From Pasture to Prairie:

Pasco Restoration Project Breaks New Ground

At first glance, Jumping Gully Preserve looks just the way it should. Sandhill cranes stroll majestically through grassy meadows sweeping across gently rolling hills. Wild turkeys are nearly invisible in the scrub under low-growing oaks while wading birds stalk their prey in the ephemeral ponds of a dry lake bed. Sandy mounds on higher lands point to the presence of tortoises or perhaps burrowing owls.

But while most people simply appreciate the natural beauty of Jumping Gully, Keith Wiley envisions a preserve that's even more attractive to wildlife. As environmental lands program manager for Pasco County, he's spearheading the restoration of the 600-acre cattle operation to its historic habitat. "We'll never be able to fully restore it but we can recreate a similar structure," he says.

Across the state, only a few restorations have transformed cattle pastures back to their original sandhill or dry prairie ecosystems but they've been remarkably successful, he said. "Look at places like Disney's Wilderness Preserve or the uplands restoration in the Green Swamp and you can really see the difference – but it's a lot of work and money to get there."

The first step at Jumping Gully will be a 40-acre site at the northeastern tip of the property which abuts a natural area with a thriving population of gopher tortoises. "We think we can recruit from that population if we restore the native grass species," notes Cristina Esposito, land manager.

Gopher tortoises are not only a threatened species in Florida, they're considered a keystone species because they share their burrows with more than 350 other species. Part of the funding for the restoration work comes from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Gopher Tortoise Habitat Fund, adds Wiley. "They've funded land purchases and prescribed burns before, but this is the first-ever restoration project they've selected."

Restoration will begin later this Spring with herbicide sprays to kill off the pasture grass. "We're hopeful that one spray will work but it may take two years before we can begin reseeding," Wiley said. "Luckily it's just Bahia and dog fennel – we don't have any of the really invasive grasses like cogon."

Once the pasture grass is dead, seed from native grasses and shrubs will be harvested and broadcast on the site. "We're still looking for donor sites but we'd like to find something nearby," he said. Unlike pasture grass that grows to a uniform height, native grasses grow in different shapes and sizes so that wildlife can find niches they don't have in a pasture, Wiley said. "They need that structure in a more natural landscape, where some grasses will be waist high and then you'll have patches of bare sand."

Wiregrass, the dominant groundcover in much of Florida's natural areas, is a favorite food for the gopher tortoise and provides cover for many birds, reptiles and small mammals. It's considered a "bunch" grass that grows in dense clumps about 18 to 36 inches tall.

With so few examples of how to successfully restore cattle pasture to native dry prairie or sandhill, Pasco will start small and learn as they go. "Even 50% native groundcover is considered successful," Wiley notes. The cattle pasture is fenced in 40-acre parcels so the transition will be easier. Parts of the property are still leased for cattle operations, which also helps to fund the restoration.

Tracking progress and documenting success will be an important part of the restoration, he adds. Benchmarks on native plant species and the wildlife using them will be recorded before restoration begins. "We're talking to St. Leo University about setting up living classrooms at Jumping Gully and Pasco Palms (an ELAMP preserve on the Gulf of Mexico) so students are here on a long-term basis to learn about how preservation and restoration work."

Penny for Pasco Invests in Environmental Lands

Jumping Gully Preserve was purchased with funds raised through the voter-approved Penny for Pasco sales tax that dedicates 25% of the county's share of funds raised to environmental lands purchases. Originally passed in 2004, the program enjoys strong support from residents, with nearly 80% of voters saying they would renew the tax. A referendum to extend the tax for another 10 years may be placed on the November 2012 ballot.
Along with the Jumping Gully Preserve, Pasco's Environmental Land Acquisition and Management Program has purchased:

Aripeka Sandhills, 210 acres northwest of U.S. 19 and Aripeka Road, jointly owned and managed with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The property encompasses hardwood hammock, scrub, sandhill and mixed hardwood/conifer forest.

Bailie's Bluff, a 100-acre site located near county-owned parks at Key Vista and Anclote Key. ELAMP will manage the natural resources within the three properties and the parks department will coordinate recreational activities including a planned trail that encompasses the three properties.

Boy Scout Preserve on Green Key Road in New Port Richey, an 18-acre property located on the Gulf of Mexico in New Port Richey including sensitive mangrove and upland habitat. A 5-acre Brazilian pepper removal project was recently completed.

Cypress Creek, a 250-acre preserve that stretches from the Hillsborough County line north to State Road 56 on the east side of Interstate 75. The county owns the entire stretch except a small section that is a Department of Transportation mitigation project.

Pasco Palms Preserve, 117 acres of coastal property near New Port Richey featuring salt marshes, mangrove forests, tidal flats, maritime hammock and estuarine habitats, was purchased in a partnership with the state through its Florida Communities Trust Program. ELAMP is currently working with the River Ridge High School Splash Club to construct a ½ mile trail. Students also conducted a clean-up in December, collecting a half-ton of trash from along the road.

Tierra del Sol encompasses about 110 acres including 80 acres of mitigation project and 28 acres purchased by ELAMP off U.S. 41 about three miles south of SR 52. Restoration of Five-Mile Creek will begin later this year, with hiking trails built once the creek is complete.

Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve, a 122-acre parcel east of the Suncoast Parkway in Shady Hills featuring scrub, wetland forest and mixed hardwood upland habitat. Located in the Starkey-Cross Bar Critical Linkage, it was also purchased in a partnership with Florida Communities Trust Program. The preserve is open from sunrise to sunset and includes a 1.14-mile trail and a facility that is used for meetings and workshops. A nature-themed playground, boardwalk and parking lot are under construction.

Want to visit?

Because parts of Jumping Gully Preserve are still being used as cattle pasture, the preserve is open by appointment only. Call the ELAMP office at 727-847-2411, ext. 8333 to set up a time. Guided tours are scheduled several times a year through the ELAMP office (pascocountyfl.net) or the West Pasco Audubon Society (westpascoaudubon.com).