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BOOK 107 PAGE 535 technique is in process at the Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area, whereby mature sand pines were harvested by Georgia-Pacific under contract with the County. A follow-up prescribed burn on the Wabasso Scrub property is planned. Under the Wabasso Scrub -Georgia Pacific contract, the County actually received revenue (±$8,000) from the paper company for fulfilling a resource management need. A similar arrangement is anticipated for the Anstalt property and sand pine scrub areas of the overall North Sebastian Conservation Area. In accordance with County Land Acquisition Guide, an independent appraisal was obtained to determine an approved appraised value of the property. In accordance with County and State procedures, since the property's worth is less than $500,000, only one appraisal (instead of two) was obtained. The appraisal firm selected was Armfield-Wagner Appraisal & Research, Inc. The Armfield-Wagner appraised value is $90,000. The negotiated purchase price of $76,000 is ±841/o of the approved appraised value. In coming to terms with county staff on the negotiated purchase price (subject to County Commission approval), the seller has executed a standard FCT purchase contract Option Agreement with minor modifications. A copy of that contract is attached to this staff report. The FCT standardized contract was used because staff anticipates that FCT will approve after -the -fact cost -share funding, and use of the FCT contract format will facilitate after -the -fact reimbursement from the FCT. • Enhancement of Overall Area Resource Management If the property was to remain in private ownership and was eventually developed, resource management of existing conservation lands would be difficult in the vicinity of the subject property. Particularly, since the subject property is virtually surrounded by conservation land, resource management via prescribed burning would be constrained, if not impossible. As such, purchase of the subject property will "round -out" public ownership within the North Sebastian Conservation Area and resolve a potential resource management conflict. • Comprehensive Plan Acquisition Commitment Conservation Policy 6.2 of the 2020 County Comprehensive Plan commits the County to acquire a minimum of 100 acres of xeric scrub habitat for conservation purposes. Although the County has fulfilled this minimum acreage requirement, the subject property contributes to this policy by conserving ±19 acres of sand pine scrub. The project also furthers objectives in the County comprehensive plans relating to open space and rare species habitat conservation, particularly relating to the scrub jay HCP that is in progress, as well as to other listed species endemic to xeric scrub habitat. Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners approve exercise of the North Sebastian C.A. Addition (Anstalt) purchase option contract, with the condition that the County coordinate with the Florida Communities Trust for after -the -fact 50% cost -share reimbursement, including update of the overall Conservation Area management plan to include the Anstalt property. • Individual site summary table & general map of property • North Sebastian CA management plan cost estimates • Excerpt of 09/30/98 LAAC meeting minutes • Purchase option contract November 10, 1998 36 APPROVED: FOR: November 10, 1998 BY: