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Nov 3, 10:39 PM

Voters consent to buy crucial land, EEL program happy to comply

BY JIM WAYMER
FLORIDA TODAY

More green is on the way to keep green here to stay.

Mike Blake was out in force with Cocoa firefighters and supporters at the corner of SR 520 and Fiske Blvd. They were thanking the Cocoa voters for their vicotries at the polls - his being elected Mayor and the vote to keep the firefighters. Image © 2004, Michael R. Brown, FLORIDA TODAY

Brevard County voters -- seven of every 10 of them -- voted "yes" on Tuesday for up to $60 million in bonds to buy more conservation lands. The new money will allow the county's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program to buy more of the 70,000 acres scientists have identified countywide as critical habitat.

EEL manages 21,000 acres, including 12 nature parks.

Those involved with the EEL program took Tuesday's vote as a mandate to get more aggressive.

About 61 percent of voters approved the program in 1990. This time, 69 percent agreed to keep taxing themselves about 21 cents for every $1,000 of property value.

The vote extended an existing tax that bought beach and riverfront access but transferred it to the EEL program, which buys endangered habitats.

"That was a remarkable margin. That really kind of fires us up," said Randy Parkinson, a geologist on the EEL selection and management committee, which recommends which lands to buy. "I feel that a very large margin of victory sort of gives us a mandate and should send a signal to the county officials."

Even Malabar passed the referendum by 63 percent: 684 to 403. Officials there have threatened to sue the county if EEL doesn't stop buying land, and removing it from tax rolls, in their town.

Commissioner Ron Pritchard said EEL should buy the Thousand Islands in Cocoa Beach. But he plans to closely monitor the program's purchases in South Brevard because he's concerned they may hamper any future interchange on Interstate 95.

"That would be one heck of a way to spend that kind of money, set it up as a refuge like Pelican Island, a sanctuary with canoes and kayaks and all that kind of stuff instead of this piecemeal application," he said of the Thousand Islands. "I just want to make sure the money is spent responsibly."

Pritchard also wants more information about the Nature Conservancy's role in the EEL program. Brevard pays the environmental group about $188,640 a year to broker EEL land deals. The conservancy's contract expires Dec. 7.

"I'd like to know exactly what they do, and what's the cost savings for letting them do it," Pritchard said.

Tuesday's vote came one day after state officials announced a deal to buy 929 acres of scrub habitat in Valkaria, from Valkaria Road south to Berry Road, and U.S. 1 to a mile west of I- 95. The state and county split the $2.24 million cost for the 653 parcels, which sit within a critical habitat for the endangered Florida scrub jay.

The county typically splits the cost of EEL lands 50-50 with the state.

The EEL program had languished in recent years, officials said, because the program didn't have enough cash on hand to aggressively pursue large tracts. Speculators were outbidding the program on lands it had targeted. EEL relies on willing sellers and can't pay more than its land appraisals.

The program is racing to save a rare habitat called scrub, which Florida scrub jays, the indigo snake, gopher tortoises and other protected species rely upon. Only small fragments of the once common habitat that paralleled the Indian River Lagoon remain.

"This will really get us back into the ballgame," Parkinson said. "It will allow us to aggressively pursue all the lands that we've identified.

"I really think this will help keep Brevard County on the map as a greener county."

Contact Waymer at 242-3663 or jwaymer@flatoday.net

Breakdown of vote

Voters approved up to $60 million in bonds for the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program to buy more conservation land. Here's how the vote broke down: County Referendum 2:

Yes: 169,822 -- 69.04%

No: 76,172 -- 30.96%