GREENWAYS & NATURAL LANDS

Black Hammock Wilderness Area Management Plan

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The Black Hammock Wilderness Area is a 700 acre site located in east Seminole County near the town of Geneva. This site contains a diverse collection of native plant communities and wildlife and helps protect important recharge areas for the Geneva Bubble (local aquifer). Additionally, the wetland habitats of this property filter water on its way to Lake Jesup.	Red-eyed Vireo

Primary management goals include preserving the natural and scenic qualities that exist today, while meeting citizens’ desires for a passive resource-based recreation experience.

Resource Management: Promote and enhance habitat diversity through various techniques.

Prescribed Fire: Reduces fuel loads and is needed to maintain the existing natural community. Many of Florida’s plant communities depend on fire to maintain diversity by opening the canopy and promoting seed germination.

Restoration: Restoration on this site will focus on the reintroduction of fire to restore the flatwoods, and sand pine scrub habitats. The later may require other methods such as mechanical manipulation due to the intense nature of fire in this habitat and the close proximity of residential structures. The hydric hammock and mixed hardwood swamps are the predominant habitat types and have been somewhat altered through historic ditching and canalization. The affects of these activities will be assessed and possibly corrected where adverse impacts to adjacent properties won’t occur.

Preservation: The major focus will be the preservation of the important function of the wetlands on site as they filter water on its way to Lake Jesup. Impacts in these areas will be reduced or kept to a minimum.

Monitoring: By the continuous collection of data over a period of time we are able to assess land management practices and make adjustments where necessary; determining if resource goals are being attained.