DEP TO PROVIDE UPDATE THIS WEEK ON STATE CONSERVATION LAND ASSESSMENT

Florida DEP Banner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 11, 2013

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

DEP TO PROVIDE UPDATE THIS WEEK ON STATE CONSERVATION LAND ASSESSMENT

~Media availability, public meeting designed to continue transparent process~

TALLAHASSEE – As the Florida Department of Environmental Protection continues assessing the 3 million acres of state-owned conservation land in order to purchase more valuable conservation land, the Department will host a media availability Thursday, Sept. 12 in advance of the Acquisition and Restoration Council public meeting in Tallahassee on Friday, Sept. 13.

Susan Grandin, Director of the Division of State Lands, will be available Thursday to members of the news media who want an update about the scientific process the Department has used to assess the state's conservation land, what factors have gone into removing sites from the preliminary list and what will be presented to the Acquisition and Restoration Council on Friday.

To date, the preliminary list of sites for potential sale has been reduced from 169 sites and roughly 5,300 acres to 113 sites and roughly 4,200 acres, which represents 0.14 percent of the 3 million acres of state-owned land. The purpose of this assessment is to identify land that may be sold in order to purchase more valuable conservation land. More background on the assessment, the sites currently on the list, documentation and other information is available HERE.

The call will take place:

10:30 a.m. EDT

Thursday, Sept. 12

Phone: 1-888-670-3525

Code: 648-645-7250

(Note: please DO NOT put your phone on hold during the call)

Additionally, the Department will host a meeting starting at 9 a.m. at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Douglas Building in Tallahassee for a meeting of the Acquisition and Restoration Council.

The Council, an independent body that evaluates, selects and ranks projects for the Florida Forever priority list and reviews state-owned conservation land acquisitions, will be briefed on the scientific assessment used to evaluate the state's land, provided the current list and be able to ask Department staff questions about the process. The public will also have an opportunity to provide comment. The agenda is available HERE.