Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008

Crooked Lake Tract Is Closer to Protection

By Tom Palmer

THE LEDGER

BARTOW | Protection of a large natural area west of Crooked Lake came closer to reality Wednesday when the County Commission agreed to participate in the purchase of 3,590 acres.

It agreed to spend $2 million.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is scheduled to spend $5.4 million to aid in purchase the site in southeastern Polk.

Swiftmud officials are scheduled to consider the purchase in April. The agreement will involve trustees Robert G. Stokes and Sandra H. Mitchell of the J.K. Stuart Trust of Bartow.

The property is part of a larger 11,444-acre area that has been targeted for preservation.

The planned purchase was made possible by the purchase of a conservation easement for $12.5 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

This is the second tract to be brought to the commission for purchase.

Commissioners had already agreed to buy 1,148 acres to the south as a gopher tortoise mitigation site.

Polk contributed $750,000 toward the $12.4 million state purchase. Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet approved that move last week.

Gaye Sharpe, the county's natural areas manager, said the site includes two miles of shoreline on Crooked Lake, marshes, pine woods and scrub.

It lies across Crooked Lake from the county's 525-acre Crooked Lake Prairie preserve.

In addition, the property is at the headwaters of Bowlegs Creek, a tributary of the Peace River.

The site, which is considered a "hot spot" by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is home to protected wildlife species such as Florida scrub-jay, wood stork and Eastern indigo snake. Whooping cranes have been seen in the area's marsh.

Once the site is purchased, it will be open for some public recreation.