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<br />Commissioner O’Bryan sought clarification of the wetland areas outlined <br />on the Berry Farms property, and asked whether that was only 8%, and if the section to <br />the east was also wetlands. Mr. Christianson confirmed that it was all wetlands. <br /> <br />Director Christianson <br /> responded to further questions from the Board <br />regarding how the map was created, and how many categories of conservation lands <br />SJRWMD had. He characterized the significance of each property, and discussed <br />Biodiversity Hotspots, Greenways Critical Linkages, Regional Conservation <br />Significance, Original Conservation Purpose, Dispute Settlement, and Net Benefits. <br /> <br />Commissioner O’Bryan asked if Mr. Christianson had consulted with the <br />City of Fellsmere on their proposed plans for the Ansin annexation and the amount of <br />wetlands they were going to preserve in that tract. Mr. Christianson had not specifically <br />done so, and Commissioner O’Bryan suggested that the contact be made with Fellsmere, <br />because he believed Fellsmere had outlined considerable acreage in the parcel that was <br />designated for preservation and conservation. <br /> <br />Director Christianson <br /> then discussed property acquisition and the uses <br />and purposes for said properties. He did not want to leave the Board with the impression <br />that SJRWMD did not have any conservation objectives for the Sand Lakes property <br />because they did. Approximately three years ago, SJRWMD reached a conclusion that <br />the Berry Groves property overall was surplus to their needs and they began to look for <br />opportunities, such as the transaction being discussed today. He disclosed that SJRWMD <br />did not believe it was necessary to retain the property for conservation purposes. <br /> <br />Director Christianson <br /> briefly discussed the Net Conservation Benefits of <br />the Corrigan and Sand Lake properties. Of importance was what they were able to <br />ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER <br />4 <br /> <br />MANAGEMENT DISTRICT <br /> <br />June 6, 2007 <br /> <br />