Purchase unites wildlife preserve

The two pieces of the Ozona preserve are connected by a 1.7-acre tract, at a cost of $115,000, which also increases its size to 8.3 acres.

By ROBERT FARLEY

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 12, 2000

OZONA -- It's a small property, just 1.7 acres, with a modest two-bedroom home on it.

But to Reggie Hall, a longtime Ozona resident tired of seeing nature quickly disappear, it is an environmental treasure.

County officials agree.

On Wednesday, the Pinellas County Commission approved the purchase of the property for $115,000. It will link two previously unconnected pieces of what is known as the Ozona Wildlife Preserve, bringing the preserve to a total of 8.3 acres.

"In this densely populated county, we need to preserve whatever bit of open space we have left," said Hall, president of the Friends of the Ozona Wildlife Preserve. "Amen, right?"

Although the Ozona Wildlife Preserve may be small, it is environmentally sensitive and important to save, said Craig Huegel, who oversees all the county's preserves. Its location in historic Ozona adds to its significance, he said.

"This particular parcel was especially important because it connects the pieces we already have," Huegel said. "We are now guaranteed that we have one contiguous property we can protect, manage and restore."

County environmental officials would like to study water quality issues there. The site contains Banana Creek, along with wetlands and tidal ponds.

There are differing opinions among old-time residents about the interplay between freshwater springs and saltwater from the gulf there, Huegel said. Although Banana Creek at one time connected directly to a gulf lagoon, several homes now lie in the path between the preserve and the gulf. They are now connected by an underground pipe.

It is clear, Huegel said, that the marshy areas of the preserve do not flush with saltwater from the gulf as often as they used to.

That flushing is important if such fish as snook, redfish and tarpon are to use it as a juvenile nursing ground. Flushing also would allow crabs and other sea creatures and wading birds to thrive there.

Because of the preserve's small size, the county has so far been unsuccessful in obtaining a grant to study water issues there. Such a study is needed, Huegel said, before the county can take steps to restore better water flow.

The preserve is also plagued with an overgrowth of exotic plants. In all, there are about a dozen -- including Brazilian pepper, air potato and punk trees -- fighting for dominance and choking out natural vegetation, Huegel said.

This fiscal year, likely sometime after October, Huegel said, the county plans to take steps to eradicate the exotic plants in the preserve.

The preserve has been more than 10 years in the making. In 1988, a group of local residents led by Hall persuaded the county to purchase 5.3 acres backing up to homes on Ridge Road and North Street. In 1998, the county purchased a 1.3-acre property east of Banana Street for $125,000.

This new, interconnecting piece was offered for sale by its owners, Daniel J. and Catherine A. Newhaller. It took a year and a half to negotiate a price, said Ellyn Kadel, the county's real estate manager.

The county hopes a wildlife officer will take up residence in the small home on the property, to keep an eye on the preserve and prevent vandalism and trespassing.

Other contiguous properties may be purchased if they are deemed environmentally sensitive, Kadel said.

"It really is beautiful up there," Kadel said. "It's a wonderful habitat. What seems like a small tract to us is very significant to the ecosystem."

Except for a small, passive park on North Street, the preserve is almost entirely off-limits to the public. A large chain-link fence surrounds the property.

"It is truly a preserve," Kadel said.

Hall, 48, who has been living in his Ridge Road home abutting the preserve for 22 years, said that while the area may not have any deer or Florida panther, it is home to plenty of important wildlife, such as black indigo snakes, gopher tortoises and raccoons.

"Every once in a while we, the public, get off our butt and impress upon elected officials to do the right thing," Hall said. "We enlightened the county government about this, and they have done the right thing."

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