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North Central Florida Environmental Summit:

North Central Florida Environmental Summit: A Socio-Demographic Analysis and Ecological Characterization February 16, 2002 Mary Davis, PhD Candidate, Dept of Economics Thomas T. Ankersen, Director, Conservation Clinic Tom Hoctor, UF Geoplan Center

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North Central Florida Environmental Summit:

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  1. North Central Florida Environmental Summit: A Socio-Demographic Analysis and Ecological Characterization February 16, 2002 • Mary Davis, PhD Candidate, Dept of Economics • Thomas T. Ankersen, Director, Conservation Clinic • Tom Hoctor, UF Geoplan Center • Amy Knight, Florida Natural Resources Inventory • Luther Quinn, M.S. Candidate, Inter. Ecology

  2. What is North Central Florida? • Political Boundaries • Socio-Demographic Statistics • Economics and Industry • Environmental Issues

  3. Political Boundaries • Counties included in NCF profile • 16 counties covering 12,400 square miles, 19% of the total Florida land area

  4. Political Boundaries • Regional Planning Councils • North Central Florida, Northeast Florida, Withlacoochee

  5. Political Boundaries • Water Management Districts • Suwannee, St. Johns, Southwest

  6. Socio-demographics • NCF population in 2000 - 962,306, 6% of the total FL population • Distribution of the population • Alachua, Marion, and Clay counties constitute 64% of the NCF population • Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, and Union all have less than 15,000 persons each

  7. Socio-demographics • Population Density • 78 persons per square mile • Florida average is 300 • Most densely populated counties are Clay and Alachua • Least dense are Lafayette, Taylor, and Dixie

  8. Socio-demographics • Population Growth 1990-2000 – 26% • State average – 23.5% • Highest growth area is Gilchrist County at 50% • Smallest growth in Putnam County at 8%

  9. Alachua County Growth SequenceSeparate PowerPoint

  10. Socio-demographics • Major cities • Gainesville, Alachua • Ocala, Marion • Lake City, Columbia • Palatka, Putnam • Orange Park, Clay • Perry, Taylor • Live Oak, Suwannee • Starke, Bradford

  11. Socio-demographics • NCF poverty rate (1997): 20.1% • State poverty rate: 14.4% • Lowest rate in Clay County at 7.7% • Highest rate in Hamilton, Lafayette, and Dixie

  12. Socio-demographics • NCF Per Capita Income: $18,300 • FL average is $19,855 • Alachua county has highest income level - $25,650 • Union County has the lowest level - $12,750

  13. Socio-demographics • High school education • NCF graduation rate: 65.4% • State average: 74.4% • Alachua and Clay have highest rates at above 80% • Dixie and Madison have lowest records at around 57%

  14. Socio-demographics • University Education: percent to receive a Bachelors Degree • NCF: 10.4% • FL: 18.3% • Alachua County 34.6% • Baker, Dixie, and Lafayette: 5-6%

  15. Socio-demographics • 2000 Unemployment Rate for NCF: 3.8% • Highest unemployment in Taylor County with 6.7% • Lowest rate in Alachua County at 1.9%

  16. Economics and Industry • Heavy Industries • Phosphate Mining • Cement Plants • Pulp Mills

  17. Economics and Industry • Government Services: over 80,000 employees • UF: 1998-00 operating budget of over 1 ½ billion dollars • Prisons: 17,000 inmates housed in 20 NCF facilities, including the FL State Prison in Bradford County

  18. Economics and Industry • Tourism • NCF is a favorite spot for outdoor enthusiasts • In 2000-2001, there were approximately 1,300,000 visitors to NCF area state parks and managed areas, and over half of those visits were to local springs

  19. Economics and Industry • 7,600 farms covering over 1 ½ million acres • Major crops: • Tobacco, Corn, Cotton, Peanuts • Livestock • Total beef cattle – 300,000 heads • 72 producing dairies • 272 poultry farms (broiler and egg)

  20. Economics and Industry • Forestry/timber • 70% of NCF land devoted to forestry • State average is around 50% • Alachua and Marion have lowest use at 53% • Baker has highest at 92%

  21. Economics and Industry • Transportation infrastructure • Over 200 road construction projects are currently in progress • 62 projects have been completed within the past year

  22. Environmental Issues • Polluting Industries • Major industrial facilities releasing toxic substances, reported by the EPA in the Toxics Release Inventory • Original TRI Industries • 4 NCF companies are listed in the top ten facilities in Florida for on and off-site releases • Buckeye Florida L.P. in Perry; • Georgia-Pacific Corp in Palatka • Eveready Battery Co. in Alachua • Gold Kist Live Oak Processing Plant in Live Oak

  23. Environmental Issues • Seven New Industries reported by TRI • 2 NCF companies listed among the top ten polluting facilities in FL • Seminole Generating Station in Palatka • GRU, Deerhaven Generating Station in Gainesville

  24. Environmental Issues • NCF Superfund Sites • Approximately 97 Superfund sites are located in NCF • 5 sites are either currently listed or have been listed on the National Priorities List • Currently on the NPL • Cabot Carbon/ Koppers in Alachua County • Brown Wood Preserving in Suwannee County

  25. Environmental Issues • Solid Waste Disposal • NCF average was 1 ton per capita in 1998 • State average is 1.77 tons • Largest contributors to solid wastes are Alachua County residents with 1.8 tons • Least amount of waste comes from Lafayette with .34 tons per capita

  26. Environmental Issues • Groundwater: • NCF withdraws 365.4 million gallons of groundwater per day • Marion and Taylor counties consume the greatest amounts at over 50 million gallons each per day • Total demand on the groundwater system is projected to increase by 35% in the next 20 years

  27. Environmental Issues • Surface Water: • NCF withdrawals of surface water totals 173 million gallons per day • 95% of the withdrawals occur in Suwannee and Putnam counties • Minimum Flow Requirements • 47 MFL’s have been set for the NCF area, all of them within the St. Johns Water Management District

  28. Environmental Issues • List of Impaired Waters: • 12 watersheds within the NCF boundaries reported their waters as impaired in 1998 • The number of water bodies within these watersheds total 185 • Reported impairments are the result of nutrients, coliform, dissolved oxygen, toxic chemicals, turbidity, and total suspended solis

  29. Environmental Issues • Fish and Wildlife Advisories • Rivers: Oklawaha, St. Mary’s, Wacassassa, Suwannee, Santa Fe, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha • Lakes and ponds: Altho, Eaton, Kerr, Ocean, Mill Dam, Swim • National Wildlife Refuge: Lower Suwannee

  30. Environmental Issues • Habitat Loss • Wetlands converted: • Suwannee River: 188 lost, 45 created, 7,343 preserved, 14,028 improved • St. Johns River: 4,351 lost, 3,409 created, 30,549 preserved, 1,254 improved

  31. Environmental Issues Local Government Environmental Programs • Only Alachua and Marion counties have departments specifically devoted to environmental protection • Only Alachua and Marion counties have local government land acquisition programs

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