Hogtown Woods

Rapid Ecological Project Assessment

Alachua County Forever

 

Draft Date:                  March 17, 2003

Matrix Score:               6.29

Size:                              98 acres

Number of parcels:      1

Number of owners:      1

Number of Buildings: 0

 

Location/Description:

            The 98-acre Hogtown Woods (HOG) Project is located in southwest Gainesville, adjacent to the City of Gainesville’s Sugarfoot Prairie and Split Rock conservation areas Map 1).  The project is bisected by SW 20th Avenue. SW 62nd Boulevard forms the western boundary of the northern portion of the project and I-75 forms the western boundary on the southern portion of the site.  The HOG Project is within an urbanized, residential area of Gainesville.  The area surrounding the project consists primarily of residential multi-family dwellings. The southern portion of the project, encompassing 89 acres, is currently under development plan review as a 624-unit apartment complex.  Final review is pending based on the development plans for a four lane road that will bisect the site.  The remaining nine acres of the Project may be the only realistic option for protecting any of the excellent quality calcarious mesic hammock found on the site, the remaining unprotected area of the formally extensive Sugarfoot Hammock. 

Hogtown Creek is situated to the east of the Project site, and runs through a Hogtown Creek Greenway conservation area. The HOG property contains a small portion of the 1,782-acre Hogtown Prairie-Sugarfoot Project from the Alachua County Ecological Inventory Project (KBN Study) (KBN 1996).  The purpose of the KBN Study was to identify, inventory, map, describe, and evaluate the most significant natural biological communities, both upland and wetland, that remain in private ownership in Alachua County and make recommendations for protecting these natural resources, KBN 1996.  The Hogtown Prairie-Sugarfoot project was ranked 3rd of 47 projects evaluated in the county, and categorized as high, KBN, 1996.  However the KBN project encompassed a much larger project area than this ACF project, much of which has already been acquired for conservation.

The KBN Study summarized the Hogtown Prairie-Sugarfoot Hammock as containing, “a part of Sugarfoot Hammock, which is one of the most outstanding hammocks in the county (what is left of it).  It also contains the lower Hogtown Creek floodplain which has magnificent mature hardwood forest of different kinds, some prairie, a lake and perhaps the finest example of slough in north Florida.  Finally, it contains the sink where Hogtown Creek goes into the Floridan aquifer” (KBN 1996). 

Much of the original KBN project was preserved when the City of Gainesville purchased these lands as part of the Florida Communities Trust Hogtown Creek Greenway during the early to mid 1990’s.  In addition, Alachua County owns approximately 450 acres of wet prairie that connects the City owned Split Rock property with Kanapaha Botanical Gardens at the southern extent of the KBN project area.

 

Protecting Water Resources:

According to the Florida Geologic Survey Open File Report 21, 100 % of the Hogtown Woods project is located within the perforated aquifer zone (Macesich 1988). Sediments underlying the perforated zone may contain substantial thickness of clays, but are perforated by numerous karst features, which allow direct hydrologic access to the aquifer.

According to the St. Johns River Water Management District’s Aquifer Recharge Map for Alachua County, 100 % of the Hogtown Woods project exists in a high aquifer recharge area where 12 inches or more of water is recharged to the aquifer on a yearly basis. According to Aucott (1988), the project is located in an area where greater than 10 inches of water per year is recharged to the aquifer.

Of the 98 total acres of land within the Hogtown Woods project, approximately 61% of the total acreage is either designated wetlands, areas that contain hydric soils, or are areas that fall within the FEMA 100 and 500 year floodplain.

The Hogtown Woods project is directly adjacent to the Hogtown Creek drainage basin. It is located at the point where the creek flows into Hogtown Prairie. Water within the project boundary drains into the floodplain associated with the creek.  Water then flows into the prairie where it drains into Haile Sink which has direct connectivity to the Floridan Aquifer.  According to the KBN Study, “the Hogtown Creek watershed is on an area underlain by the Hawthorn Formation.  At Hogtown Prairie, this formation is near its southwestern most edge where it is thin and easily breached by sinkhole activity (KBN 1996).

