Help plan the future of Janet Butterfield Brooks WEA, Oct. 27
Hernando County, FL - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will present the 10-year draft management plan for the Janet Butterfield Brooks Wildlife and Environmental Area (WEA) in Hernando County by attending a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 7:00 p.m. at the Hernando County Administrator’s Office, located at 15470 Flight Path Drive in Brooksville, FL. The public is encouraged to attend and will have the opportunity to comment and ask questions regarding the management for the FWC-managed WEA.
The Janet Butterfield Brooks WEA encompasses approximately 319 acres in Hernando County and has some of the area’s last tracts of older growth longleaf pine sandhill forests and hardwood hammocks. The vast mix of mesic hammock, upland hardwood forest and bottomland forest found here provides important wildlife habitat for species, including gopher tortoises and southeastern American kestrels. Public access to the area is restricted to FWC staff for management purposes in accordance with the restrictions in the deed of donation.
“The Janet Butterfield Brooks WEA was donated to ensure the preservation of fish, wildlife, and other natural and cultural resources for future generations,” said Matthew Stana, FWC land conservation planner. “This management plan will specify how we intend to accomplish that goal.”
For more information, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation and explore the links on the page.
Hunting and fishing regulations are not included in this plan or meeting; they are addressed through a separate public process. Visit myfwc.com/about/rules-regulations.
Pursuant to Chapters 253 and 259, Florida Statutes, all lands purchased with public funds must have a management plan that ensures the property will be managed in a manner that is consistent with the intended purposes of the purchase. For more information and background on management plans and their goals, visit myfwc.com/conservation/management-plans/terrestrial.
To obtain a copy of the land management prospectus for the Janet Butterfield Brooks WEA, call Matthew Stana at 850-487-9982 or email Matthew.Stana@MyFWC.com.