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Bm 94 FA,UL 407 The following letter was received: February 20, 1995 The Honorable Kenneth R Macht C. C. "Bud" KLECKNER Board of County Commissioners 7720INDIA N OAKS DRIVE, APT 1-203 Indian River County VERO BEACH, FL. 329166 1840 25th St. Vero Beach, FL. 32960 Dear Ken: When we wrote the attached on Friday we forgot all about Monday ( i.e. today's being "President's Day"), thus you will not be hearing from our members, except possibly those who helped compose this letter. As discussed in the attached, we in the "Conservation Committee" recommend very strongly that the Indian River County Commissioners authorize the expenditure of 3/4 million of the $26 million in the Bond issue that was approved by the electorate to match the Federal funds that are currently available to purchase the "Kennedy Tract". I'll not he redundant by restating our reasons for strongly recommending this "Emergency" us of the "Land Acquisition Bonds". As discussed, the funds needed to purchase this I and the "Koragngy"] tract have already been approved by the Electorate and the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service would provide the funding for restoration and maintenance. Thus it's a "Win- Win" situation for the County! I'm sorry that I'll be unable to attend the Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners tomorrow. However, I would appreciate your inclusion of this letter in the back up material for this item. I have discussed the issue with the officers of the Pelican Island Audubon Society, the Pelican Island Preservation Society, the Indian River County Land Trust, the Historical Society and the Friends of the St. Sebastian River. All of these organizations contributed to the writing of this letter. Thus I can state that the "Indian River County Conservation Community" strongly recommends that the County match the Federal funds that are currently available for this purchase. Sincerely, Mr. DeBlois stressed that due to a short time frame on funding availability, the February 28th deadline did not allow for normal review to occur. He believed the tract was likely to be developed, that it was desirable for the County to acquire, and restore a citrus buffer. He suggested that the matter be on the agenda of tomorrow's Land Acquisition Advisory Committee (LAAC) meeting, and be brought back to the Board Tuesday, February 28, for final determination. Following staff's presentation and recommendation to send the letter, the Board questioned staff and discussed the advisability/ need for LAAC's review; whether LAAC members were familiar with the area; the size and price basis of the property; and the short time frame for the $750,000 funding. 32 February 21, 1995