 

Protecting Natural Communities and Landscapes:

Natural Communities

Calcarious Mesic Hammock

Other

Disturbed area

Old field successional pine

 

The above list of natural communities is from the KBN Report (KBN 1996).  The ecological quality of the natural communities is excellent. Surrounding development is impacting the HOG Project, including the introduction of invasive plant species and detrimental human activities, such as unauthorized ATV usage. 

The calcareous mesic hammock is dominated by deciduous species such a sugarberry, shumard oak, box elder, winged elm sweetgum, and pignut hickory (Water and Air 2000).  There is not much information on the nine-acre section north of SW 20th Avenue.  However, based on the vegetation signature from aerial photography flown in 2001, it appears that the nine acres north of the road is of similar habitat type to the mesic hammock described above. “The north one third and the west half of the middle [of the southern parcel] is mature hardwood forest (old hammock) dominated by oaks, pignut hickory, white ash, sweetgum, sugarberry and various other hardwoods.  The east half of the middle had the forest and topsoil removed 2 or 3 decades ago, and is mostly weeds and shrubs with a scattering of young pines, oaks, elderberry trees and sweetgum.  The south end is a forest of medium sized pines and oaks that became established on an agricultural field perhaps four decades ago” (Simons 2000). 

The Project site is adjacent or in close proximity to approximately 900 acres of Hogtown Creek Greenway properties that are managed as conservation areas. These conservation areas are located in an urban matrix which includes dense residential development and an interstate highway (I-75) which bisects the conservation areas and prevents an adequate ecological corridor for most species.  However, the connection between this area east of I-75 and the other conservation areas to the west is tenuous due to the barrier created by I-75 (Map 1).

The project site is not listed in the Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN). The Florida Ecological Greenways Network is a decision support model to help identify the best opportunities to protect ecological connectivity statewide.  It was developed by the University of Florida for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  GIS data on land use and significant ecological areas were integrated in a process that identified a statewide Ecological Greenways Network containing all of the largest areas of ecological and natural resource significance and the landscape linkages necessary to link these areas together in one functional statewide network (Hoctor et al. 2002). 

HOG Project does not fall within a Strategic Habitat Conservation Area. Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas were developed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC).  They are private lands containing habitats critical to the continued survival of populations of inadequately protected plants and animals, Cox et al. 2000.  These lands are essential to providing some of state’s rarest animals, plants, and natural communities with the land base necessary to sustain populations into the future (Cox et al.1994). 

Approximately 91% percent of the site is within the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) Priority 5 Habitat Conservation Priorities.  FNAI’s Habitat Conservation Priorities prioritize places on the landscape that would protect both the greatest number of rare species and those species with the greatest conservation need (Florida Natural Areas Inventory, June 2001).

There are no natural areas listed as an Under-represented Natural Community on the project site.  Under-represented Natural Communities are those natural community types that were inadequately represented on conservation lands in Florida.  A natural community is considered to be inadequately represented on conservation lands if less than 15% of the original extent of that community is currently found on existing conservation lands.  Under-represented natural communities include, seepage slope, upland hardwood forest, pine rockland, tropical hardwood hammock, sandhill, scrub, upland glades, and pine flatwoods. This data was developed by the Office of Environmental Services, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and FNAI, (FNAI, December 2001). 

 

Protecting Plant and Animal Species:

 

Common Name                     Endemic/ Large                   Fed/State               FCREPA/FNAI             Observed

                                                Home-Range                         Status                    Designation

Amphibians

Gopher Frog                                          -/-                            -/SSC                      T/S3                                        SM

Reptiles

American Alligator                              -/-                            T/SSC                     -/S4                                         SM

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake    -/-                            -/-                            -/S3                                         SM

Eastern Indigo Snake                          -/-                            T/T                         SSC/S3                                   SM

Florida Pine Snake                               -/-                            -/SSC                      SU/S3                                     SM

Gopher Tortoise                                   -/-                            -/SSC                      T/S3                                        F,K

Peninsula Mole Skink                          -/-                            -/-                            -/-                                            SM

