Proposal to transfer Woodring property to ‘Ding’ Darling NWR
During Tuesday’s City Council session, a proposal to transfer property rights for the historic Woodring Estate to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge was presented, receiving the unanimous support from councilors.
Doug Hattaway, senior project manager of the Southwest Florida office of The Trust for Public Land, delivered a brief presentation on how the 6.5 acre property, located at 1816 Woodring Road, would be better protected by become part of the vast refuge system.
“The preservation of the fragile ecosystems and natural communities found on the property are of utmost importance and we are working hard to realize the property’s inclusion into the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge,” said Hattaway. “The property also has important historic resources that can tell the story of early pioneering life on Sanibel as well strategic water access to Tarpon and San Carlos Bays for better refuge management.”
According to Hattaway, the Woodring property is of interest to the refuge for its natural resources as well as for its strategic deep-water access to the bays, providing for quick access to the more remote areas of the refuge. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is currently working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to facilitate the acquisition of the property using federal funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund in fiscal year 2013 for inclusion into the refuge. He added that the proposal has received support from the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and the Lee County Board of Commissioners.
Although they did not speak during the presentation, Ralph and Jean Woodring did attend the meeting.
“I know that the Woodrings want to participate… I think ‘Ding’ Darling wants to participate,” said councilman Marty Harrity. “I think that this makes sense… we can probably support something like this.”
Hattaway asked the City of Sanibel to provide a letter of support to local legislators, adding that the island community can get involved as well.
“At this stage, simply raising awareness of our efforts is helpful,” added Hattaway, who noted that the process is expected to take approximately one year to complete. “The best thing citizens can do is write their Congressman — whether their local Congressman Mack or their local Congressman if their full time home is elsewhere — and Senators Nelson and Rubio expressing the importance of the preservation of the property’s resources as part of the refuge.”
Councilors voted 5-0 in favor of sending letters of support for the proposal.
The Trust for Public Land is a national conservation organization which works to protect land for people to enjoy as parks, playgrounds, open space and wilderness. Since it was created in 1972, TPL has protected more than 2.9 million acres in 47 states. TPL depends on the support of individuals, corporations and foundations.
For more information about the organization, visit www.tpl.org.