Daddy Dave
Well-known member
Issue Alert from Kissimmee River Valley Sportsman's Association
Just to bring everyone up to speed on a very important public recreation access issue. 3,200 acres of waterfront "Shady Oaks" property on Lake Kissimmee was owned by the Spate family for many years. This property held a fish camp, campground and many family's weekend places and some permanent homes were also on this property.
The state made them an offer that, after negotiations, the Spates ended up accepting because, according to Tracy Spate, if they didn't accept, the state was going to take it by eminent domain.
Now I find out "through the grapevine," the state is going to do a land swap to a cattlemen / developer named Kenser (sp?). The state bought the entire 3,200 acres, but all of a sudden, now they only need 800 acres for "flowage easements." The private party land swap offer is for the remaining 2,400.
Recently, Florida paid the Lightsey family millions of taxpayer's dollars for a conservation easement on Brahma Island - with no public access provision. Now on a larger piece of lakefront property already in state / public ownership, just a few hundred yards away, they propose to trade away all public access and ownership. This represents the only large public acreage on the south or west shore of Lake Kissimmee.
Our point is: This property should never leave state ownership and under no circumstances, without a traditional uses public recreational access conservation easement.
We have to wonder how Gov. Jeb Bush could allow this to move forward when he is on record as a strong proponent of the restoration of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee.
This tract is the last remaining pubic parcel before Lake Kissimmee water flows into the Kissimmee Ditch, then the restored Kissimmee River headed toward Lake Okeechobee. We feel it is imperative this land parcel remain in public ownership to guarantee traditional use public access to the Kissimmee Chain for future generations.
We ask airboaters all outdoor sports enthusiasts to support the efforts of KRVSA to keep this piece of public property - PUBLIC.
Thanks,
Danny Brantley
President
Kissimmee River Valley Sportsman's Association
Contact: 863-676-4996
Just to bring everyone up to speed on a very important public recreation access issue. 3,200 acres of waterfront "Shady Oaks" property on Lake Kissimmee was owned by the Spate family for many years. This property held a fish camp, campground and many family's weekend places and some permanent homes were also on this property.
The state made them an offer that, after negotiations, the Spates ended up accepting because, according to Tracy Spate, if they didn't accept, the state was going to take it by eminent domain.
Now I find out "through the grapevine," the state is going to do a land swap to a cattlemen / developer named Kenser (sp?). The state bought the entire 3,200 acres, but all of a sudden, now they only need 800 acres for "flowage easements." The private party land swap offer is for the remaining 2,400.
Recently, Florida paid the Lightsey family millions of taxpayer's dollars for a conservation easement on Brahma Island - with no public access provision. Now on a larger piece of lakefront property already in state / public ownership, just a few hundred yards away, they propose to trade away all public access and ownership. This represents the only large public acreage on the south or west shore of Lake Kissimmee.
Our point is: This property should never leave state ownership and under no circumstances, without a traditional uses public recreational access conservation easement.
We have to wonder how Gov. Jeb Bush could allow this to move forward when he is on record as a strong proponent of the restoration of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee.
This tract is the last remaining pubic parcel before Lake Kissimmee water flows into the Kissimmee Ditch, then the restored Kissimmee River headed toward Lake Okeechobee. We feel it is imperative this land parcel remain in public ownership to guarantee traditional use public access to the Kissimmee Chain for future generations.
We ask airboaters all outdoor sports enthusiasts to support the efforts of KRVSA to keep this piece of public property - PUBLIC.
Thanks,
Danny Brantley
President
Kissimmee River Valley Sportsman's Association
Contact: 863-676-4996
Lightsey family Has always been very powerful and I beleive if you follow the money trail it will end up in a Bank of Republic. Yes that was a Jab.