Short-tailed Snake                                X/-                          -/T                           T/S3                                        SM

Spotted Turtle                                      -/-                            -/-                            R/S3?                                      SM

Birds

Black-Crowned Night Heron              -/-                            -/-                            SSC/S3?                                 SM

Cooper’s Hawk                                     -/-                            -/-                            SSC/S3                                   SM

Florida Sandhill Crane                         X/L                         -/T                           T/S3                                        K

Great Egret                                            -/-                            -/-                            SSC/S4                                   SM

Little Blue Heron                                  -/-                            -/SSC                      SSC/S4                                   SM

Snowy Egret                                         -/-                            -/SSC                      SSC/S3                                   SM

Southern Bald Eagle                            -/L                           T/T                         T/S3                                        F,K

Wild Turkey                                          -/L                                                                                                           F

Wood Stork                                          -/-                            E/E                          E/S2                                        SM

Mammals

Bobcat                                                   -/L                           -/-                            -/-                                            F

Northern Yellow Bat                            -/-                            -/-                            SU/-                                        SM

Insects

Sugarfoot Mothfly                               X/-                          -/-                            E?/S?                                      N,K        

 

X= Endemic, L=species with large home ranges according to the Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat System, S= observed by Alachua Co. EPD staff and/or an LCB subcommittee member, SM= documented on the Species Models maps created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, F= Focal species used for the most detailed analyses in the Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 1994, N= Florida Natural Areas Inventory Element Occurrence, P= potential for species based on habitat types, K=documented in the Alachua County Ecological Inventory Project.

 

The KBN Study and Water and Air (2000) noted the following listed plants on the HOG site: Godfrey’s privet, angelpod, and green-fly orchid.  The Godfrey’s privet population on the Hogtown Prairie-Sugarfoot Project was described by the KBN Study as the, “best population…in the County” (KBN 1996).  In addition to these listed plants, the site contains a diverse macro-invertebrate population for Alachua County, personal communication with Robin Hallbourg, Professional Geologist, Water Quality Division, ACEPD. 

The FFWCC 2001 data shows one bald eagle nest within half a mile of the HOG Project site.

Forty-five percent of the HOG Project is identified as a Regional Biodiversity Hotspot. The purpose of the Regional Biodiversity Hot Spots maps, developed by FFWCC, is to “convey more detailed information on the known locations of as many components of biological diversity as possible, regardless of whether or not they fall within proposed Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas, to help meet the need for conservation information at regional and local levels” (Cox et al. 1994).

“The most serious exotic plant invasion on this area is by Chinese Privet (Ligustrum lucidum).  It is abundant throughout the Hogtown Creek floodplain and is threatening to damage most of the hammock and floodplain forest here.  Some other exotics here in lesser numbers are hedge privet (Ligustrum sinensis), Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum), mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), chinaberry (Melia azedarach), and camphor tree (Cinnomomum camphor)” (KBN 1996).

 

Achieving Social and Human Values:

The Hogtown Woods Project is not listed as a Natural Resource-based Recreation Area (Knight et al. 2000) and is not a Priority Ecological Greenway.  The Natural Resource-based Recreation map was developed by FNAI in collaboration with DEP, FFWCC and DOF.  The recreation potential of a site depends on available road access, presence of a water body or beach, proximity to urban areas, and size of the site.  “These criteria were applied to Potential Natural Areas delineated by FNAI using aerial photography and revised using the 1995 Water Management District land cover data. Sites were ranked by recreation potential” (Knight, et al. 2000). 

The Hogtown Woods Project is part of the Emerald Necklace Land Conservation Initiative – “a publicly accessible, connected, and protected network of trails, greenways, open space, and waterfronts surrounding the Gainesville urban area”. 

The property provides excellent opportunities for readily accessible, compatible resource based recreation and contributes to the urban green space of the City of Gainesville.  In addition, it widens the conservation corridor between two existing conservation areas.

