothe east. • Most of the original Anclote River Ranch now is protected by public purchase (J.B.Starkey Wilderness Park) or through perpetual conservation easements. Additional acreage of theranch is sought for perpetual conservation easement. • A large amount of sand pine scrub is found inthe mitigation area recently added to the Wilderness Park, which offers hope for habitat restorationactivities to restore (likely through translocation) a local population of Florida Scrub-Jays.Building a major highway through a wilderness area (purchased to mitigate for impacts of anadjacent highway!) is environmentally reckless, and Federal and State agencies responsible forpermitting the project should ensure that the “Ridge Road Extension” through Starkey WildernessPark never is built. • Efforts to directly link this IBA with public lands within the Central Pasco IBA tothe east should be undertaken immediately, which the opportunity still exists.NOMINATED BY: Anclote River Ranch: J.B. Starkey, Jr. (Flatwoods Adventures), and Ken Tracey(West Pasco Audubon Society); J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park: Bill Pranty (Audubon of Florida)WEBSITE: ,
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MemorandumBill Pranty, Florida IBA
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The Important Bird Areas of Florida
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THE IMPORTANTBIRD AREAS OFFLORIDA:
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(25) *pickerelweed (Pontedaria cord
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“Southeastern” American Kestrel
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