RESCHEDULED:

The February 11th Educational Forum has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2010.

Due to inclement weather in the northeastern part of the country, our main speaker for the Educational Forum on Land Use Planning Tools for Retaining Farmland will not be able to travel to the next public workshop that was scheduled for February 11th. We have rescheduled this event for March 6th, the date originally reserved for the Western Lands Assembly. Please mark your calendars and let us know if you can join us for the rescheduled workshop:

In the meantime you can keep up to date with the progress we have made so far with the Western Lands Study:

January 14 Educational Forum and Public Input Workshop:
Preserving Farmland through Profitable Agriculture

 Watch the video!

Read the Summary Report!

The public participation workshops of the Western Lands Study are under way with the first Educational Forum held on January 14, 2010. Attendance of almost 100 yielded valuable participation and feedback on the economic development tools presented. If you missed all or any part of the event you can watch the video of the full day. You can also link to presentations from the various speakers:

• The Western Lands Today:  The Agricultural Economy  - Dr. William Stronge, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Florida Atlantic University

• Economic Development Tools for Maintaining Farmland through Profitable Agriculture - Bob Wagner, Senior Director of Farmland Protection Programs, the American Farmland Trust
• Expanding Florida Agriculture's Role in Producing Renewable Energy and Participating in Carbon Markets - Andrew Walmsley, Assistant Director of Agricultural Policy, Florida Farm Bureau
• Incorporating Environmental Services Banking into Florida Farm Management and Business Plans - Ann Redmond, Senior Consultant, ENTRIX Senior Consultant
• The Florida Ranchlands Environmental Services Project Experience: A Pay-for-Environmental-Services Program - Dr. Hilary Swain, Executive Director and Senior Research Biologist, Archbold Biological Station
• Growing Demand for Locally Produced Food - Robert Kluson, Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent of Sarasota County

The consultant Project Team is moving ahead with implementation of the Western Lands Study Scope of Services, which includes 11 separate tasks that outline the course of the study from data collection to the four-part public participation process. We are currently nearing completion of Tasks one through three and will have the reports that result from those tasks available soon for review.  The team continues to review maps and data of this area to inform their study of existing conditions.
Your participation is critical to this planning effort. Please join us for the upcoming public workshops:

• Educational Forum 2 - Land Use Related Tools for Sustaining Agriculture
  Saturday March 6, 2010
  9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  The Havert L. Fenn Center
  2000 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL

• Western Lands Assembly
  Saturday, April 24, 2010
  9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  The Havert L. Fenn Center
  2000 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL

• Western Lands Assembly Follow-Up
  Date TBD

RSVP
Space will be limited at these events; please RSVP at least two days in advance of each event if you plan to attend. Attendance is recommended at both of the Educational Forums as they will provide the basis for much of the discussion and break-out session activity at the Western Lands Assembly.
Any questions or comments on this planning effort may be directed to:
Kara Wood, Planning Manager
St. Lucie County Growth Management
2300 Virginia Avenue
Fort Pierce, FL  34982-5652
T: 772.462.2822
F: 772.462.1581
woodk@stlucieco.org

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
For a plan of this magnitude and scope, and with such significant economic and environmental implications, it is imperative that stakeholders and the public have a voice in creating a vision for the future of St. Lucie County's Western Lands. Equally important is that such a vision be formed by an objective evaluation of the impacts of alternative futures, including the future of continuing with current policies and practices.
Throughout this study the County welcomes feedback from all concerned citizens. Growth Management staff will be updating this web page as developments occur to keep the public informed.
The Educational Forums are intended to be precursors to the Western Lands Assembly. At the Forums, the project team and guest speakers will be covering and facilitating discussions about a variety of topics related to issues and options facing agriculture generally and more specifically in St Lucie County. The forums are intended to help set the framework for the discussion and policy-making to be done at the Western Lands Assembly.
The Western Lands Assembly is the day-long event wherein the topics and issues discussed and identified in the Educational Forums will be refined into the consensus options and recommendations on how to proceed in the Western Lands.
There will then be a follow-up session to the Western Lands Assembly, wherein the project team will bring the items back to the participants for a final round of discussion and evaluation prior to presenting to the Board of County Commissioners. The date for the follow-up session has not been set, but will likely occur in late spring 2010.