Managing 150,000 Acres of Land Operations Division-Interim Land Management

1. Managing 150,000 Acres of Land Operations Division-Interim Land Management Presented By:John Dunnuck

2. CERP Organization Chart Ken Ammon Deputy Executive Director CERP Pamela S. Mac'Kie Assistant Deputy Executive Director Land Resources John Dunnuck Department Director Land Management and Operations Right of Way Thomas L. Fratz Land Stewardship Frederick E. Davis Operations James A. Bridgeman Support Vacant Effective June 13, 2005

3. Operations Division Organization Chart James A. Bridgeman Division Director Operations Myriam Bonilla Administrative Assistant - Senior Contracts Finance Records Management IT Support GIS CERP Transition Andrea M. Stringer Senior Real Property Manager Vacant Real Property Manager Sara Hamalainen Admin. Assistant – Staff Dolores Cwalino IT Business Analyst Dennis Meierer Supervisor Geographer Vacant Field Operations Supervisor Dawn West Sr. Accounting Technician Leonard Aikins Business Operations Analyst Effective June 13, 2005

4. Operations Division Organization ChartGIS Section James A. Bridgeman Division Director Operations Dennis Meierer Supervisor Geographer Linda Robinson Administrative Assistant - Senior Judy Canada Geographer Paul Ellis Staff Geographer Lee Henderson Sr. Planner Erik Henning Sr. Geographer Associate Mary Ann Jones Sr. Geographer Associate Cheryl McDow Sr. Geographer Associate Frank Razem Specialist Geographer Associate Robert Schaffer Sr. Survey/Mapping Associate Stacy Shephard Geographer Effective June 13, 2005

5. Regional Acquisition Strategy Map

6. Comparison of Program Focus INTERIM LAND MANAGEMENT • Manage until restoration project implemented • Minimize taxpayer burden • Partnership solicitations seek revenue generation & positive economic impact to region LAND STEWARDSHIP • Restore to natural condition • Maintain natural state in perpetuity • Resource-based public use • Partnership solicitations seek best qualified lessee for maximizing restoration functions

7. 500,000 Acres of Land Managed* • Land Stewardship (Natural area restoration, conservation, recreation lands)350,000 • Interim Land Management (Project lands for CERP, ECP, Structures, Restoration, etc.)150,000 *(Does not include 1,800 miles canal ROW or 880,000 acres WCA)

8. Acres of Land Managed By Division Interim Property 150,000 Acres Land Stewardship 350,000 Acres (Does not include 1,800 miles canal ROW or 880,000 acres WCA)

9. Interim Property ManagementDefinition Interim period is from the date of acquisition to the beginning of construction or conversion to the property’s ultimate planned use.

10. Interim Property ManagementMission The Land Management Department will support the District’s overall mission by providing high quality interim land management that: • Considers the economic impact to the region • Reduces management expenses • Protects and preserves the land for present and future generations • Turns land over to the project in an improved condition

11. Interim Land Management Program Goalsto manage land pending project construction • Preserve and protect the resource • Reduce exotic plant infestation • Preserve existing agricultural economy • Provide alternate source of revenue which reduces taxpayer burden for land management activities • Retain property on local county tax rolls

12. How Does Interim Property ManagementSupport Acceler8 Activities ? • Coordinates with federal partners on construction schedules and early land certification • Develops Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to support federal land management mandates • Recovers purchase price of acquired improvements or business inventories by liquidation sales • Manages demolition and clearing of improvements • Coordinates regulatory permit compliance on managed lands

13. Continued...How Does Interim Property ManagementSupport Acceler8 Activities ? • Coordinates with County Tax Appraisers on construction schedules and design footprints to insure maximum property tax payments • Negotiates early land reductions from existing leases to provide lands for design footprints • Assists project managers with interim land activities to include operations & maintenance of pump stations, exotic vegetation, capital equipment purchases

14. Land Management Financial PerformanceLease Program Contribution 1998-2004 Acres Leased 2004 109,883 Revenue $13,868,058 Property Tax Paid to Counties by Lessee $12,837,272 Cost Avoidance ($25 per acre) $13,609,250 Total Contribution $40,314,580

15. Interim Property Revenue 1998-2004 Total Revenue $13,868,058

16. Glades Okeechobee Palm Beach St. Lucie Highland Hendry Martin Osceola Polk

18. How Do We Get Contracts? • From Real Estate Acquisitions • Reservations • Leasebacks • Subject to • Seller not interested in continuing activity – solicit bids • Buy vacant property – solicit bids • Miscellaneous – other contracts • License Agreements/Use Agreements

19. Interim Property Management Contracts by Acquisition Method $272,882 4,970 Acres $851,639 22,243 Acres $2,416,991 55,201 Acres $1,068,755 6,113 Acres Total Contracts: 70

20. Contract Summary by Purpose As of June 2005 * Includes, Billboards, Towers, Parking, Airboat, Fish Farm, Fruit Groves, Equestrian, Management Agreements

21. 109,883 Acres 4 Staff 12,177 Acres 6 Staff

22. Staff Goals • Consistencies between Land Acquisition and Land Management • Improve Governing Board perception of Land Management • Recognition by Governing Board that lease restrictions affects market value • Providing land management support to CERP and Acceler8 programs • Credible construction project schedules • Dealing with 70 complex existing leases

23. Interim Property ManagementConclusions • High growth program brings challenges: • Providing management support to Acceler8 • Volume of acquisitions outpacing staff resources • Increasing exotic management needs • Complex contracts require intensive administration • Emphasis on including Land Management issues in Land Acquisition negotiations • Maximize revenue while protecting the resources

24. Lease Policy • The lease policy was established to: • Assist staff in administering agricultural leases • Allow the Governing Board to know and understand how the leasing program is functioning • Provide the public and lessees with a better understanding of the policies by which interim lands will be managed.

25. Purpose of Lease Policy • To achieve fair market value on leased lands • To make terms consistent with crop cycles • To competitively bid when time permits • To protect the District from liability on leased land for taxes and assessments

26. Interim Property Proposes to: • Modify the lease policy to allow longer lease terms to keep good quality land steward partners on the property • Modify vacant job description to reflect more expertise in the agricultural field • Develop partnership with organizations such as IFAS • Solicit an RFP for contracting land management services to supplement existing staff • Modify funding partner agreements to give District approval to amend leases and make management decisions • Modify the lease policy to allow greater flexibility on whether to bid out or extend existing leases based on agricultural activity and project schedules that are ever changing