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P.O Box 1110 • Tampa, FL 33601 Phone (813) 272-5660 HCFLGov.net July 9, 2021 Brian L. Shroyer Multimodal Project Manager Florida Department of Transportation 11201 N. McKinley Drive, MS 7-500 Tampa, FL 33612 RE: State Road 56 Extension Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) Study Dear Mr. Shroyer: On June 16, 2021, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted unanimously to inform the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) of its vehement opposition to the proposed State Road 56 “Corridor 3b” extension route connecting U.S. Highway 301 to U.S. Highway 98. Corridor 3b would cut a new 15+ mile path through undeveloped public and private lands to make this connection. Public lands affected by Corridor 3b include Hillsborough County’s Lower Green Swamp Preserve (LGSP) and the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Upper Hillsborough Preserve (UHP). Collectively, these two preserves encompass over 39,000 acres of contiguous, unspoiled lands that comprise one of the last true wilderness areas remaining in the Tampa Bay region. Both the County and District have worked tirelessly over the past four decades to piece together this vital wildlife corridor that connects approximately 24,000 acres of preserved lands in the lower Hillsborough River Basin with over 131,000 acres of preserved lands in the Green Swamp. Some of the primary concerns regarding Corridor 3b expressed during our June 16th meeting include the following: • The proposed route straddles the Hillsborough-Pasco County line as it completely bisects the shared boundary between the LGSP and UHP. Forest fragmentation is considered one of the world’s leading threats to biodiversity; in this case, an extension of State Road 56 will permanently damage the landscape integrity of this wilderness area with wide-ranging ecological, environmental, and recreational impacts. • Increased mortality rates of the Florida Black Bear and other documented local and wide-ranging species that travel between the Green Swamp and Lower Hillsborough River Basin. • Where the proposed route dips south into the County’s LGSP, an unacceptable conflict will occur since the American Carbon Registry holds a 40-year easement over this portion of the preserve as part of an approved Carbon Credit Project between the County and Winrock International. • The County has procured state, local and federal grants as part of its Phase III LGSP Hydrologic Restoration Project, the core of which is located along the preserve’s northern boundary and is dependent upon the unimpeded sheet flow of water from the adjacent UHP. • There is no existing FDOT or County Road Right-of-Way or Easement at this location that would indicate any prior planning for a future road or extension of an existing road. • The LGSP’s wide-ranging ecosystem services and their economic benefits to the taxpaying public will be negatively impacted, thus devaluing a significant public asset. • The proposed route is inconsistent and incompatible with the County’s Lower Green Swamp Preserve Management Plan. Multiple land management activities, in particular prescribed burning efforts, will be altered dramatically and, in some cases, impossible to conduct safely. This will result in habitat degradation over time, especially in the northern portions of the preserve where the prescription for conducting prescribed burns will be severely limited. Additionally, several local organizations have reached out to the BOCC expressing their opposition to the proposed Corridor 3b route. These include the Tampa Audubon Society, Eagle Audubon Society, Tampa Bay Sierra Club, Hillsborough County Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) General Committee, and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Board. Over many years, volunteers with these and other organizations have invested countless hours of hard work to assist the County in its ongoing restoration and maintenance efforts at the LGSP. It is the expectation of the BOCC that FDOT will move expeditiously to remove Corridor 3b from further consideration. If we can be of assistance in this endeavor, please let me know. Sincerely, Pat Kemp, District 6, Countywide Chair, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners cc: ELAPP General Committee Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Board Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation The Honorable Chris Sprowls, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives The Honorable Wilton Simpson, President of the Florida Senate Hillsborough County Commission Bonnie M. Wise, Hillsborough County Administrator Christine M. Beck, Hillsborough County Attorney Peggy Caskey, Hillsborough County Internal Auditor
