Public Meeting on Black Lake Preserve Management Plan and Master Recreation Plan
Press release from Alachua County
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – The Alachua County Office of Land Conservation and Management (Alachua County Forever Program) will host a public meeting on Tuesday, August 16, 2022. The meeting is to discuss the proposed Management Plan and Master Recreation for Black Lake Preserve, located west of Melrose. The meeting is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Trinity Episcopal Church (204 S.R. 26, Melrose).
This meeting provides citizens the opportunity to learn about the proposed Management Plans for the Preserve, including the maintenance and restoration of the natural communities, invasive exotic plant management strategies, use of prescribed fire, forest resource management strategies, future public access opportunities, and more.
Black Lake Preserve is a 288-acre nature preserve located in eastern Alachua County, on the south side of Lake Santa Fe. The Alachua County Forever Program purchased the preserve on June 5, 2020, using funds from the 2016 voter-approved Wild Spaces and Public Places surtax.
A full copy of the draft Management Plan is available upon request by emailing Alachua County Senior Environmental Specialist Ryan Kennelly at LandConservation@alachuacounty.us, or by calling 352-727-0432.
Citizen input can be given at the meeting, by submitting written comments to the email address above, or by hard copy to: Alachua County Office of Land Conservation and Management, 408 West University Ave., Suite 106, Gainesville, FL 32601.
I hope the county doesn’t use our private road (West Blvd) to access Black Lake….and if it is going to be a passive recreational facility as in kayaks and canoes, who pay zero registration fees, how is this being paid for? The county can’t even maintain the fences around it let alone build another facility. They already have a primitive access on Melrose Bay for kayaks and canoes…motored boats are not allowed to launch there…