central rac meeting apopka

[Randy Clark]

i did not realise how anti hydrilla steve miller was until i asked the land manager about the spraying of hydrilla in emeralda and other areas steve stood up and took over answering my question by showing us a draw down curve of the water level dropping in the summer months and then spraying if neccessary if any hydrilla is still around not allowing any hydrilla into the lakes seemed to be their main concern.they showed a presentation of the clean up of lake apopka and how well the gravity flow cells are cleaning the water iasked if they were using hydrilla to clean the water like the storm treatment areas did and was told that their biologist recommended not doing that because of the chance of it taking over the lake.than they talked about doing away with teal trail at orange creek i think it was because of lack of use and being unused i did not think of asking if their was any hydrilla there. and that maybe why it was unused.

[novaalex]

Randy this is a little too far for me to be invloved. You need to speak to Newton so that you can get as much insight as possible on the subject of dealing with these people. Once that is done you must plow forward with our mission! They may ignore you once, but Newton has proved if you keep coming back and letting them know that you are not going away they will start listening to you. Last but not least contact somebody in the media who shares your concerns and let them know what you are doing. We must gain leverage because sooner or later an STA will be coming to a neighborhood near you!

[N. Cook]

Thanks for an informative post on the meeting.....hydrilla is a big topic now and whatever may be the current SJWMD thinking today may be somewhat different later as there is a good chance the FDEP is going to have a new position.....

I still would like to have a single set of regulations for Elmerada and the other two marshes.....but I need a proposal from you guys who hunt there before putting one together. I suggest a single annual permit usuable on all three with a "first come first served" access up to the number limit on the individual marsh. They are in different RAC zones and we need to send our idea to the headquarters person over all the zones. IDEAS!!!!

[uncle D]

Randy,

?????????????Doing away w/ Teal Trail??????????????????

Do you mean doing away w/ duck hunting @ Orange Crk? or removing a road?or removing a bird watcher's trail?

Currently it is choked w/ bonnets. If there was a better waterflow, it's conditions would improve.

Newton,

One "blanket" permit would be ideal. Maybe a St Johns RWMD waterfowl permit? At an affordable price.

If the WMD would open more of their areas to a seasonal (read complete season) waterfowl hunting opportunity, more hunters might use the properties and the district could fetch maybe a reasonable fee.

Just my 2 cents.

Duke

[N. Cook]

We helped fight and got rid of the former $16 fee to hunt on SJRWMD lands several years ago....that is why I initially opposed the current fees at these three marshes....however, those who hunt there said a gatekeeper was needed and were willing to support a fee (an exceptional situation). However the three different programs are confusing and cumbersome.....and therefore some single fee system would be better for the users.

I would like to stay away from any fees except where a "gatekeeper" was needed and that expense needed to be at least partially covered by the users.

[Randy Clark]

teal trail is a road that provides access to an area at orange creek i believe im not familar with that area but according to the land manager the road is impassible and not used and they are not going to repair it and may cut off access to the road alot of the talk was about control burns and providing trails for horses and hikers and of course the main topic lake apopka that may become the sta that alex referenced the main problem being we probably would not be able to hunt it but with the amount of pollution that may not be a bad thing there was some talk of keeping the vegetation and cover high as to keep wading birds away from the area until they get a clean bill of health