The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has reached a comprehensive ecosystem management agreement with The St. Joe Company to save wetlands and conserve 20,760 acres along the Florida Panhandle while permitting the company to develop roads, homes, and shopping centers. A publicly traded real estate operating company, The St. Joe Company is the state's largest private landowner.
The ecosystem management agreement (EMA) between the state and the company is an alternative to traditional permitting that uses a comprehensive, coordinated approach to regional development and is intended to provide greater environmental benefits.
Voluntary until signed, once agreed an EMA is legally binding. It requires the company to go above and beyond standard environmental requirements to protect natural areas.
The plan agreed Wednesday covers more than 31,350 acres of St. Joe owned property stretching from West Bay to Choctawhatchee Bay along a stretch of northwest Florida land known as the Emerald Coast, a region known for its biological diversity.
The agreement authorizes dredge and fill activities and construction and maintenance of stormwater facilities associated with building roads, homes, shopping centers and communities. But it imposes strict requirements for minimizing impacts to wetlands, wetland mitigation, habitat conservation and stormwater management during residential, commercial and recreational development.
As part of the agreement, The St. Joe Company is setting aside thousands of acres of high quality habitat for preservation. The conservation areas create a two pronged Bay to Bay wildlife corridor linking public land from Choctawhatchee Bay to St. Andrew Bay and preserving the ecological integrity of two of northwest Floridas most rapidly developing watersheds.
The agreement also includes two mitigation banks covering 7,686 acres. These large, regionally significant areas are set aside for environmental restoration and enhancement, which is conducted in advance of permitted projects. They are intended to offset the environmental damage done by the permitted development.
This agreement provides unparalleled wetlands protection, said DEP's Northwest District Director Mary Jean Yon. By taking a regional approach and working closely with our federal partners, we are able to preserve sensitive natural resources and achieve more protection for Florida's environment."
Outgoing DEP Secretary David Struhs praised department staff for convincing St. Joe to enter into the agreement. Floridas environmental team has secured a commitment that will better protect the resources that matter most. This will avoid traditional piecemeal development that would be insensitive to our desire to protect the entire landscape.
The St. Joe Company has extensive landholdings in Northwest Florida, some of which is earmarked for residential, commercial and recreational development, which requires environmental permits. The agreement provides protective guidelines for activities associated with building roads, homes and community infrastructure and establishes two mitigation areas for environmental enhancement and restoration.
The agreement is a companion to the general permit under consideration by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which covers more than 47,500 acres including property owned by other landowners. Both the management agreement and general permit determine the extent of land conservation, wetland impact and mitigation before any development gets underway.
"This serves as a national example of responsible growth, said newly appointed DEP Secretary Colleen Castille. Not only does the agreement allow the region's economy to grow, it does so in a way that safeguards important water resources and protects the quality of life of those that live and work in Northwest Florida.
The public has 14 days to review the agreement before it becomes final.
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