| Conservancy Buys Jewel of
Apalachicola River
(Note: What a tangled web it is -- and all to CONTROL land, water and resources.) March 6, 2003 Altamonte Springs, Florida (ENS) - The Nature Conservancy has purchased nearly 300 acres of native forestland bordered on two sides by Florida's Apalachicola River. This short, broad peninsula of bottomland hardwood forest in northern Liberty County juts into the river and is adjacent to Torreya State Park. The Apalachicola River has the largest forested floodplain in Florida. The new parcel is home to as many as 60 tree species, such as tupelo, sycamore and winged elm. In addition, the rare one-toed amphium (Amphium pholeter) inhabits the rich floodplain soils. The property is so important that the Florida Division of Recreation and Parks has been, "trying to acquire this land for half a century," according to Albert Gregory, bureau chief of park planning. The property was purchased for $819,000 from Neal Land and Timber Company through their intermediary PDO Inc. In the 1930s, the Neal family donated the bulk of the land that became Torreya State Park. The park protects portions of steep ravines, upland pine and hardwood forests and river floodplains. The region is biologically unique to Florida and is inhabited by many species more commonly found in the Appalachian Mountains. The Conservancy has worked with Neal Land and Timber Company and the Division of Recreation and Parks for several years to preserve this land. "We are thrilled to put this incredible piece of land into permanent protection," added Vicki Tschinkel, state director of the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. The Conservancy has focused on the Apalachicola River as a priority protection area because of the natural resources along the river and in its downstream estuary, Apalachicola Bay. The Conservancy recently designated the Apalachicola River and adjoining portions of the Florida Panhandle as one of the top six hot spots of biological diversity in the United States. Numerous rare and imperiled plant and animal species, such as the federally threatened Gulf sturgeon, occur both within the river and in the forested habitats of its floodplains, ravines and uplands. The Conservancy plans to convey the property to the state for inclusion in Torreya State Park in the near future. Gregory said, "We are very pleased that this important tract will now be added to the holdings of the Division of Recreation and Parks, as it will help us to better manage the entire ecosystem encompassed by this unique Florida park." |