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OV , BOOK under review for local public acquisition, LAAC is reviewing and ranking other tracts of environmentally important scrub in the county recommended by the GFC as scrub preserves. The subject property, while it is significant, is not included in GFC's preserves recommendation. The property could be nominated for next fiscal year's LAAC list; however, there would be no guarantee of county purchase. !Conservation Policy 6.12 of the comprehensive plan provides that a 'minimum 15% of upland native plant community existing on-site shall ibe preserved (reducible to 10$' if preserved in one contiguous "clump"). This policy is implemented via LDR Chapter 929, Upland JHabitat Protection, at the time of site development. Also applicable is Conservation Policy 6.9, which requires increased county regulatory protection of significant groupings of xeric scrub and coastal/hammock understory (as well as canopy and �groundcover) vegetation. Both of these requirements will be limplemented through establishment of a conservation easement at the time of site plan approval. The subject property is also located within the county's Surficial Aquifer Primary Recharge Overlay District, (SAFROD). Specific requirements in Chapter 931, Wellfield and Aquifer Protection, of the county's Land Development Regulations limit certain uses in the SAFROD district and mandate that development in that district be coordinated with the environmental health department at the time of development review for the protection of groundwater quality and quantity. As indicated, the subject property has a number of environmentally sensitive characteristics. Through the county's comprehensive plan policies, these characteristics will be addressed. Complete protection of'.the property's xeric scrub, however, will occur only if the subject property is purchased, and public acquisition of this particular tract will not be immediately forthcoming. There is a possibility, however, that it may receive future consideration under the county's land acquisition program. Given the county's adopted environmental protection regulations, the property could be developed as either residential or commercial and still. equally retain its significant environmental characteristics. It is staff's position that changing the land use designation of.the subject property from residential to commercial will not affect the level of protection of the resource. County policy is that developers must protect at least 10-15 percent of any native uplands on site as well as comply with the county's listed rare species requirements. Since these requirements are applied similarly to both residential and commercial projects, staff feels.that a commercial designation for the property would not reduce environmental protection. Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan Land use amendment requests are reviewed for consistency with all policies of the comprehensive plan. As per section 800.07(1) of the County Code, the "Comprehensive Plan may only be amended in such a way as to preserve the internal consistency of the plan pursuant to Section 163.3177(2)F.S." Amendments must also show consistency with the overall designation of land uses as depicted -- i on the Future Land Use Map, which includes agricultural, residential, recreation, conservation, and commercial and industrial' land uses and their densities. Commercial and ,industrial land' uses are located in nodes throughout the ';unincorporated areas of Indian River County. The goals, objectives and policies are the most important parts of 'the Comprehensive Plan. Policies are statements in the plan which identify the actions which the county will take in order to direct the community's development. As courses of action committed to by 24