North Central Florida Environmental Profile North Central Florida Environmental Summit: A Socio-Demographic Analysis and Ecological Characterization February 16, 2002 Mary Davis, PhD Candidate, Dept of Economics Thomas T. Ankersen, Director, Conservation Clinic Tom Hoctor, UF Geoplan Center Amy Knight, Florida Natural Resources Inventory Luther Quinn, M.S. Candidate, Inter. Ecology

North Central Florida Environmental Profile What is North Central Florida? –Political Boundaries –Socio-Demographic Statistics –Economics and Industry –Environmental Issues

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Political Boundaries Counties included in NCF profile –16 counties covering 12,400 square miles, 19% of the total Florida land area

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Political Boundaries Regional Planning Councils –North Central Florida, Northeast Florida, Withlacoochee

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Political Boundaries Water Management Districts –Suwannee, St. Johns, Southwest

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Socio-demographics NCF population in ,306, 6% of the total FL population Distribution of the population –Alachua, Marion, and Clay counties constitute 64% of the NCF population –Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, and Union all have less than 15,000 persons each

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics Population Density –78 persons per square mile –Florida average is 300 –Most densely populated counties are Clay and Alachua –Least dense are Lafayette, Taylor, and Dixie

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics Population Growth – 26% State average – 23.5% Highest growth area is Gilchrist County at 50% Smallest growth in Putnam County at 8%

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Alachua County Growth Sequence Separate PowerPoint

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics Major cities –Gainesville, Alachua –Ocala, Marion –Lake City, Columbia –Palatka, Putnam –Orange Park, Clay –Perry, Taylor –Live Oak, Suwannee –Starke, Bradford

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics NCF poverty rate (1997): 20.1% State poverty rate: 14.4% Lowest rate in Clay County at 7.7% Highest rate in Hamilton, Lafayette, and Dixie

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics NCF Per Capita Income: $18,300 FL average is $19,855 Alachua county has highest income level - $25,650 Union County has the lowest level - $12,750

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics High school education –NCF graduation rate: 65.4% –State average: 74.4% –Alachua and Clay have highest rates at above 80% –Dixie and Madison have lowest records at around 57%

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics University Education: percent to receive a Bachelors Degree –NCF: 10.4% –FL: 18.3% –Alachua County 34.6% –Baker, Dixie, and Lafayette: 5-6%

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Socio-demographics 2000 Unemployment Rate for NCF: 3.8% –Highest unemployment in Taylor County with 6.7% –Lowest rate in Alachua County at 1.9%

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Economics and Industry Heavy Industries –Phosphate Mining –Cement Plants –Pulp Mills

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Economics and Industry Government Services: over 80,000 employees –UF: operating budget of over 1 ½ billion dollars –Prisons: 17,000 inmates housed in 20 NCF facilities, including the FL State Prison in Bradford County

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Economics and Industry Tourism –NCF is a favorite spot for outdoor enthusiasts –In , there were approximately 1,300,000 visitors to NCF area state parks and managed areas, and over half of those visits were to local springs

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Economics and Industry 7,600 farms covering over 1 ½ million acres Major crops: –Tobacco, Corn, Cotton, Peanuts Livestock –Total beef cattle – 300,000 heads –72 producing dairies –272 poultry farms (broiler and egg)

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Economics and Industry Forestry/timber –70% of NCF land devoted to forestry –State average is around 50% –Alachua and Marion have lowest use at 53% –Baker has highest at 92%

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Economics and Industry Transportation infrastructure –Over 200 road construction projects are currently in progress –62 projects have been completed within the past year

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Environmental Issues Polluting Industries –Major industrial facilities releasing toxic substances, reported by the EPA in the Toxics Release Inventory –Original TRI Industries 4 NCF companies are listed in the top ten facilities in Florida for on and off-site releases –Buckeye Florida L.P. in Perry; –Georgia-Pacific Corp in Palatka –Eveready Battery Co. in Alachua –Gold Kist Live Oak Processing Plant in Live Oak

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Environmental Issues Seven New Industries reported by TRI –2 NCF companies listed among the top ten polluting facilities in FL Seminole Generating Station in Palatka GRU, Deerhaven Generating Station in Gainesville

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Environmental Issues NCF Superfund Sites –Approximately 97 Superfund sites are located in NCF –5 sites are either currently listed or have been listed on the National Priorities List –Currently on the NPL Cabot Carbon/ Koppers in Alachua County Brown Wood Preserving in Suwannee County

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Environmental Issues Solid Waste Disposal –NCF average was 1 ton per capita in 1998 –State average is 1.77 tons –Largest contributors to solid wastes are Alachua County residents with 1.8 tons –Least amount of waste comes from Lafayette with.34 tons per capita

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Environmental Issues Groundwater: –NCF withdraws million gallons of groundwater per day –Marion and Taylor counties consume the greatest amounts at over 50 million gallons each per day –Total demand on the groundwater system is projected to increase by 35% in the next 20 years

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Environmental Issues Surface Water: –NCF withdrawals of surface water totals 173 million gallons per day –95% of the withdrawals occur in Suwannee and Putnam counties Minimum Flow Requirements –47 MFL’s have been set for the NCF area, all of them within the St. Johns Water Management District

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Environmental Issues List of Impaired Waters: –12 watersheds within the NCF boundaries reported their waters as impaired in 1998 –The number of water bodies within these watersheds total 185 –Reported impairments are the result of nutrients, coliform, dissolved oxygen, toxic chemicals, turbidity, and total suspended solis

North Central Florida Environmental Profile

Environmental Issues Fish and Wildlife Advisories –Rivers: Oklawaha, St. Mary’s, Wacassassa, Suwannee, Santa Fe, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha –Lakes and ponds: Altho, Eaton, Kerr, Ocean, Mill Dam, Swim –National Wildlife Refuge: Lower Suwannee

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Environmental Issues Habitat Loss –Wetlands converted: Suwannee River: 188 lost, 45 created, 7,343 preserved, 14,028 improved St. Johns River: 4,351 lost, 3,409 created, 30,549 preserved, 1,254 improved

North Central Florida Environmental Profile Environmental Issues Local Government Environmental Programs Only Alachua and Marion counties have departments specifically devoted to environmental protection Only Alachua and Marion counties have local government land acquisition programs