 

Management:

            This property, although adjacent to a complex of managed conservation areas, is located in an urban matrix.  This imposes several management challenges including invasive plant infestations, detrimental human activities and feral/domestic predation.  Currently the property south of SW 20th Avenue is impacted by off road vehicular usage which causes vegetation and soil disturbance.    Access control and prevention of trespassing is necessary in these situations. This type of activity may be difficult to control.

            This area is “in great condition overall” (KBN 1996).  Invasive plant control is the most pressing management need on the site.  Control of invasive plants will require vigilant management, including application of herbicides and periodic monitoring. Water resources are also an issue on the site because, “the urban runoff component of Hogtown Creek is one major impact on this area.  This would be difficult to correct.  More retention and detention areas at the top ends of the many branches of the creek system would be the most effective way to moderate this” (KBN 1996).

           

Economic and Acquisition Issues:

The southern portion of the project, encompassing 89 acres, is currently under development plan review as a 624-unit apartment complex.  Final review is pending based on plans to develop a four lane road that will bisect the site. 

The best opportunity to conserve this site, and its excellent quality calcarious mesic hammock, is to focus attention on the nine acre portion of the property that is north of SW 20th Avenue. 

There is one parcel and one owner of the 98-acre Hogtown Woods Project.  The Alachua County Property Appraiser (ACPA) does not show any buildings or improvements on their parcel data.   The ACPA’s 2002 Just Value or land value for the entire project is $2,235,800 or $22,858.60/ acre.  These figures are for comparative purposes between nominated properties, and are not necessarily an accurate reflection of the true cost of the property if acquired by the Alachua County Forever Program.

The HOG Project is located within the City of Gainesville city limits.  It is zoned residential multi family, and has a Future Land Use designation of residential medium (8-30 units/acre).  There is an imminent threat of development on the project site.

 

Other:

The HOG Project contains several known archaeological sites that would require protection.  These sites include: Site AL 258 (Melroy/SW 20th) large Campsite/quarry with Archaic, Deptford, Cades Pond kiln and still; Site AL 463 (Henderson Mound)  burial mound dating to Hickory Pond with Archaic tools; and Site AL 2905 (Timberlodge) prehistoric quarry site, lithics and ceramics (Quinn and Associates 1999).  Monitoring of these sites for disturbance is necessary for their protection.

           

 

Literature Citations

Aucott, W. 1988. Water Resources Investigation Report 88-4057. USGS.

 

Cox, J., R. Kautz, M. MacLaughlin, and T. Gilbert. 1994.  Closing the Gaps in Florida’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation System, Office of Environmental Services, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Tallahassee, Florida.

 

Cox, J. and R. Kautz. 2000. Habitat Conservation Needs of Rare and Imperiled Wildlife in Florida. Office of Environmental Services, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida.

 

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. June 2001. Florida Forever Conservation Needs Assessment Technical Report.

 

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. December 2001. Florida Forever Conservation Needs Assessment Version 1.1 Supplement to the technical Report June 2001. Tallahassee, Florida.

 

Hoctor, T.S., J. Teisinger, M.G. Carr., P.C, Zwick. 2002. Identification of Critical Linkages Within the Florida Ecological Greenways Network. Final Report. Office of Greenways and Trails, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Tallahassee, FL.

 

Knight, G., A. Knight, and J. Oetting. 2000. Florida Forever Conservation Needs Assessment Summary Report to the Florida Forever Advisory council. Florida Natural Areas Inventory.

 

KBN, A Golder Associates Company. 1996. Alachua County Ecological Inventory Project. Prepared for Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Gainesville, Florida.

 

Macesich, M. 1988.  Geologic Interpretation of the Aquifer Pollution Potential in Alachua County, Florida, Open File Report – 21.  Florida Geologic Survey, Tallahassee, Florida.

 

Quinn and Associates, Inc. 1999.  A Phase I Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of the Proposed Cabana Grove Development Alachua County Florida.  Gainesville, Florida.

 

Simons, R.W.  2000.  Report to the Campus Development Group about Trees on the Proposed Cabana Grove Development Site.  Gainesville, Florida.

 

Water & Air Research, Inc.  2000.  Biological Reconnaissance Survey for Proposed Cabana Grove Development.  Gainesville, Florida.