Once again, after a five-year lull, special interests are attempting to grab Ward Creek (which is an upper arm of Lake Miccosukee, in Jefferson County) from public use and enjoyment and into their exclusive private control. The Jefferson County Commission is on-record against this area coming out of public ownership, and we are grateful for their continued support! Citizens should urge the members of the Commission to hold firm in favor of continued public ownership as their continued support is vital to keeping this property open. Public hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, canoeing, and kayaking opportunities are few in the northern part of the County. To lose Ward Creek would be devastating to the people's enjoyment of the real Florida. Nothing could come close to replacing it.
Arguments that privatizing Ward Creek would "put it on the tax rolls" are not well-founded. Agricultural lands and conservation easements do not bring near the amount of revenue that some would have us believe. If this land were to be sold, it would be required by the state to be placed under a conservation easement. Property placed under such restrictions are tax exempt and yield little, if any, tax revenue. Any additional tax revenue would be negligible (likely less than $1 per acre) but the loss of this land to the public would be overwhelming. This land can remain open to the public, under state ownership, just as it has for 150+ years. Jefferson County incurs no additional costs by the state keeping the property open to its residents.
This attempted land grab has happened several times before over the last 40 years, and in each instance the people of Jefferson County, along with concerned citizens with close ties to the community, have stood up against special interests and ensured Ward Creek remained accessible. This is just a different tactic, used by different people, on a different day. This public land has been a part of Jefferson County for over 150 years. Generations of county residents, including my family, have hunted, fished, and recreated in the northeast slough of Lake Miccosukee (Ward Creek). It is sovereign land, to be entrusted to the people to protect and preserve. It is a truly one of a kind place, and should remain open to the public, forever.
Steve Cleckner
JCHS Class of ‘87