PLTAAC Agenda Packet 6.30.26

June 30, 2026 - Public Lands and Trails Acquisition Advisory Committee Meeting · 2026-06-30 · agenda_packet

The Public Lands and Trails Acquisition Advisory Committee (PLTAAC) met on June 30, 2026, to review property submissions for acquisition. The agenda included staff site evaluation reviews of several properties, with any not completed to be carried forward to the July 30 agenda. The meeting also noted that the Wekiva Trail site review would be considered on July 30. The document lists six properties that were scored based on site evaluations: Sunderman (Groveland), Shelley/Chasteen (Howey-in-the-Hills), Holloway (Paisley), National Developers LLC/Rood (Ferndale), King Grove Organic Farm (Eustis), and Sharp (Clermont). The April 16, 2026, meeting minutes were approved. Public comment was heard from Susan Fetter, a resident of Leesburg, who thanked the board and encouraged continued acquisition of conservation lands, referencing an accomplishment in Flagler County. A presentation was given by Dylan Rigsby of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation regarding the statewide vision of connected lands, ecological hubs, and the importance of conserving working lands. The presentation highlighted opportunities and development pressures within Lake County, specifically mentioning connections between the Ocala National Forest and the Green Swamp, and the critical connection in South Lake via Wellness Way. Discussions also covered the Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN) data collection, the acquisition workflow, scorecard approvals, and the process for conservation easement requests. The application window for nominations was February 13, 2026, through April 17, 2026, with 11 nominations received, including one conservation easement application and one combination application. The PLTAAC would receive all applications for review before the June 30, 2026, meeting, with higher-scoring applications being notated. The committee also discussed the solicitation of the program broadly versus approaching specific property owners.