§ 9-186. Land eligibility and acquisition criteria.

(a)

The evaluation of each acquisition proposal shall be based on satisfying at least two (2) of the initial screening criteria in this section. Qualified sites shall then be prioritized by a site scoring criteria matrix ("scoring matrix") to be developed by the LCAB and county staff, based on similar scoring systems used by the State of Florida's Conservation and Recreational Lands program and/or other land acquisition programs. The initial screening criteria are:

(1)

Land with the rarest, most unique and endangered habitats found in the county, in the following order of preference: sandhill, lake margin swamps, wetlands, bayheads, pine uplands and flatwoods, river floodplain, dry prairie, wet prairie, cypress domes, xeric oak, scrub, high quality open range, other native habitats.

(2)

Lands offering the best human social values, including balanced geographic distribution, where possible, proximity to population, connectivity to other green space, green way and/or other conservation areas, appropriate access for passive and compatible uses, and enhancement of the aesthetic setting of the county.

(3)

Land, which protects the most natural water resource values, including aquifer recharge, water quality, wetland dependant species habitat, and flood control.

(4)

Land containing the most biological value, including biodiversity, listed species habitat, connectivity, restoration potential, and ecological quality.

(5)

Land, which enhances and/or protects the environmental value of current conservation lands through function as a buffer, ecological link, or habitat corridor.

(b)

Any qualified land which meets at least two (2) of the above criteria, and has matching funds available and/or which the program has funds available and could leverage a significantly higher funding rank if submitted with another acquisition program.

(c)

Acquisition of property shall not be limited based on the availability or unavailability of management funds.

(d)

Any environmentally significant land not on the acquisition list that is offered for conveyance or donation to the county and is proposed for management by the program, shall be evaluated as provided herein.

(e)

The proposed acquisition lands which are qualified under the initial screening criteria shall be evaluated and ranked by the LCAB, with the assistance of county staff, using the scoring matrix described in subsection (a), and site visit information which confirms or refutes the initial screening criteria evaluation, and based on comparative size (to prefer larger or similar lands), vulnerability to destruction (to prefer most threatened of qualified lands), and the estimated feasibility and costs of management (to prefer most manageable lands).

(f)

The board shall approve a list of target protection areas which contains specific sites that generally satisfy the initial screening criteria and meet the goals of the program. Inclusion on this list is not a guarantee of subsequent purchase. All proposals will be evaluated and ranked by the LCAB, with the assistance of county staff, for recommendation to the board.

(Ord. No. 04-28, § 6, 7-26-04)