SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

The proposed 10,000-home Kingston development project in eastern Lee County has filed for a federal Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, necessary for any wetland “dredge and fill” actions that will occur during the construction.

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported it is the second time the project has had to apply for the permit, which was previously granted by the state before it was rejected by a federal judge in February due to the development’s impacts to the endangered Florida panther. The decision now rests in the hands of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies.

According to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Kingston development would:

– Destroy more than 3,330 acres of primary and secondary zone Florida panther habitat and fragment additional habitat.

– Add than 10,000 homes and associated development next to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW).

– Be located within the Density Reduction/Groundwater Recharge (DR/GR) area of Lee, which should remain largely rural to safeguard drinking water supplies.

– Add an estimate 95,000 additional vehicle trips per day onto surrounding roadways, when vehicle collisions are one of the panthers’ top sources of mortality.

“Fortunately, the federal permitting process allows for public input and greater scrutiny of the environmental impacts of the project,” SCCF Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis said.

To voice concerns and request a public hearing from federal decision makers, visit https://secure.conservancy.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=191.

“Our partners at the Conservancy have been embroiled in this issue and are seeing their hard work pay off as they continue to push back against this dangerous development in the Western Everglades,” he said.

Public comments regarding the proposed work will be accepted until July 14.

They should be submitted in writing to Attn: District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District, 1520 Royal Palm Square, Suite 310, Fort Myers, FL 33919.