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• EXHIBIT A: REVISIONS TO CONSERVATION ELEMENT Comprehensive Plan Conservation Element prairies, hammocks), and derive much of their wildlife value through ecological diversity. Moreover, substantial tracts of pine flatwoods east of Interstate 95 are becoming less common as development continues. • Upland Preservation Until 1990 recently, uplands had not been subject to the same amount of protection as wetlands, which are regulated at the federal, state, regional, and local levels. In recognizing this discrepancy, state, regional and local governments initiated regulatory and non -regulatory measures to preserve native upland habitats. In 1990, the State adopted the Preservation 2000 initiative, a 10 -year, $3 billion program to fund the acquisition of environmentally significant lands. Also at that time, the Board of County Commissioners appointed a Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (LAAC) and established an environmental lands acquisition program. The advantage of public land acquisition over private land use regulation is that it allows for more flexible and substantial control of land use and conservation practices. Certain species have different "home range" size requirements, and do not benefit from relatively small, scattered patches of natural upland associated with developed areas. For example, the GFG Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) identifies the need of 15=30 acres per territory for Florida scrub jay preserves. Land acquisition allows the opportunity to conserve large tracts of upland to meet flora and fauna areal needs. Also, public ownership allows additional management techniques to be employed on conservation lands, such as prescribed burning and control of nuisance exotic vegetation. The major drawbacks of public land acquisition are the costs involved. Diminishing natural uplands areas are, for the most part, prime real estate and very expensive. Also, the County's tax base is reduced when a property is acquired through fee simple acquisition and converted to public ownership. In areas already owned by the County, there is an opportunity for natural community preservation. The South County Park serves as an example of how preservation of flora and fauna can be incorporated into recreational development design. The Natural Resources section of Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council's (TCRPC) Strategic Regional Policy Plan (SRPP) calls for the preservation of a minimum of 25 percent of upland communities on development sites. The County, however, initiated an alternate approach to meeting the same objective by adopting an Upland Habitat Protection ordinance (LDR Chapter 929) in 1990. Under the Upland Habitat Protection ordinance, a minimum 15 percent set-aside requirement is applied to parcels over five (5) acres containing native uplands. Furthermore, the native upland area(s) being preserved on-site must be overlain with a conservation easement Since the intent Indian River County Conservation Element Page 74 Supplement # _ Ordinance #2005- Adopted 2005 Exhibit A Page i