Oppose Deletion of Mining Overlay in Southeast Lee County

Your Voice is Needed

What You Can Do

Attend the County Commission Board meeting

When

Wednesday, June 19 at 9:30 a.m.

Where

Old Lee County Courthouse Commission Chambers, 2120 Main Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901

In 2010, Lee County adopted new policies to direct various land uses in the Southeast Lee County Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource area (DR/GR) to the most appropriate and compatible locations. These policies balanced protection and restoration of environmental resources, such as flow ways, wetlands and listed species habitat, with more intensive uses, such as residential development, agriculture and limerock mining. Indeed, concern about the potential for mines being located throughout the DR/GR was a main impetus for creating these Lee Plan policies. The policies were the result of a multi-year public process that included experts, residents, business owners, and other stakeholders. The outcome resulted in, among other things, policies to direct mining in the DR/GR to the “Traditional Alico Road Corridor,” because it was acknowledged that limerock mining is an intensive and impactful activity that is not compatible with many residential and environmental areas. These policies were adopted into the Lee Plan in Goal 33 and Map 14 and provided balance between environment, neighborhood and resource extraction.

Unfortunately, Lee County is now proposing to eliminate these same policies, thus opening the entire DR/GR to the threat of limerock mining. The Conservancy is very concerned about the impacts these proposed changes may have on this environmentally sensitive area of Lee County. Mining is impactful, and once blasted, land can never be returned or recovered to its natural state. The DR/GR is a uniquely important area for wildlife, conservation, residential uses, agriculture, and water recharge. More and more residential uses have been approved for the DR/GR, increasing the need for water recharge as well as increasing the probability that future and proposed mines will negatively impact residents, water recharge areas, flowways, and wildlife. This means that the existing policies to direct mining in the DR/GR are more important than ever to retain.

Lee County’s responsibility is to protect the interests of Lee County citizens. Map 14 and its supporting policies do this by directing an impactful activity such as mining to a specific area while allowing for a process that engages private landowners and the public if a new mine needs to be added, as well as requiring a needs assessment to verify that additional limerock supply is necessary.

Map 14 has been one of the successful ways Lee County has protected and managed competing and incompatible interests and uses in the DR/GR. The Conservancy is urging the Lee County Commission to retain Map 14 and associated Goal 33 policies.

Please join us at the Commissioner hearing this Wednesday, June 19th at 9:30am and voice your support for protection of water recharge, wetlands, wildlife and quality of life in the DR/GR through retention of these critical, and effective, limerock mining policies.